St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-05-09

Washington arrived, having beer
made the centre of a tr1umphal pa
geant from the gate of Mt. Vernon
to the foot of Wall street 1t was or
this journey to Inauguration that the
matrons and maidens of Trent on rem
dered that graceful tribute at the
bridge of the Assumpink, across
which 2 years before he had retreat
ed from CORVALLIS in the darkness
and wintry storm, through which this
sunny afternoon in April, he rode on
a f1oorway of flowers under arch
ways of laurels, saluted with songs
and with the sentiment, The Defer-
der of the Mothers will be the Pro
tector of the Daughters"
At 9 O'Clock April 80, the churches
of New York were opened for relig-
ious service in cOmmemoratlon OF
which event we are in this church at
the corresponding hour of today.
At noon Washington, dressed in a
suit of brown, homemade, and with
steel-hilted sword, was escorted to
Federal hall, ushered to his seat by
Vice-President Adams, already in
Quoted into office After a period OF
silence he rose and stepped out into
the balcony which was open to the
street. A storm of applause greeted
his appearance. AS if overcome by
the demonstration, he retreated to
an arm chair, beside the little table
on which lay the only insignia of the
occasion, copy of the Holy Bible.
The shouts of the populace subsidized.
When all was still Washington rose
| I'D A II HI
right, Chancellor Livingston on his
left. To the oath of office admins
tered by the Chancellor, he respond
ed solemnly, bending forward to kiss
the Bible. From the high balcony
went shout, Long live George
Washington, President of the United
States The multitude rolled it
along the street; signal flag ran up
the cupola the booming of artillery
sounded from the battery; all the
bells of the city answered each then
in salute The President bowed and
retreat ted to the senate chamber
Here in low, tremulous voice he read
his inaugural. Then, accompanied
by both houses of congress, (the first
congress of the United States) he
went on foot to st. Paul's church,
Broadway, where a religious service
was conducted by the chaplain of the
senate.
We cherish today with gratitude
the fact that our government was
inaugurated with services Of prayer
to God, both morning and afternoon.
In this, as in all else, Washington
leadership was felt. 1t was he who
| IL +1,n
found in the woods kneeling before
God During the darkest periods of
the Revolution he held fast the con-
fidence that God had a future for
these colonies While ardently urg-
ing federal union he declared it to be
an event in the hand of God. He
! took his high office under God, say
ing in his inaugural, ''In this my first
official act, my fervent supplications
are to that Almighty Being, who
rules the universe, who presides in
the councils of nations, whose aid
can supply every human defect, that
| His bened1ct1On may cOnSecrate to
the liberties and happiness of the
people of the United States a govern
ment instituted by themselves. No
people can be bound to acknowledge
and adore the Invisible Hand which
conducts the affairs of men, more
than we. Every step has been at
tended by some token of providential
agency, and calls for returns of pious
gratitude"
Again at the close of his inaugural
| he said, 81 cannot take my leave
without resOrting once more in hum
bic supplication to God that since he
has been pleased so far to favor the
American people with unparalleled
unanimity in deciding on a form of
government to secure their union, so
his Divine blessing may be equally
conspicuous in the enlarged views
and temperate consultations and
wise measures on which its success
must depend" In acknO wledging
the Senate's answer to his inaugural
he still further said, "Supported by
firm trust in the great Arbiter of the
| Universe and inplOring his divine
benedictiOn on our joint eXertions,
readily engage with you in our ardu-
Gus but pleasing task for the ma ton"
1t has seemed to me well worth our
while to come together at 9 O'Clock
on this 3Oth of April, even if aside
from our devotiOns we listened to
nothing else than these paragraphs
from President Washington inau
gural, 1t is clear to us, at this hour,
that our government has been sus-
tanned these hundred years according
to the supplications of its founders.
We believe it is the Almighty favor
that has brought it through a centu
rvs tests and strains. 1t gives us
good hope for the second century,
that at the head of our government
is man of unquestioned Christian
quality, and that each morning at Z
O'Clock family worship is conducted
in the White House by President
Harrison. May a like spirit and
practice of religion be found among
the families of the tribes of all our re-
public throughout all our coasts, till
it come to pass that was spoken by
Moses of the ideal republic, Behold
what nation so great who hath God
so nigh unto them; surely in the
sight of the nations thisi a wise and
understanding people"
Historical Facts and Anecdotes.
When Washington was inaugural
ed there was less than rs post of
fees in the land only three mails
week between Boston and New York
and only five a week between New
York and Philadelphia. Letters sent
from Philadelphia were five weeks
reaching points now within a half a
day of each other. More letters are
| delivered now in New York every day
than at that time in all the Is colo
mics in the whole year.
The trip from Boston to New York