The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-05-22


The Chesapeake & Ohio
Canal-Col. Berret in
the Maryland Leg
islature, &c.
Interesting Facts in State and National
Politics.
March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was duly
maugurated as President of the United States,
and delivered the usual address from the
Eastern portico of the Capitol. The CON
course of people assembled was very large,
and his address was well received.
The usual pageant which followed the ex-
ercises at the Capitol was distinguished for
the orderly manner in which 1t WAS conduct
ed, and Mayor Berret's assurances as to the
good order which would prevail on that oc-
casion were more than fully realized, there
never having been before one so entirely salts
factory in that respect.
The building in which the ball was held in
the evening was temporary, wooden slruc
ture, connected with the north side Of the City
Hall, and was well adapted 10 the purpose.
The bail may be said TO have been very
brilliant affair, being we'll attended by the
fashion and beauty of the City. The Presi-
dent attended, accompanied by Mrs Lincoln,
Senator Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois, and
Senator Anthony, of Rhode Island; and upon
their arrival at the building they proceeded at
once to the Mayors office where preparation
had been made for their reception, and at the
proper hour President Lincoln, with Senator
Anthony and Mayor Berret, entered the ball
room, followed by Mrs. Lincoln and Senator
Douglas.
After remaining until the midnight hour,
President Lincoln suggested to the Mayor
that he would like to retire, if he could leave
the building without interrupting the festiv-
tiles of the occasion. Mayor Berret escorted
him to his Office, summoned his private car
riage, and alone with the President, drove to
the Executive Mansion.
Mr.. Lincoln spoke, during the drive, of the
many assassination rumors which had excited
much interest," but to which he seemed to at
tach little importance, in which view, the
Mayor concurred. Reaching the White House
without interruption, they parted for the
night.
In day or two afterwards, the Mayor re-
ceived a message from Mrs. Lincoln request
ing him to call at the Executive Mansion,
which he promptly did. Mrs Lincoln stated
that her object in sending for him was to be
informed about the appointment of the Com
missioner of Public Buildings, about which
she felt soma anxiety, and suggested that a
difficulty had arisen, since some of the Presi-
dents friends thought that the appointment
of any one other than a citizen of Washington
would cause some ll-feeling among his friends
at the Capitol, which he wished to avoid even
at the sacrifice of her personal wishes in the
matter, and expressed desire that Col. Ber-
ret would point the way out of the difficulty.
This he proceeded to do, in this wise: Re
marking that there was no point in the sug
gestion that the Commissioner should neces-
sarily be selected from the city of Washington,
since the very first one appointed was from
Virginia, and later on gentleman from Con-
necticut had filled that office, he stated to her
that if it were known that the wife Of the
President had any preference as to the party
who should fill that Office, the duties of which
might well be regarded as a part of the of
fetal household, there could be no hesitancy
in making the appointment to suit her personal
wishes, and that no gentleman in the city
would offer any objection, if such were the case.
This explanation seemed to be satisfactory.
and she asked the Mayor if he would repeat
what he had said to her to the President, to
which he replied that it would give him great
pleasure to do so. She sent for Mr.. Lincoln,
who came to the parlor from his office, and
Mayor Berret proceeded to relate the con-
versation which had taken place between Mrs.
Lincoln and himself, about the Commissioner
of Public Buildings, to which the President
listened with much attention, and then, with
a twinkle of his eye, said.
You have settled the difficulty with great
deal ofdiplomacy and no little ohivalry. Mrs.
Lincoln now feels that she can have the Com
missioner of Public Buildings, and it is all
owing to your sound and clear statement of
the case. | have again to thank you, Mr.
Mayor most kindly, for your advice and aid. .
1t happened few DAYS thereafter that the
work on the Capitol building, and the Treas
ury extension, then in course Of erection, (and
necessitating the employment of several hun
dred workmen), was about to be suspended.
The Mayor called at the Executive Mansion
and had an interview with Mr.. Lincoln upon
the subject, and argued strongly against any
suspension of the work, TO which the Presi-
dent replied that there was no money, and he
did not see how it was possible for him to con-
tinHe the construction of these buildings. 10
this remark the Mayor replied:
''Mr. President, it would be a great mis-
take, in my judgment, to suspend work on
these buildings, at this particular time, in
view of the fact that it will be at once herald
ed that you no longer have confidence in
your position at the Capitol of
the Nation, and the announcement of such
will cause, perhaps, every
foreign minister to communicate that act to
his Government, which will certainly weaken
the cause of the Union.
Mr.. Lincoln promptly acceded TO the
Mayors suggestion, and directed that the
work on these buildings proceed, without
M !o.,lI 4;o,, sc NJ ;,,oo1, &C p-as;Jar+
resulted in the withdraw of many members
from the Senate and House of Representa-
tives, and the speedy secession of several of
the States from the Union, which threatened
what folowed-a terrible civil war of proper
tons far hey ond what had been anticipated
by the wisest of the men engaged in public
affairs at that date.
Pending the excitement which preceded
open hostilities, Mayor Berret had frequent
with Mr.. Benjamin Ogle Tay-
loe, large land and slave owner in the South,
who, with himself, considered the prospect of
q civil war, and accordingly, soon after the
they called upon Hon. Salmon
p Chase, then Secretary of the Treasury to
ascertain whether or not some steps could be
taken to arrest such an awful catastrophe.
They found Mr.. Chase at his residence
known then as the ''Rugby House." but now,
as the "The Hamilton" and were promptly
admitted to an audience. The Mayor in
formed Mr. Chase of the object of their visit,
and a general conversation began, in which
Mr.. Tayoe took part Mr.. Chase received
what was said in the spirit in which it was in
tended, and then replied:
Gentlemen, sympathize with you in your
desire to promote the peace of the country,
and can best tell you the part | have had in 1t
by saying, that when came to the Peace Con-
gress in February, 1861, | was not in favor of
any compromise, and that after taking my
seat in the Senate of the United States, on
the 4th of March, my views remained the
same; but upon assuming the position OF
Secretary of the Treasury, which connected
me with the practical operations of the Adj
ministration, my views underwent a change,
and | felt the importance of doing something
to stay the red hand of war. In an early
Cabinet conference / suggested that it would
be the part of wisdom to allow the Cotton
States which had seeded from the Union,
to go, for the reason that they wsuld soon
weary of their imaginary liberty, and that the
influence of the border States, which were in
sympathy with them upon what they termed
the vital question of slavery would seon
bring them back, not only content, but more
leyal than ever before to the country"
1t may be said that the firing on the flag,
April u, 1861, at Fort Sumter, which aroused
the public sentiment all over the country in
hostility to the Southern movement, was the
signal which announced this terrible war.
The State of Virginia, within a few days
thereafter nassed her "Ordinance of Seces-