Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-04
Nations Advance
To World Power is
Pictured Clearly

PICTURED tIeafly
the ranking general of the Army, had
made the preparations. The Mexican
war hero was ready for battle.
The procession reached the Capitol
without incident. Lincoln walked down
the aisle of the House leaning on the
arm of his oldest friend in Washington,
Senator Baker of Oregon. A few
months later Baker was killed at the
head of his regiment at Balls Bluff,
just a few miles outside of Washing
ton, and. the President was to know
his first great personal grief Of the war.
They came out on the east portico.
Rather faint cheers greeted Bakers in
PRODUCTION. The oath was administer
ed. Lincoln held in his hand his, gold
headed cane and his tall silk hat. He
drew the manuscript of his address
from his pocket, and laid the cane
under the table. He could find no place
to put his hat, so he continued to
hold 1t. The situation was embarrass-
ing, because the new President couldn't
make the appropriate gestures with
the hat in his hand. He looked about
uneasily.
His old enemy, Stephen A. Douglas,
was seated on the platform. Douglas,
noting Lincoln's predicament, stepped
forward, took the hat, and held it
through the address.
1.-THE mystic chords of memory
which stretch from every battlefield
and patriots grave to every loved heart
and hearthstone all over our broad land
will again swell the chorus of the Union
when again touched, as they surely
will be. by the better angels of our
nature" <
The solemnity Of the Inauguration
was relieved by an inaugural ball that
night In a temporary building In Jul
dietary Square There were 5000
dancers. The Lincoins came at IL
Mrs. Lincoln entered on the arm of
Senator Douglas. She was gowned in
white silk with a wreath OF jasmines
and violets around her head. Her
hair was pulled and frizzled. Some
of the ladies had powdered their heads
with gold and diamond dust.
Washington society was not there
1t was in no mood for dancing. Its
heart was across the Potomac.
@ A. few days later Abraham Lincoln
called on the North for volunteers to
serve so days.
The black shadow of the greatest
war in history, up to that time, had
been over the inaugural ceremony.
n X X
Four years have passed like demon
haunted dream.
Manassas. Fredericksburg. Chancel-
louisville. Antietam, Gettysburg belong
to history now. The Spring grass is
growing green over the graves of the
fallen. Broken hearts in thousands OF
homes await the coming of peace.
The hospitals of Washington are
filed with wounded. The cots Of sick
The South is hungry and despairlng.
Grant is pressing on Richmond.
The turbulent tide of war has cast
up a village tailor into the Office of
Vice President of the United States.
On. March 4, 1865, he is to take the
oath of office with Abraham Lincoln.
It was a somber, driZZly day, very
muddy underfoot Andrew Johnson
must have felt something of an in
feriority complex as he prepared to go
before the Senate and assume the sec
ond highest Office within the gift OF
the people. He had suffered chill
ON the way to the Capitol. He said he
was sick and asked the attendant in
the Vice Presidents room for some
whisky.
A bottle and a water goblet were
produced. johnson filled the glass
twice and drained the contents. The
retiring Vice President. Hannibal Ham,
lin. held his arm as he staggered into
the Senate chamber
.tT Iii l,t@ Ss> So
nation of the United States" he said
thickly when the oath was admins
tered.
The Senate listened in amazement
while he plunged into a disconnected
meaningless speech. He couldn't be
stopped. Hannibal Hamlin kept nudg-
ing him from behind. johnson paic
no attention. Everybody was waiting
to go outside and listen to the second
inaugural address of Lincoln. The
whole inaugural ceremony was thrown
off schedule.
The sun broke through the clouds BY
a curious coincidence just as Lincoln
stepped on the platform.
His lips rested on the 27th and oath
verses of the book of Isaiah None
shall be weary or stumble among them
none shall slumber nor sleep; neither
shall the girdle of their loinS be loosed
nor the latchet of their shoes be
broken. Where arrows are sharp and
all their bows bent. their horses hoofs
shall be counted like flint, their wheels
like q whirlwind."
It was one of those speeches that
automatically become a part Of his
tory, with its magnificent concluding
paragraph:
with malice towards none. with
charity to all, with firmness to do the
right as God gives us to see the right
let us strive on to finish the work we
are in: to bind up the nations wounds;
to care for him who shall have borne
the battle and for his widow and his
orphans; to do all which may achieve
and cherish a just and lasting peace
among ourselves and with all nations. u
A month and five days later the
army of Northern Virginia was sur
rendered at AppomatoX Court House
and towards morning of the next day
Lincoln died in house on Tenth
street. where he had been taken after
falling from an assassin's bullet.
Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of
the blackbird
X
On March 4, 1869, Washington was
filed with men in slightly faded blue
uniforms.
There was an epic of bayonet
charges. cavalry dashes, cannon fire
and prison camps written in the lines
of their faces.
But all this was behind them. They
were married now and tied down to
steady jobs. They were back to see
their old battle leader become President.
On this gray day full Of rain and
vaporous mistS was an Inauguration
which eclipsed all that had passed be-
fore. The sides of the Avenue we're
packed to their capacity. The roof
tops were black with spectators. Second
A