Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-29
A CENTURY AGO.
The Inauguration of George Warrington
as President.

Tno INAUGURATION OF George w oen1ngton
as President.
HOW HE TOOK THE OATH or oFYIcR-rHE cKRE-
MONIES ATTENDING THE occAsIoS-ESrHusI-
AsTIc RECEPTIONS ALONG THE ROUTE FROM
MOUNT VERNON TO NEW YORK.
The differences between the Inauguration Of
President Of the United States in these days
and the same ceremony when the country was
young were never more clearly emphasized
than they were last night when Mr.. Clarence
Winthrop Bowen, of New York, read, before
the American Historical association, his paper
on 1.-THE Inauguration of George Washington
as President Of the United States"
The correspondence Of Gen. Washington,
said Mr.. Bowen, during the fall and winter
Immediately preceding his Inauguration as
President showed very clearly an unmistakable
reluctance on his part to assume the duties Of
the Office. Nearly all Of his letters are in that
same strain. To Samuel Hanson he said: my
first wish is to be allowed to spend the evening
Of my days in the quietude of private life." To
Lafayette he addressed q similar remark, and
to Harry Knox he wrote: my movements
toward the presidential chair are like those of
q criminal going to the place Of execution"
Having said farewell to his mother at Fred
ericksburg, and having borrowed E6O0 to
defray the expenses of his trip northward,
Washington, on April 16, left for New York in
his carriage, in company with Mr.. Thompson
and Col. Humphreys. Scarcely had the two
left Mount Vernon when they were met by
party of friends and admirers from Alexandria.
Together they proceeded to that city. and
there, at Wise's tavern. q great dinner was
served in honor Of Washington. Patriotic
toasts were numerous and speeches were not
lacking.
&C., said the mayor, addressing the Presi-
dent-elect in his farewell remarks, '.go and
make grateful people happy" So overcome
by his emotions was the great general that he
could scarcely respond to the eulogistic fare
wells. When, on the next day, he left Alex
andria, he was accompanied to Georgetown by
great crowd of not only men and boys. but
also by large number # women and children:
forming procession ',hich, said a writer of
that time, '.was greates than any triumphant
Rome ever beheld."
ALONG THE ROUTE.
The company was met half way by a number
Of residents of Georgetown, who, not content
with this, escorted the general as far north as
Baltimore. Outside of that city the cavalcade
was met by number of the more prominent
citizens, and together they proceeded to Grants
tavern, where supper was served. The gen.
eral went to bed at 10 o'clock and was up be-
day.. At $50 the early breakfast had been
disposed of, and, amid the cheers of the peo-
pie and the "boom" of artillery, Washington
had started for Wilmington. 1t was evidently
the intention Of the escort to accompany him
to that place, but when the procession had left
Baltimore miles behind it the general in
sisted that the Baltimoreans return home, and
they reluctGnly complied with his wish. Near
Wilmington delegation was awaiting his ap-
proach, and an address was read to him. He
was most Hospitality and reverently cared for,
and was accompanied by many Delawarians to
the Pennsylvania line. Philadelphia had made
great preparations to receive the hero. $1,000
had been appropriated to pay for a great mill
tary reception, and invividual effort to do
honor to Washington was evident everywhere.
Early on Monday morning Washington arrived
at Chester, and there he breakfasted. His car
rage was, by himself, ordered to the rear, and
when the journey was once more taken up the
President-elect was mounted
ON A MAGNIFICENT WHITE HORSE.
Gen. Arthur st. Clair headed the local nota-
bles who came out from Philadelphia to receive
the passing guest. The crowd was an enormous
one-greater than ever before seen in Phila-
delphia. Triumphal arches spanned the streets
and decorations Of evergreens and flags hid the
fronts of the houses. The boats on the river
were bedecked with the gayest colors, and
everywhere there were eulogistic and patriotic
notices. Gray's Ferry was reached about
noon. While passing bareheaded beneath one
of the arches erected for the occasion Wash
ington was requested to stop. He did SO, and
Miss Angelica Peale placed on his brow the
laurel wreath of the victor. The Alliance and
Spanish frigate at anchor in the river fred
salutes at Washingtons approach, the bells of
Christ church were rung, the populace cheered,
and the scene was one which could not be for
gotten by any of those who witnessed it. At
the celebrated City tavern, at I'd and Chestnut
streets, great banquet was served, and one of
the newspapers of that time remarked that
novel and extraordinary feature of the occa-
sion was the
PLAYING OF MUSIC BY A BAND
throughout the whole Of the dinner. It was a
busy evening for Washington. He received a
large number of private citizens, and nearly
every institution in the city presented him
with a complimentary address before he left
the city, which he did next morning. The City
Troop had made arrangements to escort the
general as far as Trenton, but to this Washing
ton made strenuous objection because of the
rain, which was then pouring down. The rain
ceased. however, shortly after noon, and before
O'Clock Washington had left Philadelphia.
His reception at Trenton was characterized by
the chroniclers of those days as being magnifi-
cent. gigantic arch. covered with
suitable Inscriptions, was the most
prominent feature in the decorations.
At the Trenton end of the bridge
sey were large number of richly dressed
ladies, and Immediately in front of them were
their daughters, six of them with baskets of
flowers in their hands. When the general APP
preached them the procession stopped while
the ladies sang an ode composed for the occa-
sion, and the daughters strewed the hero's
pathway with the most fragrant and beautiful
flowers. Dinner was eaten at Samuel Henry's
City tavern, and Washington spent the night at
Princeton with the Rev. DIR. John Witherspoon.
At O'Clock on Wednesday afternoon the party
left for Eizabethport, where he stopped at the
public-hOuse Of Gen. Smith. Here the final
stage of the journey commenced, for it was
here that Washington stepped on board the
great barge which was to convey him to New
York. The barge was a fine specimen of the
shipbuilder's art, and it was manned by
thirteen masters of vessels. Jas. Mich
olson was commander, while Thomas
Randall was coxswain. In addition to
Washington and his friends there were
on board the members of the Joint congress
sional reception committee and a number of
other celebrities. The trip to New York, said
Mr.. Bowen, was best described in letter from
Elias Boudinot to his wife, and from this
epistle much was quoted.
NHARING NEW YORK.
Long before the barge reached New York
it was met by hundreds of efervescent-spirited
gentlemen in boats of various descriptions.
The weather was remarkably fine and the
water was extraordinarily smooth, although
there was breeze. As the hotilla neared Bed
loe's island large sloop sailed close to the
barge and moved parallel with it, while about
twenty ladies and gentlemen sang an original