The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-03

ishe1 their demonstration OF approval the
President will have begun a new sentence.
When he has finished, he viii enter his
carriage and ride to the White House
between solid walls of humanity, making
the cir vibrant with their cheers. The
parade will be like any other of a half
hundred. which occur every year in the
larger cities of the United States with
this exception: There will be more sol
diers and sailors OF the army and navy
in II. than any one city can possibly hope
10 have.
Undoubtedly all OF the men who
wear the uniform of blue,
the four or five hundred little brown
skinned men composing the Porto Rican
battalion will excite the greatest posi-
bic interest. They will be the only hv-
ing reminders of the great changes that
have taken place during the last four
years. Not more than ten or twenty of
all that battalion will be able TO under
stand any more English than is abso-
lutely necessary for them to obey the
commands of their officers and TO ask
for tho rations the government doles out
to them. They are, in speech and In
thought, still subjects of the King of
Spain.
what Four Years Have Wrought.
Four years ago when Mr. Mckinley
first took the oath of office there was no
prophetic soul who had even limited at
the great consequences to follow the then
impending war with Spain. The Ameri-
can people We're practically convinced
that the strained relations then existing
between the Republic and the Spanish
Kingdom would result in hostilities, but
instead of viewing the probability with
"a Of
great misgivings in their hearts. Tie
Spanish navy, the books said, although
not having as many battleships as car
.icd on the American register, was far
superior to the maritime strength of the
United States. The Spanish infantry, well
informed persons knew, had from the
time of Alva down, a reputation second
to none in Europe. Although everyone
was convinced that there would be war
no one had any idea that il would be as
one-slded as it was. Not one of all the
statesmen then occupying the public eye,
had any idea that the United States
would acquire an Empire in the tropics
Very few of them had any notion of the
geographical location of the Philippine
Islands and probably not more than one
or two members of Congress could
have given an intelligent estimate
of their number, size or population. Were
there nothing more than the presence
of battalion of Porto Ricans to impress
the fact that there had been a great
change in the United States during the
four years just passed, the second inau-
guration of the President would probably
be ranked as one of the most notable in
the history of the United States. Just
one incident that occurred four years ago
will serve to mark the vast change that
has taken place. on the last night OF the
session of Congress, the most absorbing
question under debate was that of armor
plate. 1t was thought worthy of COM
ment IN the newspapers on inauguration
day that Senator Quay had blocked the
proceedings for as much as two hours, in
an effort to get the Senate to fix a price
on armor greater than $500 a ton. The
last days of this Congress have been spent
in debating what relations the republic
of Cuba, now a fact, but then only eX-
istent on paper, shall sustain to the Uni
ted States. Four years ago the question
with regard to Cuba was: Shall the Uni
ted States recognize the existence of the
paper republic2 The Philippines, much
less the Philippine question, had not even
been dreamed OF.
Few Notable InauRurntiOns.
There are but few notable inaugurations
in the history of the country. The first
induction into office of George Washing
ton, the Inauguration of jefferson, Jack
son and Lincoln, are the only ones that
naturally fix themselves in the mind
Washington's is recalled simply because
he was the first. There was some debate
in the Senate as to whether the members
of that body should rise when Gen. Wash
ingtOn inferred the chamber. The faith
ers were greatly disturbed in
spirit lest the ceremonies of
the young republic should become too
much like those employed in the corona
ton of kings and emperors. Standing up
seemed to them to be not merely marked
respect, but something closely akin to
servility. Although the records show
that the debate was long and at times
rather pointed and bitter. they failed to
indicate what conclusion the senators of
that day reached. Some senators probably
stood up when the Father of His Country
entered the chamber, while others kept
their seats to show that they considered
themselves the equal of the man who had
Just been chosen to execute the laws of
the new republic.
An awkward pause occurred in the in
duction of Washington because the then
Capitol of the United States did not con-
tain such a common thing as a copy CT
the Bible. Chancellor Livingston, great
jurist that he was could not think of
attempting to administer the oath of Of
flee without having the President kiss
the sacred book. When the discovery
was made that there was no copy in the
building, the chancellor bethought him
self of the Bible in st. Johns Lodge. No.
/, of Free and Accepted Masons, of
which he was a member. With all speed.
a messenger was dispatched to fetch it,
and that book is now one OF the most
sacred relics the lodge possesses.
JeRersOn's Inauguration.
Jefferson's assumption OF the great Of
flee is made memorable by the alleged
simplicity of the ceremony. An magma
tive Englishman who did not visit the
Capitol until several months after the
event. wrote the story that the great pa
iron saint of the democracy rode to the
Capitol on his horse, unattended, hitched
the animal to the fence then surround
ing the grounds, walked into the edifice,
took the oath and returned to his board
ing house.
There is not word Of truth in the tale.
CONTRACTION AND INFEC-
Tim