The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-03-07
INAUGURATION CEREMONIES
LINCOLN AND THAT CAP.

INAUGURATION CEREMONIES.
LINCOLN AND THAT CAP.
A Newspaper Correspondents Pre-
dlcament In the stormy Days of Lin
cOln's EIectIOn-HIs Inauguration
COnIrasted with that of President
CleYeIand A Few Facts of War
Days Heretofore SecreJs.
From this date on, Democratic jour
mails will devote themselves largely to
what they are pleased to call Republican
discord, and from this until the after
noon OF March 4 Republican journals
will discuss with great delight and clan
the Inauguration of Republican Presi-
dent. All matter inaugural is, there
fore, apropos, and 1t occurs 10 me that a
reminder of two significant inaugura-
tions may be of interest to some of the
younger readers of the Press In 1850 a
great contest was fought between the
young Republican party and the good
old Democratic party.
The latter had been in possess IN OF
the government, to all intents and pur.
poses, for fifty years, and laughed, with
contemptuOus snort, at the lea that ITS
young rival, frelghted as it was wi b
ideas concerning free men, free speech
and free territories, could by any possi
bility win the battle. The earnest en-
deavors betwee the supporters of Cleve-
land and Blaine, and, later, between the
adherents of Cleveland and HarIi i'On,
sincere vigorous, pushing and deter
mined as tn yunquestionably were, were
ludicrous boys play, when contrasted
with the bitterness and tierceness of the
struggle between the adherents Of the
Democratic party, on the one side, and
the Republican party on the other.
Lincoln was inaugurated on the 4th
of March, 1861.
AS is the custom, he and his family
and friends went TO Washington some
days prior tc Inauguration day. Diff
Guilty was rumored. Danger was threat
ened. Most aft citing incidents attended
his departure from the little town Of
Springfield, Ill.,, where, Immediately
preceding the departure of the train, he
made farewell address 10 The friends
and neighbors who had known him all
his life, in which in noticeable degree,
as frt quently thereafter on the trip to
Washington, he threw himself with all
his burdens upon his Heavenly Father.
| was particularly touched, for was
with the party as a correspondent for
ths New York Times by the parallel he
drew between the difficulties and EN-
barrassments that hesCt Washington and
those with which he was weighted, and
IL was interesting 10 hear him say that
''as Washington could not have succeed
ed without divine aid" so he Uincoln)
was quite conscious that as a man, an
individual, the representatives of the
people, he could not attain desired ends
unsided and alone.
Great curiousity was manifested, and
anxiety, too, by the people along the
route to know how the President elect
felt toward the turbulent elements in
the South, and how he would act un Ter
certain circumstances, the people hoped
TO forecaste by such utterance as he
might make upon this trip, which was
the target for every eye 10 the civilized
world. 1t was IN Trenton, think, in
the presence of the Legislature by which
he was rendered reception, that Mr..
Lincoln said if il was necessary to 'put
his foot down hard" he was prepared to
do 80.
In Philadelphia word was CONVEX tied
TO the confidants of the President elect
that trouble was spprehended between
Harrisburg and Baltimore. Neverthe-
less, the line marked out was adhered
to. and on the following morning, with
cheers and shouts and cannon roar, the
party was sent off by special train to
Harrisburg, where very interesting
and enthusiastic reception was awarded
them. In the evening about, 0 o'clock,
Mr.. Lincoln, attended by his aids, by a
circutous route, made connection with
the regular Washington train at Bllti-
more, leaving his family and friends to
60 on by the regular train from Harris
burg the following morning. At 10
o'clock of the morning Lincoln arrived
in Washington, New York city, and
therefore the nation, was startled by a
Times extra, announcing the safe arri-
val of the President elect in Washing
tom
This extra told the story Of anticipst-
ed trouble, Of the strategic movement
on the part Of Mr.. Lincoln and his
friends and the successful result attend
ing such movement. In this connection
it may be well to tell and explode the
record of the Scotch cap and military
cloak" with which Mr.. Lincoln was his
torcally dressed, and which, with illus
trations, made interesting reading in the
comic weeklies for months thereafter.
Mr.. Stephen Fiske, now the accomplish
ed editor Of the Spirit of the Times, was
then correspondent of the New York
Herald We had been constant COM
panions and roommates during the trip,
and on the night Of the arrival IN Har-
risburgh were busily engaged in prepar
ing our dispatches, when Detective
Burns entered the room and informed
us we could send no dispatches that
night. After long and excited discus.
sion, during which he informed us we
would not be permitted to leave our
room until the following morning, the
facts concerning anticipated danger and
Mr. Lincoln's departure 'in disguise
were given. He also told us that the
wire had been cut and that communica.
ton with New York was a physical i'm.
possibility. The interview terminated
pleasantly, and he retired, we resumine
our work, TO be wired the following
morning. began my dispatch "The
President elect is safe in the city OF
Washington and following with the
story of threatened violence, and &C
forth, to the train between Harrisburg
and Baltimore, forecasting feared dis
turbance in Baltimore, and winding uI
with the record of Mr.. Lincoln's depart
ure sin Disguise" The question in my
mind was what disguise Mr.. Lincoln. Of
any other man, could obtain in the little
town Of Harrisburg at o'clock in th'
evening, in the year OF our Lord 1861.
knew that his chief attendant was Col
Sumner Of the army, who wore a Ions
military cloak, so, IN my minds eye,
> saw the President IL ct arrayed in Sum
ner's long military cloak. knew, too
that Mr.. Lincoln carried small travel
! ing cap, but there was nothing verl
= picturesque about that, 50 oalled it
Scotch" travelling cap, and with III,
same minis eye saw that j luntily plac
ed upon his dear old head.
UDder ordinary circumstances man