The Irish standard., 1905-03-04
Tells of Personal Incidents That Are Of the
Greatest Interest and Political
Significance
The Inauguration of Grover Cleveland on
March 4, 1885, the Most Brilliant
and Enthusiastic.

One Inauguration is much like an
other in it's essential characteristics
the president takes the same oath Of
office that has been administered to
his predecessor, the crowds are always
large, the city is filled to overflow
ing, the dominant political party is
jubilant and the interest in the qucs-
tionS of the day is intense, says John
III. Kctcllam in New York Herald.
1t is in the personal incidents, the
events not on the program and the
impromptu demonstrations of political
Significance that the greatest interest
of past inaugurations centers and
which make them best remembered.
For instance, everybody is familiar
with the tradition that Thomas Jeffer-
son simply rode to the Capitol on
horseback, hitchcd his mount, walked
into the Capitol and delivered his in
augural address after taking the oath
of office and departed unOstentatlous-
ly. This is n tradition unfounded in
fact, but it serves to show how incl
dents comparatively unimpOrtant in
themselves are long remembered by
the people.
was in the army when elected to
Congress. My first term opened with
the thirty-ninth Congress, which be-
gan the day President Lincoln was in
augurated for the second time.
Lincoln's second inauguration was
in vivid contrast to the first. In 1861
he came to Washington secretly, al
though not in disguise, as tradition
has it, After his first Inauguration
Washington society held aloof from
the president, for the sympathies of
fashionable folk were almost entirely
with the South.
But 1865 saw Il great change. Then
the war was won. The North was
saddcned by the loss Of many brave
lives, but filled with satisfaction at the
result Of the conflict and with hope at
the promise of a greater future for the
reunited Republic.
March 4, 1865, was thoroughly
disagreeablc day. Even then visitors
termed the rain and mud "inaugura-
tion weather." Andrew Johnson had
been elected vice president Although
he had been placed on the ticket at
the instance of Secretary Seward
there was feeling against him and
some distrust.
The Inauguration parade was sig
nificant of the success of the federal
arms. 1t was more of a carnival affair
than many previous inaugurations; a
model OF a monitor mounted on wheels
was prominent in the procession and
guns were fired from this monitor at
frequent intervals.
Upon the cars Of the thousands
gathered that day at the east front of
the Capitol President Iincoln's in
augnral address fell with great signih-
cance. Four years before he had left
his home at Springfield, ILL.,, saying lie
knew not whether he should ever re-
turn and that there lay before him a
task greater than that which rested
upon Washington. At his second
inaugural he said
"BOtll parties deprecated war, but
one of them would make war rather
than let the nation survive; the other
would accept war rather than let it
perish. And the war came"
This touched the keynote of the sit
uation, for Grant was then at City
Point and his generals, Sherman,
ShcridHn Thomas. Terry and SchO-
field. under his nnstrrful direction
were surely cncompnssing the end of
the Confcdrracy.
AS Lincoln concluded speaking
Chief Justice Chase administered to
him the oath of Office, extending to
him the Bible, which the president
raised rcvercntly to his lips.
In the newly completed building Of
the Department Of the Interior was
held the inaugural ball that night, and
a brilliant affair it was. Scores Of
officers Of the army and navy were
then in Washington, and their hand