Year: 1861




vorite regiment on duty, sat on his horse
on the upper slope of the lawn, very
much as he would have been placed by
an artist


At about four o'clock, the country two
tallest men, General Scott and the Presi-
dent, loomed high in the projecting bal
cony of the White House-neither of
them aware probably, how exceedingly
we'll framed, for remembrance, were their
two portraits, as seen by the multitude
below The General was to remain there
his lameness preventing his descent with
the others to the platform in the grounds
and he was left presently alone. He
was in full uniform, cccked hat and plume,
and belted with the sword Of so many
victories and, as the handsome veteran
stood. with the massive railing of the
lofty portico curved around him in front,
and the tall columns supporting him on
either side with such proportionate arch
itecture, it really looked like some mirage
of the prophets wand-as if the hero
who is to be the wonder of history were
thus shown to us in vision, pictured,
for the minds eye on the Illuminated
page, as he is to be looked upon by fame
and the FUTURE


The band played national air as the
Presidential party mounted the platform
Mr.. Pyne, the clergyman who was to Of
ficiate in the religious portion Of the GER
emony, stood near the fag-saf in full
canonicals. Mrs. Lincoln, with her dame
dhonneer, Mrs Grimsley, stood on the
right, and around her were grouped a
half dozen invited guests, the most mark
cd of whom was the Lady Gcorgiana
Fame, the English noblewoman now on a
visit to Washington. And close to the
President of course, stood Mr.. Seward,
the calmest of Prime Minister'S with the
other members of the Cabinet anu one or
two General officers The remainder of
the scene, outside the paling of glittering
bayonets, was but wilderness of heads
peculiar only, to practised eye, for a
certain lack of tender shading and soft
lines, owing to the present Washington
fewness of fair faces. The preponderance
of bright uniforms and dark boards gave
the crowd something of the motley splen-
dor of the old fashioned rag-carpet."


But now came the crisis of the scene
With the closing of the reading of the
prayer, "a beautifully eloquent and appro.
pirate one, written for the occasion by Mr.
Pyne,) the flag which had been 81 recent
iy baptized in battle was unrolled. The
stars and stripes, that had foated over the
"Freeborn," lay in a bright heap at the
Presidents feet, and the cord that was tc
hoist them to their honorary place, was
given into his hand. There was a momen.
tary interval, while the band played the
"Star Spangled Banner" and, during this
brief "waiting for the word" all eyes, Of
course, were on the Presidents face. in
which, Cat least, for those near enough to
see it well,) there was the same curious
problem of expression which has beer
more than once noticed by the close obser.
vers of that singular conference.-the
two.toa aoorktng Of the taoo.tod nature o
the man. Lincoln the Westerner, slightly
humorous but thoroughly practical and
sagacious, was measuring "the chore' that
was to be done, and wondering whether
that string was going to draw that heap Of
stuff through the hole in the top of the
notwithstanding that it should, but
that it was mechanically a badly arranged
JOB, and expecting the difficulty that die
actually occur. Lincoln the President ant
statesman was another nature, seen In thos,
abstract and serious eyes, which seemed
withdrawn to ali inner sanctuary O
thought, sitting in judgment ON the scene
and following its far reach into the future
A whole man, and an exceedingly handy
and joyous one, was to hoist the fag bu
an anxious and revcrent and deep-thinkins
statesman and patriot was to stand apart
while it went up, and pray God for it
long waving and sacred welfare


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