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Show low, and there were numerous vacant spaces. Instead of asphalt, the cai riage passed over cobblestones. Noi did the present stately and beautiful approach to the capitol exist. The west front rose abrupt and stiff from an unkept lawn. The great building itself was still uncompleted, and high above his head Mr. Lincoln could sea the swinging arm of an enormous crane rising from the unfinished dome. But, as he drove that morning from Willard's to the capitol, the presidentelect president-elect saw far more significant sights than these. Closed about his carriage, "so thickly," complained the newspapers, newspa-pers, "as to hide it from view," was a protecting guard. Stationed at intervals inter-vals along the avenue were platoons of soldiers. At every corner were mounted orderlies. On the rooftops were groups of riflemen. When Lincoln Lin-coln reached the north side of the capitol, where he descended to enter the building, lie found a board tunnel, strongly ' guarded at its mouth, through which he passed into the building. v . ; Arm in arm with Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Lincoln passed through the long tunnel erected for his protection, entered en-tered the capitol, and passed into the senate chamber, filled to overflowing with senators, members of the diplomatic diplo-matic corps, and visitors. The contrast con-trast between the two men as they entered struck every observer. "Mr. Bix-hanan was so withered and bowed with age," wrote George W. Julian of Indiana, who was among the spectators, spec-tators, "that in contrast with the towering tow-ering form of Mr. Lincoln he seemed little more than half a man." A few moments delay and the movement move-ment from the senate towards the east front began, the justices of tha Supreme court, in cap and gown, leading the procession. As soon. as the large company was seated on the platform plat-form erected on the east portico of the capitol, Mr. Lincoln arose and advanced advanc-ed to the front, where he was introduced intro-duced by his friend, Senator Baker of Oregon. He carried a cane and a little lit-tle roll the manuscript of his inaugural in-augural address. There was a moment's pause after the introduction, as he vainly looked for a spot where he might place his high silk hat. Douglas, who was seated seat-ed just behind him, stepped forward quickly and took the hat which Mr. Lincoln held helplessly in his hand. "If I can't be president," he whispered, whis-pered, smilingly to Mrs. Brown, a cousin of Mrs. Lincoln, "I at least can hold his hat." HIS I1AMD SUM HELM ! I pss?K AYBREAK of March 4, 1861, ?''fV; Eays Miss Tarbell, found ll tbe city of Washington Y$$bJ astir. The senate, which ! y1 had met at 7 o'clock the ' night before, was still in session; scores of persons who had come to see- the inauguration of the first Republican president, and who had been unable to find other bed than tlje floor, were walking the streets; the morning trains were bringing new crowds. Added to the stir of those who had not slept through the night were sounds unusual un-usual in Washington the clatter of cavalry, the tramp of soldiers. All this morning bustle of the city must have reached the ears of the president-elect at. his rooms at Willard's Wil-lard's hotel, where from an early hour he had been at work. An amendment to the constitution of the United States had passed the senate in the all night session, and as it concerned the subject of his inaugural, he must incorporate a reference to it in the address. ad-dress. Then he had not replied to the note he had receivd two days before from Mr. Seward, asking to be released releas-ed from his promise to accept the portfolio of state. He could wait no longer. "I can't afford," he Mid to Mr. Nic-olay, Nic-olay, his secretary, "to let Seward take the first trick." And he dispatched the following letter: let-ter: "My Dear Sir Your note of the 2nd instant, asking to withdraw your acceptance ac-ceptance of my. invitation to take charge of the state department, was duly received. It is the subject of the most painful solicitude to me, and I feel constrained to beg that you will countermand the withdrawal. The public interest, I think, demands that you should; and my personal feelings urs deeply interested in the same direction. di-rection. Please consider and answer by 9 a. ra. tomorrow. Your obedient servant. A. LINCOLN7." At noon Mr. Lincoln's work was interrupted. The president of the United States was announced. Mr. Buchanan had come to escort his successor suc-cessor to the capitol. The route of the procession was the historic one over which almost every president since Jefferson had traveled to take his oath of office; but the scene Mr. Lincoln looked upon as his carriage rolled up the avenue was different from that upon which one looks today. to-day. No great blocks lined the streets; instead, the buildings were |