The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-04-03
THE FIRST INAUGURATION.
A Graphic Picture of the Incidents and
Scenes of the Great Day.
From the American Queen.

lQe WST Dau euQeu--d uUuUtlul StiuS
gle of eight years-and the independence
of the United States was acknowledged
by the chief masters oft the world. Amer
lea had witnessed some of the most
sublime scenes in human history its
present position had been achieved by
such cost of personal suffering, human
life, and individual pecuniary ruin, as
almost staggered credulity. Beyond all
this there was debt due from the Uni
ted States to creditors at home and
abroad of more than fifty millions of dol
lars. The whole expense of the war Just
ended had not been less than one hun
dred and thirty-fve millions. The OPP
pressions of tyranny and the pressure ofa
common danger having been lifted. the
prediction of enemies seemed likely to
be fulfilled-that the success of Amer
lea would prove her ruin, in that she was
incapable of governing herself.
A meteoric light finally appeared from
among the dark clouds in the form of
Convention, from which emanated the
Constitution of the United States of
America. AS soon as the necessary ma
iority of the States had transmitted to
Congress their acceptance of this Consti-
tuition, an Act was passed for the choice of
President and Vice-President, and
Washington was elected unanimously by
grateful people for the highest Office
in their gift. John Adams, recently
from the court of st. James, where he
had been the first Minister Plenipotenti-
ary from the new Republic, was chosen
Vice. President by a small majority.
The first Congress under the Constitu-
ton assembled in New York City, March
1889, which was then expected to be the
permanent capital of the new nation.
The old City Hall had been remodeled,
at a cost of thirty thousand dollars, for
national capitol, and presented quite
stately appearance. The basement
story was in the Tuscan style, with
seven openings; four massive pillars in
the centre supported heavy arches, above
which rose four Doric columns the
cornice was ingeniously divided to admit
thirteen stars in the metopes, an eagle
and other insignia were in the pediment,
together with the sculptures of thirteen
arrows surrounded by olive branches
over each window, marked it as build
ing set apart for national purposes.
The entrance was through lofty vesti-
bule paved with marble, and elegantly
finished. The Hall Of Representatives
was slightly octangular shape, sixty-one
by fifty-eight feet in dimension, with an
arched ceiling forty-six feet high in the
centre. 1t had two galleries, Speakers
platform admirably arranged, and sep
arate chair and desk for each member.
It's windows were immensely large, and
some sixteen feet above the floor, under
which were the euaintest of fre-places.
The Senate Chamber was q much
smaller apartment, forty by thirty feet
in extent, and twenty feet high, with an
arched ceiling of light blue-a sun and
thirteen stars in the centre. 1t was dec
Grated most artistically, and its numerous
6re-places were of highly polished varie-
gated American marble. The Presi-
dents chair was elevated thee feet above
the floor, and was under a rich canopy
of crimson damask, the window-curtains,
and chair-covers of same material. The
chairs were arranged in semicircles, and
the floor was handsomely carpeted. 1t
had three windows opening upon Wall
street, and balcony twelve feet deep,
guarded by an iron railing, where the
P President of the United States was to take
the oath of Office.
The great day at last arrived. Every
arrangement was perfected. For three
weeks the hotels and boarding houses
had been thronged with visitors from all
parts of the country, and now every
private house in the city was filled with
guests, everyone anxious to witness the
proud ceremonial which was to complete
the organization of the Government
The beautiful Bertha Ingersoll wrote to q
young lady friend of her experiences on
this OCCASION:
"Mr. Williamson had promised to en-
gage us rooms at Frances tavern, but
that was jammed long ago, as was every
other decent public house; and now
while we are waiting at Mrs. Wander
voort's in Maiden Lane, till after dinner
two of our beaux are running about town
determined to obtain the best place for
us to stay at which can be opened for
love, money, or the most persuasive
speeches"
The streets were filled with multitudes
at an early hour in the morning. At 9
o'clock the bells rang from every church
steeple, calling the people into the vari-
Gus places of worship for prayers, to i'm.
plore the blessing of heaven upon the
new ruler, and success to his admins
tration-so universal was religious sense
of the importance of the occasion. I'm
mediately upon the close of these servi-
ces the air was filled with inspiring
music and the military unfurled their
banners in every direction. The chief
companies which took part were Capt
Stakes troop of horse; Captain Scriba's
German Grenadiers, with blue coats, yell
low waistcoats and breeches, black
CATERS, and towering cone-shaped caps
faced with bear.skin; Captain Harsin'a
Grenadier, composed of the tallest and
handsomest young men of New York,
dressed in blue coats, with red facings
and gold lace broideries, cooked hat, white
feathers and white waistcoat and breeches
and the Scotch Infantry, in full Highland
costume, with bagpipes.
When the President, Vice-President,
Senators, Chancellor and other public
characters stepped from the Senate
Chamber (above described) upon the
outside gallery, Wall street and Broad
street, each way, were filled with a sea
of upturned faces-the widows crowded
with gaily- dressed ladies-and silence
reigned as profound as if every living
form which composed the vast concourse
was statue carved in stone. In the
centre, between the two pillars, stood
Washington, in dark brown coat, waist
coat and breeches, ruffied shirt, white
silk stockings, plain silver shoe-buckles,
head uncovered, and his white locks
combed up and tied in queuEbehind.
On one side of him stood Chancellor
Robert R. Livingston, tall, elegant, and
superlatively dignifed, in full suit of
black, and on the other hand stood Vice
President John Adams shorter man, of
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