Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-04
llNCOlN-HARRlSON.
appAuAM TrNrnr.N


ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
1t is not within the prof. nce Of this article
to set forth the portentous events just pre-.
ceding the Inauguration Of Abraham Lip-
coin; the fierce four sided campaign of 1860;
the long winter of anxiety and gloom; the
successive retirement Of congressman as seven
states seeded; the rumors Of intended assas-
sination and the secret night journey Of Mr..
Lincoln to Washington. Nevertheless, these
things must be borne In mind by one who
would understand the scenes Of that inaugu-
ration. Gen. Winfield Scott, then lieutenant
general Of the United States army, and In
command at Washington, was firmly per-
suaded that a riot was planned for Inaugural
| ton day, during which an attempt was to be
| made to assassinate Mr.. Lincoln. He there
fore organized the militia of the District and
disposed of his available force of regulars as
seemed to him best calculated to prevent
bloodshed
On the 4th Of March, 1861, the retiring
president. Buchanan, and Mr. Lincoln rode
together to the Capitol, the president driving
to Wizards hotel for the president-elect
They rode between double files of squadron
them marched company of sappers and
miners and behind them came the infantry
and riAemen Of the district. On the roofs of
all the highest houses along Pennsylvania av-
enue were placed squads Of rihemen from the
regular army with orders to watch the WIN
dows on the opposite side and fire upon them
| In case any attempt should be made to fire
from those windows upon the presidential
carriage. A small force Of. regular caval-
was detailed In squads to guard the street
crossings on Pennsylvania avenue, each squad
retiring by side streets as the presidential
carriage p>ssed and taking up its position
ahead, SO that each street crossing was thor
oughly guarded A battalion of District Of
Columbia troops stood near the steps of the
Capi~l and at the windows and wings
specially detailed riaemen were placed. In
addition to this, os tho brow of the hill, not
| far from the north end of the Capitol, COM
manding both the approach and the broad
| plateau to the east front, was stationed q
battery of flying artillery, under the com
mand of Gen Scott himself
| When the presidential carriage reached the
east front, the two occupants passed arm in
arm to the senate chamber, already densely
packed with officers and civilians, where
the ceremony of swearing in the vice presi-
| dent was soon performed. Then the two,
| surrounded by the justices of the supreme
| court, the senate committee of arrangements,
the outgoing president and the family Of the
president-elect, the chief justice in his robes,
| the clark III tha court with R{hla fnnl THAR
| places on the front of the platform at the
east portico. Before them were perhaps 90
900 people, all in deep silence and every face
serious, many apparently in deep gloom.
| The construction of the great dome of the
| Capitol was in progress, and in front Of the
| president-elect stood the bronze statue of
| Liberty. Just before the ceremonies began
| strange historic group was accidentally
| formed. On one side was Senator Douglas,
late Mr.. Lincolns chief rival for the preSi-
dency, holding Mr.. Lincolnt hat. On
the other side stood Chief Justice
fancy, author of the bred Scott
| decision, and close to the latter
| President Buchanan. To the front and
center stood Abraham Lincoln, president.
elect, thus grouping together the principal
characters in the most momentous era of
American history. When the loud and pro-
longed cheering had subsidized, Senator Baker
| briefly introduced Mr. Lincoln, and stepping
forward the president-elect, in a firm, clear
voice, every word being heard by every one
of the audience, read that remarkable inau-
gural. When he pronounced the closing
| words, II am 10th to close-we are not en-
emies, but friends-we must not be enemies
though passion may have strained, it must
not break our bonds Of Affection etc., the
| people broke into a loud and prolonged
cheer. Chief Justice fancy arose and took
| up his Bible, and Mr.. Lincoln, pronounced
| this oath:
Il, Abraham Lincoln, do soemnly swear
that will faithfully execute the Office of
president of the United States, and will to
the best of my ability preserve, protect and
defend the constitution of the United States "
As the last word died away the battery, com
manded by Gen. Scott, Numbered its snlute
| Mr.. Buchanan and President Lincoln re-
| turned to their carriage and the military
escorted them to the White House
-Four years later there was a crowd beyond
all previous experience of Washington, and
military display composed only Of soldie1
who happened to be there at the time; but
even the temporary surplus Of the army at
that time was greater than the whole regular
army before the war The second inaugural
| address Of President Lincoln was not so
closely scanned as his first, for the policy Of
| the administration was already determined
1t was far more poetic and even more pathe-
tic than the first Many sentences are now
| familiar as household words, and the closing
| paragraph has become an American classic,
| as follows:
| with malice toward none and charity for
| all; with firmness in the right, as God gives
us to see the right, let us strive on to finish
the work we are in; to bind up the nations
wounds; to care for him who shall have
borne the battle and for his widow and or
| phans: to do all which may achieve and
cherish just and O lasting peace among our
selves and with all nations" The national
salute was then fired and Mr.. Lincoln, In q
barouche with Senator Foster, Of the COM
mittee of arrangements was escorted by the
| military to the White House. On this occa-
sion and the next Chief Justice Chase adj
mtntstered the oath of Office.
Q. g. GRANT.
The Inauguration Of Gen. Ulysses s. Grant
ON the 4th Of March, 1869, aroused a great
display Of popular enthusiasm in which all
parties Joined; but, contrary to the etiquette
Of the occasion, the incoming president was
not escorted to the Capitol by his predecessor,
Andrew johnson, this being the third time
that this occurred in therhistory Of the gov
eminent, as that Of 1899 was the second. The
crowd In Washington surpassed all previ-
ously known, except that at the military re-