Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-02-20
President-Elect wilson and the Inau.
guration Of Jefferson.
(The Daily NeWs.)

the capitol. Since this interview the
President-eIect has abolished the inau-
guraI ball. It may be of interest to
know just what the books say about
the inauguration of Jefferson. Here is
what / find in a ramble among my
boeks.
The Hon. Thos. e. Watson, the fiery
politician and brilliant writer, and
former candidate for President Of the
United States, says: sOn foot and at
tended informally by q few friends,
Mr.. Jefferson went to the capitol and
read his noble first inaugural address
Life of Jefferson, page 112.
Henry Adams, in his History of the
First Administration of Thomas Jeffer-
SON, History of the United States, Vol
ume No. 1, page 1876 and 1877. says:
John Davis, n of many Englishmen
who were allowed by Burr to attach
themselves to him on the chance of
some future benefit to be derived from
them. asserted in a book of American
travels published in London two years
afterward, that he was present at the
Inauguration, and that Jefferson rode
on horseback to the capitol, and after
hitching his horse to the palings went
in to take the oath. This story, being
spread by the Federalist newspapers,
was accepted by the Republicans and
became.a legend of the capitol. In fact
Davis was not then at Washington, and
his story was untrue. Afterward as
President, Jefferson was in the habit
of going on h~orseba"k raTh- than in
a carriage, whereVe. BUSINESS called
him, and the Federalist found fault
with him for doing go. He makes it
a point" they declared, (Evening Post,
April 20. 1902, when he has occasion
to. visit the capitol to meet the repre-
sentatives> of the nation on public bust
ness, to go on a single horse, which he
leads into the shed and bitches to q
peg" Davis wished to write a book
that should amuse Englishmen, and in
order to give an air of truth to inven-
ton, he added that he was himself
present at the ceremony. Jefferson
was then living as Vice-president at
Conrad's boarding house, within a
stones throw of the capitol. He did
not mount his horse only to ride across
the square and dismount in a crowd of
observers. Doubtless he wished to
offer an example of republican cimplic-
ity, and he was not unwilling to annoy
his appointments; but the ceremony
was condusted with proper form. Ed
ward Thornton, then in charge of the
British legation at Washington, wrNte
to Lord Granville, then foreign secre-
AIRY in Pitts administration, a dispatch
enclosing the new Presidents inau-
gural address, with comments upon it's
democratic tendencies and after a few
remarks on this subject, he added:
(Thornton to Granville, March 4, 1901;
MSS. British A~rchives.) THE same
republican spirit which runs through
this performance, and which in pas
discovers some bitterness
through all the sentiments of concilia-
ton and philanthropy with which it is
oyercharged, Mr.. Jefferson affected to
display in performing the customary
ceremonies. He came from his w
lodgings to the house where the con-
gress cOnvenes. and which goes by the
name Of the capitol, on foot, in his or
binary dress, escorted by a body of mi
litia artillery from the n~eighboring
state, and accompanied by the secreta-
ries of the navy and treasury, and a
number of his political friends in the
house of representatives"
John T. Moss, Jr., in the Life of
Thomas Jefferson, American States
man Series, page 1876 and 1877, Y
Adams added his own little personal
by driving out of Washington
the night, in order to avoid the
spectacle of the following day. In one
sense of the word that spectacle was
extraordinary to be worth
for Jefferson had resolved that
no pageant should give the lie to his
principles, and accordingly
he rode on horseback, clad in studious-
" plain clothes, without attendants to |
capitol, dismounted. tied his horse
to the fence, and walked unceremon-
into the senate chamber. (This
is far from being sufficiently
vouched for; but it has been repeated
accepted as a sort of truth by prescrip-
tion.), There he delivered his inaugu- !
raj address, an effusion rhetorical to
xcess and breathing boundless philan-
One can read between the
lines of his declaratory harangue the
OF the speaker that his &C
sesssion to Office marked the opening
a glorious epoch in human pro-
Richard Hi1dreth in the history of
States of America, Volume
No. 5, page 400 says: Among other
'ederal pomps, Jefferson had condemn
ed with strong emphasis, as savoring
Of monarchy, any public ceremony at
the swearing in of the president. Yet,
on the morning of his accession to
office, not to disappoint the multitude
OF his friends and partisans who has
assembled to pay him honors, and per-
now that his own turn had come,
looking at the matter in a somewhat
different light. escorted by a body of
and procession of citizens, he
proceeded to the capitol. where the
senate had met in special session, in
obedience to a call issued by Adams
before"
The Hon. Thomas e. Watson, in the
Life and Times Of Thomas Jefferson,
page 398 and 399, again writes: mo
cream coIored chariot and prancing
horses withJoutriders and livery, bore