Chapter 43
Section 43 of Great Events in the History of North and South America. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Read by Claire. Great Events in the History of North and South America by Charles Goodrich. United States, George Washington, President, Part 1.
Inaugurated at New York, April 30, 1789 John Adams, Vice President Heads of the Departments Secretaries of State Thomas Jefferson, Virginia, September 26, 1789
Edmund Randolph, Virginia, January 2, 1794 Timothy Pickering, Pennsylvania, December 10, 1795 Secretaries of Treasury Alexander Hamilton, New York, September 11, 1789 Oliver Walcott, Connecticut, February 3, 1795
Secretaries of War Henry Knox, Massachusetts, September 12, 1789 Timothy Pickering, Pennsylvania, January 2, 1795 James McHenry, Maryland, January 27, 1796 Postmasters General
Samuel Osgood, Massachusetts, September 26, 1789 Timothy Pickering, Pennsylvania, November 7, 1791 Joseph Habersham, Georgia, February 25, 1795 Attorneys General Edmund Randolph, Virginia, September 26, 1789
William Bradford, Pennsylvania, January 27, 1794 Charles Lee, Virginia, December 10, 1795 Speakers of the House of Representatives Frederick A. Muhlenberg, Pennsylvania, 1st Congress, 1789 Jonathan Trumbull, Connecticut, 2nd, 1791
Frederick A. Mullenberg, Pennsylvania, 3rd, 1793 Jonathan Dayton, New Jersey, 4th, 1795 To the traveler whose lot has led him to traverse inhospitable deserts, encounter fierce storms, and stem angry floods, it is delightful at length to enter a region where such obstacles no longer impede his progress, where he breathes with freedom, where he pauses to repose and refresh himself,
without the anticipation of similar immediate toil and fatigue. It may not indeed be the end of his journey, and he may not know with certainty the future issue of that journey, but the aspect is less forbidding. The prospect is even inviting, and he passes on animated with the hope of still better things to come. Some such changes we realize at the point at which we have arrived in following down the great events of American history. Casting an eye upon
the scenes of the past, little besides toil, agitation, and conflict are to be seen. The Pilgrim Fathers land on these western shores. Immediately a widespread wilderness is before them, and the task of clearing it is begun. Savage foes, subtle, secret, and sanguinary, prowl about their habitations, and for years agitate and distress them. The mother country becomes involved in continental wars.
America is the theater of the contest, and American soldiers must fight her battles. But, like the palm tree, the colonists rise under the burdens imposed on them. As they prosper and expand, England becomes jealous and bears herself lordly towards them in measures of oppression, in prohibitions and exactions. War ensues, a long and exhausting war
Their fields lie neglected Their cities are captured Their families are impoverished And their sons are slain But they conquer and are free
But as a nation they have no sufficient bond of union No efficient government to guide their future destiny and safety National and state debts rest as an incubus upon their efforts And no adequate power exists by which to provide for their liquidation A convention meets, different plans are proposed, different constitutions are discussed, obstacles to the adoption of any arise which appear insurmountable, and the convention is on the eve of dissolving, leaving the problem still unsolved, whether human wisdom is adequate to devise a constitution which shall harmonize the conflicting interests of thirteen free and independent states.
Once more Providence rallies to our aid, moving upon untractable spirits. As in days of yore the spirit had moved upon the troubled waters, and now as then there is a calm. Deliberations are resumed, asperities wear away, harmony succeeds, the final vote is taken, a constitution is adopted and sent abroad among the people of the states. But again the waters become tumultuous, angry conflict is waged in almost every state house in the land.
Hundreds and thousands lift up their voices against this Constitution and refuse to sanction it. Ill-voting doubts swell up like clouds gathering from the sea, and for a time exclude all hope of a constitutional ratification. But another becalming influence from on high moves upon the mental mass. Jarring strifes are suspended.
Angry discord ceases. Harmonious action succeeds. The Constitution is ratified, and George Washington is elected President of the United States. on the ratification of the constitution the attention of the people was at once directed to general washington as the first president of the united states communications expressive of this
general desire were made to him we cannot said mr johnson of maryland do without you and i and thousands more can explain to anybody but yourself why we cannot do without you i have ever thought said governor morris and have said that you must be president no other man can fill that office in a letter on the subject addressed to washington by colonel hamilton the latter said you will permit me to say that it is indispensable you should lend yourself to its the government's
first operations washington had serious objections to becoming a candidate he sincerely wished for retirement it is my great and sole desire so he expressed himself to a friend who had written him to live and die in peace and retirement on my own farm but the voice of the nation demanded a further sacrifice from the noble and disinterested patriot he alone was believed to fill so preeminent a station in public opinion that he might be placed at the head of the nation without exciting envy
he alone possessed the requisite confidence of the nation by the constitution the new government was to commence its operations on the fourth of march 1789 but a quorum of representatives did not appear till the 1st, nor of Senators till Monday, the 6th day of April. On this latter day, the President of the Senate, elected for the purpose of counting the votes, declared to the Senate that the Senate and House of Representatives had met, and that he, in their presence, had
opened and counted the votes for the electors for President and Vice President of the United States, whereby it appeared that George Washington was unanimously elected President. The following table exhibits the votes of the several electoral colleges. Electoral votes for President and Vice President Election for the first term commencing March 4, 1789 and terminating March 3, 1793
State, New Hampshire Number of electors from each state, 5 Votes 5. George Washington of Virginia 5. John Adams of Massachusetts
State, Massachusetts Number of electors from each state, 10 Votes 10. George Washington of Virginia 10. John Adams of Massachusetts
State, Connecticut Number of electors from each state, 7 Votes 7. George Washington of Virginia 5. John Adams of Massachusetts
2. Samuel Huntington of Connecticut State, New Jersey Number of electors from each state, 6 Votes 6. George Washington of Virginia
1. John Adams of Massachusetts 5. John Jay of New York State, Pennsylvania Number of electors from each state, 10 Votes
10. George Washington of Virginia 8. John Adams of Massachusetts 2. John Hancock of Massachusetts State, Delaware Number of electors from each state.
3. Votes. 3. George Washington of Virginia. 3.
John Jay of New York. State. Maryland. Number of electors from each state. 6.
Votes. 6. George Washington of Virginia. 6. R. H. Harrison of Maryland.
State. Virginia. Number of electors from each state. 10. Votes. 10. George Washington of Virginia. 5. John Adams of Massachusetts. 1. John Jay of New York. 1. John Hancock of Massachusetts. 3. George Clinton of New York. State. South Carolina.
Number of electors from each state. 7. Votes. 7. George Washington of Virginia. 1. John Hancock of Massachusetts 6. John Rutledge of South Carolina State, Georgia Number of electors from each state, 5
Votes 5. George Washington of Virginia 2. John Milton of Georgia 1. James Armstrong of Georgia 1. Edward Telfair of Georgia
1. Benjamin Lincoln of Massachusetts Whole number of electors, majority, 35 Number of electors from each state total, 69 Total votes, George Washington, 69 Total votes, John Adams, 34
Total votes, Samuel Huntington, 2 Total votes, John Jay, 9 Total votes, John Hancock, 4 Total votes R.H. Harrison, 6 Total votes George Clinton, 3
Total votes John Rutledge, 6 Total votes John Milton, 2 Total votes James Armstrong, 1 Total votes Edward Telfair, 1 Total votes Benjamin Lincoln, 1
Whereupon a certificate and letter, the one prepared by a committee of the senate the other by its president were communicated to general washington setting forth his election and expressing the cordial wish that so auspicious a mark of public confidence would meet his approbation this certificate and letter were received by washington at mount vernon on the fourth of april he doubtless appreciated the
honor done him and was grateful to the people for the confidence reposed in him but he would have declined the office had the convictions of duty allowed. That, however, was not permitted, and, yielding to the wishes of the nation, he took leave of Mount Vernon on the second day after receiving notice of his appointment, and proceeded to New York, at that time the seat of government, bidding adieu, as he wrote in his diary, to private life and domestic felicity,
and with a mind oppressed with more anxious and painful sensations than I have words to express. The state of the public business required his immediate presence at the seat of government, but the desire to see the first president of the united states the zeal and enthusiasm which were kindled up along the whole route he was to take rendered it impossible to proceed with haste crowds flocked around him wherever he stopped and cores of militia and companies of the most
respectable citizens escorted him through their respective streets on reaching new york april 23rd he was received with due ceremony by the governor of that state and conducted with military honors through an immense concourse of people to the apartments provided for him. Here he received the salutations of foreign ministers, public bodies, political characters, and private citizens of distinction, who pressed around him to offer their congratulations, and to express their joy
at seeing the man who had the confidence of all at the head of the American Republic. On Thursday, the 30th of April, the new president was inaugurated. The oath of office was administered by the Chancellor of the State of New York in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, and an immense concourse of people who attested their joy by loud and repeated acclamations. From the open gallery adjoining the Senate chamber, which had been the scene of this new but imposing
scene, the Assembly returned to the Senate chamber where the President delivered an inaugural address, in which, after alluding to the anxieties occasioned by his election to the Chief Magistry, and the fond hope he had indulged of spending the remainder of his days in the retreat, to which he had retired, after years of military toil and strife, he proceeded in terms alike honorable to himself as a Christian and a patriot. It would be peculiarly improper to admit,
in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect that his benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the united states a government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success the
functions allotted to his charge in tendering this homage to the great author of every public and private good i assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own nor those of my fellow citizens at large less than either no people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the united states every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation
seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency and in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their united government the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities from which the event has resulted cannot be compared with the means by which most governments have been established without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the
past seemed to presage. These reflections arising out of the present crisis have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me, I trust, in thinking that there are none under the influence of which the proceedings of a new and free government can more auspiciously commence. Such were the sentiments of the patriot, the sage, the Christian statesman, as he was about to enter upon the duties of an office, upon the faithful or unfaithful discharge, of which was to
depend the perpetuity or speedy annihilation of a constitution of government which had cost thousands of lives and millions of revenue, besides involving the happiness of unborn millions. Washington had surveyed the wide field of responsibility. He came to the high and sacred office reluctantly, indeed, but in reliance upon that divine arm which had been his stay in the dark and stormy days of the revolution having put his hand to the plow he was not the man to look
back having passed the rubicon his march was forward immediately following the delivery of the above address the president with the members of both houses attended divine service at saint paul's chapel thus did washington and thus did the national assembly commence the government with a devout recognition of its dependence upon divine providence for success happy for the country if the same spirit of piety
and the same acknowledgments to the divine author of all good had descended to after years. End of section 43
