The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-04
THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES

UNITED STATES.
Washington's last years, as chief exc
cutive and first citizen of the new re-
public, are the subject of an appreciative
paper by Prof. Woodrow Wilson, of
Princeton, in the November Harper's
magazine. The paper is finely illustrated
by Howard Pyle and others.
WASHINGTON TAKES THE OATH OF
OFFICE.
On the 30th day of April, in the presence
of a great concourse of people, who first
broke into wild cheers at sight of him,
and then fell silent again upon the in
slant to see him so moved, Washington
stood face TO face with the chancellor of
the state upon the open balcony of the
Federal hall in Wall street, and took the
oath of office. DO you Solemnly swear, )"
asked Livingston, that you will faith
fully execute the office of president of
of your ability, preserve, protect and de-
fend the constitution of the United
States?"
Il do solemnly swear" replied Wash
ington, that l will faithfully execute the
office of president of the United States,
and will, to the best of my ability, pre-
serve, protect and defend the constitu-
ton of the United States" and then,
bending to kiss the Bible held before him,
bowed his head and said, 80 help me
Godr' in tones no man could mistake, so
uGSD was incH THRILL OF Ieenng. Long
live George Washington, president of the
United States!' cried Livingston to the
people; and a great shout went up with
the booming of the cannon in the narrow
streets
Washington was profoundly moved,
and, with all his extraordinary mastery
of himself, could not hide his agitation.
1t was company of friends, the sena-
tors and representatives who stood about
him within the senate chamber as he
read his address, after the taking of the
oath. Some very old friends We're there
men who had been with him IN the
been his intimate correspondents the long
years through, men who were now his
close confdants and sworn supporters.
Not many strangers could crowd into the
narrow hall; and it was not mere love
Of ceremony, but genuine and heartfelt
respect, that made the whole company
stand while he read. He visibly trembled
nevertheless, as he stood in their pres
ence, strong and steadfast man though
he was. and several times could
scarce make out to read; shifted
Effort: lei his voice fall almost in
audible; was every way unlike himself
except for the simple majesty and SINGER
ity that shone in him through it ALL His
manner but gave emphasis. after all, to
the words he was reading. ''The magni-
tude and difficulty of the trust" he de-
clared. "could not but overwhelm with
dependence one who. inheriting inferior
endowments from nature, and unpractised
in the duties of civil administration,
ought to be peculiarly conscious of his
own deficiencies:'' and no one there could
look at him and deem him inSincere when
he added. ''All 1 dare aver is, that it has
been my faithful study to collect my
duty from just appreciation of every
circumstance by which it might be af
fected All dare hope is, that if in exc
cutting this task l have been too much
swayed by a grateful remembrance of
former instances nv afTacfiO0qfa
sensibility to this transcendent proof of