The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-01-29
INAUGURALS PAST AND PRESENT

Washington's Splendid Ceremonials-Jef
ferson's Horseback Ride.
New YORK, Jan. 2S.-The most dra-
matte Inauguration ceremony of presi-
dent was that which occurred at mid
night on Sept. 10, 1881, when General
Arthur received the oath OF office. The
simplest, and it has always been called
the typical democratic ceremony, was
that which characterized the Inaugural
ton of Thomas Jefferson. The most ex-
citing ceremony was that one attending
the Inauguration OF Abraham Lincoln,
and perhaps the most brilliant was that
one which accompanied the Inauguration
of President Garfield
President Washington was inaugurated
with such splendor OF ceremony as gave
something of offense to the citizens of the
republic who even then believed that a
great democracy should not ape foreign
manners. There was something of a ten
dency to duplicate court ceremonials in
Europe. and the satirists and lampooners
of that day declared that all was needed
was the bestowal of the crown and scepter
to make the ceremonial exactly like that
which attends the coronation of the king.
| Washington set the example OF read
/ ing in the presence of the public the
inaugural address, and it has been fol-
lowed by every president elected by the
choice of the people since that time JEFF
ferson sent his message to Congress to be
read by the officers OF that body, although
the intention clearly was at first that the
president should appear before Congress
and read himself such communications as
he had to make. The precedent Jefferson
set has never been departed from, and the
only occasion since his day upon which a
president has appeared in either hall of
Congress during its session has been when
funeral services of distinguished men
were being held.
After the first election it was a long
time before the country knew precisely
what the vote which General Washington
had received was, although, of course, it
was known that he was elected. He
started from his Virginia home some
three weeks before the time fixed for his
Inauguration, and his journey was what
was called triumphal procession from
Mount Vernon to New York. Children
greeted him with flowers and in every
town through which he passed there were
banners and arches and gala decorations
After that the ceremonies of Inauguration
were comparatively simple. PRESIDENT
Washington received John Adams and
escorted him to the then capitol on the
morning of Mr.. Adams Inauguration
and although Adams was federalist as
Washington was and was moreover a man
Of much vanity, yet he did not care to be
accompanied by any unusual or striking
ceremony.
When the term expired he lid an ex-
traordinary thing, since it ha never been
repeated by any other outgoing presi
dents. He refused to receive Mr.. Jeffer-
son, and abruptly quilted the presidential
residence on the morning of inauguration
day. Jefferson was staying at a hotel
frequented by southern members, and
when the time can he mounted his horse
and rode to the capitol, himself hitching
the horse to post and entering the can
itol unattended.
Isshould be said, however, that this
tradition has been denied, although the
weight of authority seems to be in favor
of it. At all events the inaugural cere-
monies were SO simple that the details Of
them have been a matter OF dispute
There was nothing unusual, however. in
President Jeferson's riding to the capitol
on horseback. He was compelled either
TO do that or walk, since the roads were
in such shocking condition that the use
of q carriage would have been inconven-
lent.
From the time of Mr., Madison's inaup-
ural until that of Mr.. Lincoln the cere-
mony was practically the same in each
case. The outgoing president received
his successor, there having been prev