The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-08-08
lnstaIIment ~

count upon it's doing even less while
he was away; and yet he had deter
mined to accept no salary as presi-
dent, but only his necessary expenses
while in the discharge of his official |
duties as in the old days of the war.
Washington PerpIexed.
1t had brought distressing perplexi- |
ties upon him to be thus drawn from
his private, business to serve the ma I!
ton. Private cares passed off, no !
doubt. and were forgotten as the jour
ney heightened. But the other anx-
iety, how he should succeed in this
large business of statemanship to
which he had been called, did not
pass off; the incidents of that mem
o-able ride only served to heighten it.
When he had ridden to Cambridge
chat anxious summer of 1775, he had
been hailed by cheering crowds upon
the way, who admired the fine figure
he made, and shouted for the cause he
was destined to lead; but he know
himself a soldier then, was but forty
three, and did not fear to find his
duty uncongenial
The people had loved him and had
thronged about him with looks and
words it had quickened his heart to
see and hear as he made his way
from New York to Annapolis to resign
his commission but six years ago; but
that was upon the morrow of a task
accomplished, and the plaudits he
heard upon the way were but greet
ings to speed him the more happily
| homeward
Things stood very differently now.
Though he felt himself grown old,
| he had come out to meet hope he
could not share, and it struck subtle
| pain to his heart that the people
| should SO trust him-should give him
SO royal a progress as he Jared on his
way to attempt an untried task.
A Royal Welcome.
No king in days of kings divinity
| could have looked for so heartfelt a
Welcome to his throne as this modest
gentleman got to the Office he feared
/ to take.
! Not only were there civil fete and
military parade at every stage OF the
/ Journey; there was everywhere, be
| sides. a running together from all the
| conntry roundabouts of people who
bore themselves not as mere sight
seers, but as if they had come out Of
love for the man they were to soe
pass by.
1t was not their numbers but theil
| Ill so, h yIFit Q
new sense of responsibility; theil
earnest gaze. their unpremeditatec
cries OF welcome, their simple Joy tc
see the new government put into the
hands Of man they perfectly trusted
He was to be their guarantee o
its good faith, of it's respect for Law
and it's devotion to liberty; and the.
made him know their hope and thei
confidence in the very tone Of thei
greeting.
Strew Roses Before Him.
There was the manifest touch o
love in the reception everywhere pre-
pared for him. Refined women brok
their reserve to greet him in the opel
road; put their young daughters fol
ward, in their enthusiasm, to streV
roses before him in the way; brough
tears to his eyes by the very artless
ness of their affection.
When at last the triumphal iourne
was ended. the display of every pre-
vious stage capped and outdone b
the fine pageant of his escort of boat
from Newark and of his reception a
the ferry stairs in New York. tn
demonstration seemed almost NOR
than he could bear.
"The display of boats which attend
ed and joined us" he confessed in hi
diary, "the decorations of the shipt
the roar of the cannon. and the lou
acclamations of the people which rer
the skies as l walked along tn
streets. filled my mind with sens
tions as painful as they are plea
anti" for his fears foreboded scene
the opposite of these, when he shoul
have shown himself unable to fulfi
the hopes which were the burden {
all the present Joy.
1t was the 9th of April when Wasl
ingtou reached New York
Notwithstanding his executive fasl
ion of making haste, the rising of tn
country to bid him God-speed ha
kept him four days longer on the wa
J than Mr. Thomson had taken to carr
the summons to Mount Vernon Thre
days more elapsed before congress
had completed its preparations II
: his inauguration.
On the Goth of April, in the pre-
[ ence of a great concourse Of peopl
, who first broke into wild cheers /
sight of him. and then fell sileI
again upon the instant to see him s
moved. Washington stood face to fac
: with the chancellor of the state upc
! the open balcony of the Federal ha
in Wall street. and took the oath
. Office
Takes the Cath.
DO you solemnIy swear" askt
Livingston, that you will faithful
execute the office of president Of Il
| TTnitad States and will RI the hest