New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-02
THE HORSEBACK MYTH.

No Democratic inauguration would
he complete without return 10 "Jef-
fersonian simplicity But we hope
that I'm their search for precedents the
friends Of so eminent an historian as
Governor Wilson will not make ms
inauguration the occasion for spread
ING abroad false notions OF history.
Here we find Mr.. Thomas Nelson
Page widely quoted as saying:
President Jefferson's act Of riding up
Pennsylvania avenue on horseback mas
been derided. but the people who have
studied history have realized that ne
did il in a dignifed manner, and that
his inauguration had at least as much
real dignity and true simplicity as that
Of any President.
Most persons who have studied MS
tory have realized that whatever SIM
ME dignity jefferson displayed AT MS
inauguration-and the ceremony was
dignified-he did not display II by
riding horseback up Pennsylvania ave
nue. jefferson was not living at the
White House and had no occasion to
traverse Pennsylvania avenue either
on horseback or in q carriage. lie ana
NOT move into the White House. which
WAS largely unfurnished and had only
been camped in rather than lived in
for a few months by the Adamses, IN
i'll May. He went 10 the Capltol Tor
his Inauguration directly from his
rooms in New Jersey avenue. ana re-
turned there to hold his reception after
the ceremony. His procession had no
occasion to make q detour into Penn
svlvania avenue. William Eleroy Cur
tis i'm "The True Thomas Jefferson
gives this account Of his movements:
At the time Of his inauguration JET
ferson was living at Conrads boarding
house which still stands on New Jer-
sew avenue. not far from the Capitol,
i'm the same rooms he had occupied
during his term as Vice President, and
from there he was escorted to the Capt.
tol by "A battalion of soldiers on foot,
while a salute OF honor was fired by
a battery from Alexandria. He walked
between Samuel Dexter, OF Massachu-
sets, Secretary OF the Treasury, and
BENJAMIN Stoddert. OF Maryland. Sec
rotary Of the Navy, the only members
of President AdamSs Cabinet who had
the decency to remain In Washington.
The retiring President. In childish
piuue and to the humiliation OF his
friends before daylight on Inauguration
day fed like n fugitive by carriage TO
Baltimore To avoid the disagreeable
duty Of assisting at the installation Of
IAf tAI hi inn ii
after his encounter with Levi Lincoln
over the midnight judges John Mar
shall had laid down the portfolio OF
Secretary Of State and had taken the
oath of office as Chief Justice OF the
Supreme Court.
Mr. Curtis falls into error in speak
ing Of Chief Justice Marshall. He did
not take the judicial oath i'm the early
morning of March and perform his
first official act in swearing i'm Presi-
dent jefferson. He had qualified as
Chief Justice month before and had
presided at the February term of the
court. though he continued to admin
lister the Department of State until the
close Of the Adams administration. Mr.
Curtis Is undoubtedly right. however,
in dismissing the story Of Jefferson's
having ridden without ceremony to the
Capitol and having hitched his horse
i'm shed preparatory 10 his Inaugural
ton Henry Adams and other trust
worthy investigators tell the same
story.
The horseback myth seems 10 have
originated with John Davis. an Eng.
lish traveller. who was not present at
the ceremony. but who, in book Of
travels. wrote vivid account OF it as
if he had been. Jefferson was fond Of
riding and. like Roosevelt, rode much
as President. The roads Of primitive