Much had changed since President Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural just four years prior. Lincoln had begun his presidency when the country was on the brink of war, and now he was beginning his second term when the country was on the brink of peace. As part of the ceremony, Lincoln left the White House escorted by military bands and a cavalry guard. They rode to the Capitol, where the new dome had been under construction in 1861. It was now finally completed.
The ceremony began in the Senate chamber, where Andrew Johnson replaced Hannibal Hamlin as vice president. Notable attendees included Major-General Joseph Hooker (representing the army), Rear-Admiral David G. Farragut (representing the navy), the governors of most northern states, Lincoln’s cabinet members, and the nine Supreme Court justices. Lincoln sat in front between the justices and the cabinet.
Hamlin began by delivering a farewell speech. He was followed by Johnson who, according to Navy Secretary Gideon Welles, “made a rambling and strange harangue, which was listened to with pain and mortification by all his friends… Whatever the cause, it was all in very bad taste.” Welles said to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, “Johnson is either drunk or crazy.” Stanton said, “There is evidently something wrong.” Johnson had taken whiskey to relieve a case of typhoid fever and the room was overheated. He repeatedly cited his poor upbringing and reminded the stunned audience that they too were “creatures of the people.” Hamlin pulled on Johnson’s coattails but could not stop him.
The officials then proceeded to the east portico of the Capitol for the presidential inaugural ceremony at 12 p.m. An estimated 50,000 people gathered to witness the proceedings, an unexpectedly large number considering that it was a rainy and dismal day. Stanton placed sharpshooters at every window and rooftop for safety. Guests invited to attend the ceremony included famous actor John Wilkes Booth, who had an excellent view of the podium where Lincoln would speak. The sun emerged from behind the clouds as the president began.
Lincoln’s address, the shortest since George Washington’s second inaugural in 1793, lasted less than five minutes and contained just 703 words on a single sheet of paper. Lincoln did not discuss future policies; he instead focused on restoring the Union, blaming the southern states for starting the war, and expressing his belief that the war had been God’s punishment for the sin of slavery.
When the speech concluded, Salmon P. Chase stepped forward to administer the oath of office. Chase had once been Lincoln’s presidential rival and a member of his cabinet; now he was the chief justice of the U.S., having been appointed by Lincoln. Chase presented the open-faced Bible, Lincoln placed his hand on top, and Chase administered the oath. Chase noted that when it was done, Lincoln kissed the page on which was Isaiah 5:27 and 28: “None shall be weary nor 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; Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows are bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, their wheels like a whirlwind.”
The crowd cheered, cannons fired a salute, and bands played as the ceremony ended. Most were satisfied, but Welles was not: “There was great want of arrangement and completeness in the ceremonies. All was confusion and without order,–a jumble.” Lincoln returned to the White House with his 10-year-old son Tad, no longer feeling the need to use the security escort that had surrounded him during his first inaugural.
The White House gates opened to the public for a three-hour reception at 8 p.m., which became one of the largest gatherings ever held in the Executive Mansion. Lincoln greeted an estimated 6,000 people, with some cutting fabric from the expensive draperies for souvenirs. According to Welles, “The reception at the President’s this evening was a crowded affair… Such was the crowd that many were two hours before obtaining entrance after passing through the gates. When I left, a little before eleven, the crowd was still going in.” When Lincoln learned that White House guards had barred civil rights leader Frederick Douglass from participating, he ordered them to escort Douglass into the East Room where Lincoln could meet him.
The Inaugural Ball took place two nights later at the Patent Office building. Tickets cost $10 per person and were sold to 4,000 guests, with the proceeds going to aid the families of fallen military personnel. The midnight supper included beef, veal, poultry, oysters, salads, jellies, cakes, chocolate, and coffee.
Once Lincoln settled back down to business after the inaugural festivities, his cabinet underwent some changes. William P. Fessenden resigned as treasury secretary to reclaim his seat in the U.S. Senate. Lincoln tried to replace him with New York Senator Edwin D. Morgan, but Morgan declined, so Lincoln then picked Hugh McCulloch of Indiana. McCulloch was the current comptroller of the currency with good experience in the Treasury.
Interior Secretary John P. Usher then resigned, citing the tradition that a president should not have more than one man from the same state in his cabinet (McCulloch and Usher were both Indianans). Lincoln, who did not think highly of Usher, quickly accepted his resignation and replaced him with Senator John Harlan of Iowa. Harlan had been one of Lincoln’s strongest supporters in Congress, and Harlan’s daughter was engaged to the Lincolns’ son Robert.
These changes, combined with the inauguration process and the stress of wartime, pushed Lincoln to the brink of exhaustion. He was bedridden for several days, which led many to question whether he would remain healthy enough to serve four more years.
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