The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-04-18
THE FIRST INAUGURATION.
aEoRaE wAsHINaToN's install
LArIoN IN OFFICE.
Ceremonies in the Federal Congress
at New York-The First lnaugu-
ral-A Display of Bonfires.

ceremonies IN tho feucfai SohsHes'
at New York-The First Inaugu-
ral-A Display of Bonfires,
John Bach McMaster gives in Ha,psr's
Monthly an interesting account OF George
Washington's first installation as Presi-
dent OF the United States. After de-
scribing the formation of the new Gov
ernment and the unanimous selection OF
General Washington for President, the
writer tells the story of the journey from
Mount Vernon to New York, This was
one long ovation. At Elizabethtown,
N. j., General Washington was conveyed
by barge, rowed by thirteen of the
New York harbor pilots, and followed
by large procession OF boats, to the city
which was to be the scene of his inaugu-
ration. At New York Washington was
met by Governor Clinton and the mem
bers of Congress, and escorted by all the
troops of the city to the house made
ready for his use. As Federal Hall was
unfinished, the ceremony of taking the
oath was put off one week. ''This week
was spent by the President in receiving
and returning the calls of Congressman,
and in riding about the streets and noting
the great change which had taken place
since he saw the city last" Continuing,
the writer describes the Inauguration
ceremonies before Congress on April 80,
1889, as follows:
At last the shouting in the streets made
known that the President was come A
few minutes later he entered the room,
and both houses were formally presented
This ceremony over, Mr.. Adams informed
him that it was time to take the oath OF
office. He rose and, followed by the
members of Congress, went out on the
balcony of Federal Hall. Before him
were the windows, the house-tops, the
streets, crowded with citizens OF every
rank, brought thither from every kind OF
occupation by the novelty of the scene.
Behind him were gathered many of the
ablest and most illustrious citizens the
country had then produced. Among the
Senators stood John Langdon, Of New
Hampshire, once President of his State,
and long delegate to the Continental
Congress; Oliver Ellsworth, soon to be-
come a Chief-Justice of the Supreme
Court; William Paterson, ten times At
torney- General Of New Jersey; Richard
Henry Lee and Richard Bassett and
George Reed, men whose names appear
alike at the foot of the Declaration of In
depence and at the foot of the Constitu
ton of the United States; William John
son, a scholar and Judge, and one o.
the few Americans whose learning hae
obtained recognition abroad; while con
spicuous even in that goodly company
was the noble brow and thoughtful face
of Robert Morris, the financier OF thu
Revolution.
The Representatives as a body vert
men of lesser note. Yet among tnost
who that morning stood before the Presi
dent were few whose names were a
illustrious as any on the roll of the Senate
there were James Madison, to whom, witt
James Wilson, is to be ascribed thu
chief part in framing and defending thu
Constitution; and Fisher Alnes, the fines
orator the House ever heard till it listened
to Henry Clay; and Elbridge Gerry, tn
Anti Federalist, who pronounced tn
Constitution dangerous and bad, VIII
would not sign it in convention, but VIII
lived to see his worst fears dissipated
and died Vice President of the Unitet
States; and Roger Sherman and Georg
Clymer, who with Gerry dated their pub
lie service to time before the Revolu
ton, and who in def
had staked sttheir liv
and their sacred ncs1or
| first grand charter 81
When the Presiden. --..-.--.
such men as these, had taken his plac
before the railing Of the balcony AM
the shouts of welcome had died away
Robert r. Livingston administered tn
oath of office. Livingston was the
Chancellor of the State of New York
and when the last words of the oath ha
been uttered he turned to the people an
cried out: "Long live George Washing
ton, President of the United States !
The cry was instantly taken up, and wit
the roar Of cannon and the shouts of HI
countrymen ringing in his ears, Washing
ton went back to the Senate Chamber
deliver his speech What there too
place is best told in the language of on
who saw it: "This great man Yas ag
tated and embarrassed more than ever b
was by the leveled canon or pointe
musket. He trembled, and several tint
could scarce make out to read though
must be supposed he had often read
before He made flourish with b
right hand, which left rather an ungainl
impression. l sincerely, for my par
wished all set ceremony in the hands {
the dancing master, and that this first {
men had read off his address in tt
plainest manner, without ever taking h
eyes from the paper, for felt hurt tn
he was not first in everything"
The people meanwhile went off to the
, favorite taverns to drink prosperity
, Washington and Adams, and wait wit
,, Impotence for the coming night 4
the first stars began to shine, bontir
were lighted in many of the streets, ar
, eleven candles put up in the windows
many of the houses. The front of Fee
cral Hall was "a blaze Of light. The
was a fine transparency in front of Il
, theatre, another near the Fly Marke
! and a third on the Bowling Green, ne
4 the fort. But the crowd was densest al
! staid the longest before the figure piec
and moving transparencies that appearC
in the windows of the house>of the mi
lister Of Spain, and before therich di
: play of lanterns that hung round Il
!, doors and windows Of the house occupit
< by the minister of France.
4 The country over which Washingtt
I was thus made ruler was not three and
3 half times as large as the present State
a Texas, and did not contain as mgny pc
I; pie by million as are at present livil
d within the State of New York.
! Whitfield Wooden Typewriter.
A newspaper receives many curio
e letters in the course of the year. Pr
a haps one of the most extraordinary Il
A tiers ever sent to the Detroit Free Pr
cane tho otbor dav from InoareoIl nj