The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-02-28
HOW BUCHANAN WENT IN.
Inauguration of the Last D Democratic
President.

The Inauguration of the last Democratic
president is of especial interest at this
time, writes Washington correspondent
of the Cleveland Leader. When Buchanan
was inaugurated .en the 4th of March,
1857, Washington wag hardly more than
village, scattered over territory large enough
for an immense city. 1t contained less
than sixty thousand inhabitants, and what
were then considered the fine houses were
Just below the capitol and above the ave-
nue.. The fashionable northwest part of
the city was swamp, and even the negro
huts which later sprung up had not yet APP
peared. The whole country contained less
than thirty millions Of population. Still
the records state that 10000 strangers
came to see the Inauguration, and on the
night of the 3rd of March thousands walked
the streets to keep warm, being unable to
procure lodgings. Several of the different
hotels, small as they were then, had eight
hundred guests registered, and every board
ing house was packed halls, cellar and
garret.
March 3rd was bleak winter day, and
the President-elect rose before daybreak at
his home at Wheatlands, Pennsylvania, and
as soon as he had finished breakfast he
started for Lancaster in his carriage. He
had written and rewritten his inaugural
message, and he made only one change in
it after he got to Washington. A crowd
of Lancaster citizens went to Wheatlands
to escort him to the depot, and a band of
music played while he rode into town with
his private secretary, Mr.. Henry Lane, and
another young lady in his carriage.
At the Lancaster station he found a
special car waiting for him, built for the
the occasion by Robert Magraw, railroad
friend Of his This car had painted win
dows, and these represented the scenes
about Wheatlands, President Buchanan's
home. All along the road from Lancaster
to Washington ovations were given the
President-elect, but he arrived in Wash
ington two hours earlier than was expected;
and the programme of his reception here
was rather thin.
He was driven at once to the National
Hotel, which still stands on Pennsylvania
avenue, half way between the capitol and
the treasury, and here he was crowded with
visitors. Nearly everybody was admitted,
and politicians, ofice-seekers and interested
parties pushed this way and that to get at
him. That night he received invitations,
says Gobight, to dine with President Pierce,
Stephen A. Douglass and others, and de-
clined all invitations.
All night of the 3rd Of March, 1857,
Congress was in session The 4th broke
bright and sunny, with an atmosphere full
of the blandness of spring. As it did so,
hundreds of people were already at their
stands to get an early watch-point for the
procession, and the city hall steps, where it
was to organize, were crowded. At II
o'clock the procession was formed, and 1T
marched to Wizards Hotel, at the head OF
Pennsylvania Avenue, near the treasury,
where the two Presidents, Pierce and Buch-
anan, were to meet, and go to the capitol
in the same carriage. President Pierce
was a few minutes late He came in a
private carriage and the crowds cheered as
he and Buchanan shook hands at the Four
teenth street door of the hotel, and entered
the open barouche prepared for them.
With them rode Senator Bigler, of Penn
sylvania, and Foote, of Vermont. The
procession was long one. 1t was made
up of military organizations, citizens and
clubs, and in it were two Pennsylvanians
who, it was said, had walked sixty miles to
be present at the Inauguration OF "Old
Buck, as they called him. One wagon
represented peace, war, commerce and ag-
riculture, and bore liberty pole in its centre
running up seventy feet, with gorgeous
liberty cap on its top.
The President-elect was near the head OF
the procession, and near him throughout
the ceremonies was a physician, ready to
administer medicine should the little touch
which he had caught of the National Hotel
disease prove dangerous. At the capitol
fifty thousand people were present, and it IS
reported that Beau Hickman was among
them. passing from one to another and So
letting small loans. The inaugural address
was delivered on the east portico OF the
capitol. and the President was duly sworn
in. AS the oath was administered, 1t Is
said. it was as still as death, and at the
close of his Inauguration there were cheers,
salvos of artillery and music by the Marine
Band. The President then proceeded to
the white house, which ex-President Pierce
had vacated, and here Buchanan received
the people
The inauguration ball that night was
held in room prepared for it in connection
with the City HAIL, and thousaI is were
present. As Buchanan came in, at $50,
the band struck up "Hail to the Chief,
and here another reception was held for
several hours, when the President left at
about midnight He took supper before
he went away, and it is said that the feast
on this occasion was very fine. Good wine
flowed like water, and there were FIVE hun
dred chickens. So closed the Inauguration.
OF course the city was crowded with the
usual sights of such an event, The toy
balloon man and the peanut vender We'd
with the popcorn seller in making the day
hideous. There was a balloon ascension,
and Dan Rice's circus was also IN the held
Life is made up, not of great sacrifices
or duties, but of little things, OF which
smiles and kindness and small obligations,
given habitually, are what win and pre-
Il -, q,,.+