Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-05
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

The unexpected arrival Of President
Lincoln in Washington the ed OF Feb
ruary, 1851. as set forth
Republicans in The Star of that date.
w., greatly upset the plans
Aooieu' of many politicians who
had for weeks been waiting for the
arrival of the new chief executive. In
deed, notwithstanding the publication
In The Star. many refused to believe
that he was here at all. as the follow
ing story in The Star of February %.
1861. indicates:
The rush for The Star on Saturday.
to get at the facts Of the case whether
Mr.. Lincoln was really In town or not.
was something unprecedented in the
history of newspaper sales. But very
many of our republican friends who
had set their hearts upon greeting the
President-elect at the cars at 4 pm,
and nowhere else, utterly refused to
credit the report Of his unexpected ar
rival, despite our very explicit and cir
cumstantial detail Of that affair. No
indeed, they wern't to be sold. and Com
mitteeman Schreiner and others Of the
Republican Association dele ton pro-
claimed their purpose to be at the cars
in the afternoon to receive Mr. Lincoln.
according to their instructions. Hadn't
Mr.. Lew Ciephane and the Wide Awake
delegation gone on in the morning train
to meet Uncle Abe?
Meantime MesSrs. Eckloff, Hodgson
and 7. b Brown of TIE Republican AS
ISOLATION might have been seen. mounted
upon the top Of a big furniture wagon,
lending their way slowly down Indiana
avenue. said wagon being further laden
with no end of flags, banners and other
decorations to ornament the "Wigwam"
for the eye of the President-elect on his
way from the cars They drove slowly,
we say. as If dubitating whether to drive
at ALL A halt was made and a delegation
sent to the railroad station. There their
souls were Claddened by the positive as
surance from Gilbert that the President
elect had not arrived. and, to the contrary.
they were even then making the neces-
bring him on from Baltimore. So the
party concluded it was safe to unload
their wagon and hang out their banners"
Two days after Lincoln's arrival came
the news. reaching. Washington first by
way of telegram tn one
TWlggS' Of the senators. o. he
AAoo0noAy then in command of the
Department OF Texas. who sur-enderei
his entire command to the Texas con-
vention. The Star OF February 20.
1861, contained the confirmation Of this
report and the statement that dispatches
had previously been received from Gen.
Twiggs in this city int.mating purpose
on his part thus to transfer his force
to the Confederacy. On receipt of these
ntimations orders had been issued to
Col. c. A. Waite, second In command Of
the department, to relieve Gen. Twiggs.
The Star said:
1.-THE UNANIMOUSLY disgraceful scheme
was doubtless concocted here by the men
in high places. sworn to protect the rights
OF the government Of the United States,
in the south. All of the latter were sur
rendered to overwhelmingly supe .or mill
tary force. In this case, however. II
the orders of Twiggs had been obeyed
the surrenders have been made without
there having been brought man in arms
to sustain Them
Up to almost the last minute before the
adjournment Of Congress hope was en-
tertained by some trat he
Peace House and Senate would adopt
w. a concil.ation scheme. posi- .ly
1AoPe' formulated by the peace con-
vention in session in this city. In The
Star of February % is the following:
1.-The peace congress met this morning
at 10 am. and again proceeded to con-
s.der the first branch Of their plan of
which was lost yesterday by
an unexpected change in the delegations
from Virginia. No. tn Carolina and Mis-
souri,. After considerable discussion they
came to a second direct vote upon the
adoption Of the Franklin proposition and
it was carried. The majority of both
the Virginia and North Carolina delega-
lions voted cheek by jowl WITH the CT ee-
leyites against it, and Missou.i's delega-
ton was equally divided. So MissO LIi
delegation being equally divided. Upon
all the other branches OF the plan OF
settlement a majority OF Indiana's delega-
ton took the responsibility OF voting IN
the affirmative, without waiting to CON-
suit their legislature. as instructed: Upon
that branch. covering the question of
in the territo.ie they declined
voting. under those instructions.
Their vote would not have varied the
result, as had it been thrown it would
voted for it. and New York was equally
divided. About 1 pm. the convention
adjourned sine die. having happily con-
cluded their labors. The House Of Rep
the constitutional majority required.
Every border state has been saved to
the Union by the conventions work of
today and the return of the seeded
states to the Union is now but ques-
ton of a short time"
~
A large meeting of the Republican AS
ISOLATION was held in the "Wigwam"
Thursday night FahrI, ~ |
IS, 1851. and afterward Mr.. |
M..4; Lincoln was serenaded at |
Meet1hs. his hotel In The Stars
report Of the "Wigwam" proceedings, pub
lished in the issue of March 1, 1861, Is |
he following. suggestive note when it |
is recalled that Mr.. Lincoln was inaugu-
rated only three days later:
The first noticeable object that pre-
scented itself to the reportorial eye last |
night within the 'Wigwam' was the ap-
against the wall, back Of tn, |
:hairman's desk, of a goodly-sized placard |
gearing upon it's face the following Sig
licant sentences:
Recruits wanted Able-bodied men
wanted for serves in the army Of South
Carolina. Bounty, S. Pay, S1l per
month Rations. clothing and medical at
endance included. Term OF eni.stmtn
me year. Apply to Capt. G. r. Andrews.
recruiting officer, No. - Monroe sti eet.'
Upon inquiry among the crowd we
lscertained that the placard was droppeI
n the street by some entei p. Using re-
,ruiting agent. who was engaged in post