The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-03-04

w
first of the presidents of the United
States, bowed his head in deep emotion
over the Bible upon which he pledged
himself to keep the Union, 80 help me
God"
! When Washington assumed the presi
dency, among other duties he was obliged
to devise the form and ceremonial of an
Inauguration. Like the other results OF
his handiwork, it has been found good
and has endured with little change and
that only in the line of expansion, down
| to this day
The general was living quietly at his
| home on beautiful Mount Vernon, when
| notified of his election. The seat of gov
| eminent was then in New York The
| president-elect made the journey to New
York on horseback, in stage coaches and
barges. The country has never since wit
| messed such scenes as attended his prog
ress; in the country the farmers gathered
| along the roadside TO greet him: in the
towns and cities professions were formed
to escort him. and his carriage was drag
ged by hand by hundreds of enthusiastic
people. The City of Brotherly Love, dis
tinguished for its loyalty in those early
days, was lavishly decorated. and Wash
ington, mounted on a magnificent white
charger, rode beneath triumphal arches
and streamers of evergreen. On every
side was flung to the breeze the flag now
known as "Old Glory but new sign
in the armament of nations then. In the
Jersey towns young girls scattered flow
ers in his pathway. and everywhere was
the sign of national rejoicing.
The first president was indicted into
his office in the old Federal building in
New York City, which was then the
place of meeting of the new congress.
He himself laid down the order of cxer-
cses. A military escort waited upon him
at his temporary stopping place on Cher
nv street. They were all regular United
States troops, for the volunteers who had
freed their country had gone back to
their farms and workshops and laid aside
for a time the tools of war. The prcsi-
dent-elect rode alone in his carriage in
the line. for there was no retiring presi-
dent to bear him company. Special COM
mittees appointed by congress. just as
the senate does today, attended him into
the presence of the senate, where the
oath of office was administered by Chan
ceIlor Livingston. and the formal an
nouncement to the multitude assembled
out-of-doOrs was the signal for general
rejoicing and merry-making that was
concluded by display of fireworks at
night.
At the date of Washingtons second
Inauguration the seat of government had
been removed to Philadelphia, and the
ceremonies were more elaborate in de-
tails. A great coach drawn. by six white
horses conveyed the president to the
meeting place of congress on Chestnut
street. and Washington himself was at
tired in the greatest splendOr, even for
those days. in black velvet and silver
laces and diamond-studded buckles and
cooked hat.
III, FIRST oreot trial of the stability of
.l,a now ronnbiic came with the inaucu-
,nt;nn of lain Adams. and the result
,,as a Smnerh vindicotinu of the wisdom
W Il, fonndnrs far il made certain the
FACT that the great general. who had
haen tho idol of his people for a term If
e;ght veors could checrfully and will
inelv surrender the reins of power into
ths hands of another. Adams. like
ioinh;n and with similar ceremony.
Then folowed another strain upon the
vounp renmblicap system. for Adams
successor, Thomas jefferson, had hot
been elected by the people. but had been
chosen by the house of representatives
after bitter contest, in the first exnr-
else of its constitutional power to act in
case of tie.
Jefferson tbe Sage of Monticello. was
n man of nloin tastes. He cared nothing
for forms and ceremoniais, and besides
tba times were not suited to ostentatious
d;snlav with So much ugly temper and
MI Verse noliticol feeling abroad in the
land Again the seat of government
hal been moved this time TO its perlna-
nent obode in Washington. and here JET
ferson was inaugurated with simplici-
- n,rcb 70 his iiEino With n very
small resident ponnlatiop and removed
from tbo nonuIoyis centprs. the number
az neonle that witnessed his assumption
Of Tho nresidenti,I office in this day
would seem ridicmlously small. Neyerthc-
lass the neonle of the Surrounding coun-
trv aocked into tbe CITY. and although
thara were M preat crowds around Penn
svlyania avenue. evidences of enthiisi-
osm and hearty greeting TO the presi-
dent eiect were not wanting. local
artillery battery fired a salute at day
break and n company of Alexandria
r;femen did Mr.. Jefferson the honor of
m radinp before his house
m. :Ia,. .Ioo. h., oo, INT,
ane Pres,t t na aa 'o oInn 'n, U
ioMn hltnost u .h a amu ti ~ 20
II, Wontiaoii. "t Co. Iaap nf n,ffo,nd
escort hnt because he preferrrd that
course. The same simplicity marked
his inauguration. Like Washington he
had no retiring president TO escort him
TO the capitol. but for another reason:
President Adams in n bitter frame of
mind had Quilted the city at daybreak.
Jefferson rode ON horseback to the capi-
fol attended merely by a number of his
party friends in congress and some lead
ing citizens: with his own hands he
hitched his horse at the eastern entrance