Evening star., 1901-02-16
How He Went to the Capitol One
Hundred Years Ago.
POPULAR ACCOUNT is A MYTH
Product of the Last Labors of the
Late DR.. Busey.
NOTABLE ANNlVERSARl RlES


of the first inauguration of President at
the permanent seat of government There
is a sad interest attached to this account,
as it was completed but a short time before
1t was presented to the society, and was
the last product of prolific pen. DE-
Busey was unable to be present at the
meeting and a week later he passed away
The paper is as follows:
In pursuance of the act Of Congress OF
March 2, 1889 (Sec. 4, sundry civil appro-
priation bilD the centennial of the first IN
auguration of George Washington. which
took place in the city of New York. April
30 17S9. was celebrated by the observance
of the centennial day as a national holiday
throughout the United States and by the
assembling of both houses of Congress ana
other officials and dignitaries in the nan
of the House of Representatives, December
H. 1889 to hear the commemorative address
delivered by Chief Justice Melville w. Ful-
ler The city of New York had previously
celebrated the centennial anniversary with
such civic and military display as TO EN-,
phasize the fact that Washington remained
first in the hearts of his countrymen." On
the 4th of March, 1893, the second inaugura-
ton took place in Independence Han, Ill
adelphia. 1t was unattended with the DIli-
liant pageantry and ceremonies Whlch
marked the first inauguration. not because
of the lesSened veneration and gratitude OF
his countrymen for Washington, but III
some measure because 1t took place IN d
provincial city, the population OF whlcn
was for the most part, composed or people
with staid habits and solemn demeanor ana
mainly because it was in keeping with the
taste and wishes Of the President.
Notable Anniversaries.
The first inauguration of Mr.. Mckinney
took place on the centennial anniversary
of the retirement of Washington from pub
lie life. a coincidence which did not attract
public attention and which might have es-
caped official observation, but for the cir
cumstance that Senator John B. Gordon OF
| Georgia, at the suggestion OF Judge James
| B. Embry of this city, in brler ana peru
nent speech called the attention OF the
Senate to the fact that the Inauguration 70
take place the next day would occur on the
| centennial of the retirement OF fresiaeNt
| George Washington from pubic l1e.
| The second inauguration of President NC
| Kinlev will take place on the 4th of March,
| 1901, the centennial Of the first lnaugura.
| ton of a President at the permanent sea-
| of the government. Mr.. Jefferson, VINO was
| the Vice President during the single tern,
| of John Adams, and succeeded MIN. retireu
| from the Senate. and on March z. addressed
| the following note to the HonoraDe 4heo-
| dore Sedgwick, Speaker OF the House o.
Representatives: ,co,
| WASHINGTON, March ?, 1sol
Sir: | beg through you to inform the
| honorable House Of Representatives Oh 'le
| United States that | shall take the oalh
| tbat the Constitution prescribes for the
| President of the United States before enter
! ing on the execution of his once on 81,
| nesday, the 4th instant at II O'CLOCK III
| the Senate chamber.
| spect. Sir, your most obedient and humble
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
| 1.-THE Hon. Theodore Sedgwick, Speaker ol
i Of
Contemporary Account.
| The brief and simple story of that even
Is told in the National Intelligencer o.
March 8. 1901. as follows:
cat an early hour on Wednesday the cit!
| of Washington presented a spectacle or un
common animation, occasioned by the add
| ton to its usual population of large bodI
of citizens from adjacent districts. dis
| charge from a company Of Washington ar
tillery ushered in the day, and ABOUT II
| o'clock the Alexandria company of rifemen
| with a company of artillery, paraded II
| front Of the Presidents lodgings.
| "At 12 o'clock Thomas Jefferson, attend
| ed by a number Of his fellow citizens
among whom were many members of Con
| gress repaired to the Capitol. His dres
| was, as usual, that of plain citizen, with
out any distinctive badge of office.
HE entered the Capitol under dlscharg
of artillery.
"On his entry into the senate champe
there were assembled the Senate and tn
members of the House of Representatives
the members rose, and Mr.. Burr left tn
chair of the Senate, which Mr. Iefferso
took.
after a few minutes of silence Mr.. JET
ferson rose and delivered his address be
fore the largest concourse of citizens eve
| assembled here. After seating himself fo
a short period, he again arose and ar
preached the clerks table, where the oat
| ct nd
justice, after which he returned to hi
lodgings, accompanied by the Vice Pres
dent, chief justice and heads of depart
| ments where he was waited upon by
number of distinguished citizens
"As soon as he withdrew a discharge
artillery was made. The remainder of tt
day was devoted to festivity, and at ngf
there was pretty general illumination.
Neither Mr.. Adams nor Theodore Seds
| wick Speaker Of the House Of Represents
tives were present at the inaugural Ger,
mony, both these gentlemen having left tt
city at daylight on that morning"
An UnpretentfOus Ceremony.
The above account appeared in the A,
rora newspaper In Philadelphia, March l
1901 and also with the omission of II
, last paragraph as a preface in pamphl
edition of the inaugural speech issued
| Philadelphia for Matthew Cary in the yei
of 1901.
1t thus appears to have been very 70
. NAL but unpretentious ceremony, in whc
the President was the chief and only col
spicuous parsonage, and so arranged as
e bring that one person all the more di
e tnctly into view.
Mr.. Jefferson walked to the Capitol, ar
), from the Capitol back to his lodging
u which as shown by the following extrac
a from the Intelligencer, were located on Ne
8 Jersey avenue southeast:
n Conrad & McMunn have opened hous
. of entertainment in the range of buildin!
{ formerly occupied by Mr. Law, about .
Ii PAGES from the Capitol. in New Jersey av
= nue. leading from thence to the Eastel
n branch They are spacious and convenier
a one of which is designed for stage passe
II gers and travellers, the other for the accor
II mediation of boarders. There is stablil
IT sufficient for twenty horses. They hope
merit public ronage."-(National Intel
10 gencer. November "a. 1900
IT Last evening arrived In Washingtt
ID Thomas Jefferson, Vice President Of Il
r United States, and took up his lodgings
r ! Messrs. Conrad McMunn's apartments
Is National Intelligencer. November IS. 1SO'
ID Yesterday the President Of the Unit
le States removed from Messrs. McMunn
II Conrads to the Presidents house"-(N
le tional Intelligencer. March 20, 1s01.)
ic Where Jefferson Lived.
y The record is therefore complete that
reached his lodgings November 81, 1St