Inauguration of Andrew Johnson

The inauguration of Andrew Johnson as the 17th president of the United States was held on April 15, 1865, on the third floor[1] of Kirkwood House in Washington, D.C., following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. The inauguration marked the commencement of Andrew Johnson's only term (a partial term of 3 years, 323 days) as president. Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase administered the presidential oath of office.[2] This was the third non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take place. News reports had it that the oath was administered at 11 a.m. that day.[3][4]

Presidential inauguration of
Andrew Johnson
Swearing-in ceremony in the Kirkwood House (Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, January 6, 1866)
DateApril 15, 1865 (1865-04-15)
LocationKirkwood House,
Washington, D.C.
ParticipantsAndrew Johnson
17th president of the United States
— Assuming office
Salmon P. Chase
Chief Justice of the United States
— Administering oath
This article is part of
a series about
Andrew Johnson
16th Vice President of the United States
17th President of the United States
Vice presidential and Presidential campaigns
Post-presidency
Family

Andrew Johnson's signature

Seal of the President of the United States

After the ceremony, President Johnson gave an impromptu inaugural address, which began with him begging the cabinet to remain with him and then attacking the Confederate States of America with such venom, that one witness remarked "It would have been better had he been struck dumb."[5]

As President Lincoln lay dying, Vice President Johnson visited the room where he lay. When Mrs. Lincoln saw him, she reportedly screamed and demanded he be removed, so he went back to his room at Kirkwood House.

According to newspaper reports, Johnson had gotten severely inebriated, and when aides to the now-dead Lincoln came to fetch the new president they were unable to wake him for several minutes. When he was finally awake, the accounts read, "he had puffy eyes and his hair was caked with mud from the street," and that a barber and doctor were summoned to clean him up for the 10 a.m. ceremony, which most accounts agree went smoothly.[5] However, there are other accounts, believed more reliable by some, that refute this claim.[6]

List of witnesses
Most of what is known about the swearing-in of Johnson comes from one wire report

Most of what is known about the swearing-in of Johnson comes from one wire report: "Andrew Johnson was sworn into office as President of the United States by Chief Justice Chase to-day at eleven o'clock." The ceremony was witnessed by members of the cabinet and "a few Congressmen."[6]

Ramsey, Stewart, and Yates were members of the United States Senate at the time of Andrew Johnson's 1868 impeachment; all three voted to convict.[7]

According to James G. Blaine, the swearing of the oath was attended by "all the members of the Cabinet except" Secretary of State Seward (who had been gravely wounded by the conspirators against Lincoln's government), meaning that Gideon Welles, John Palmer Usher, and William Dennison Jr. would also have been present.[8]

McCulloch, who served as Treasury Secretary for the remainder of Johnson's term and who has been called "the only real defender of Johnson,"[9] described the ceremony in his 1888 memoir:[10]

The conduct of Mr. Johnson favorably impressed those who were present when the oath was administered to him. He was griefstricken like the rest, and he seemed to be oppressed by the suddenness of the call upon him to become President of the great nation which had been deprived by an assassin of its tried and honored chief; but he was, nevertheless, calm and self-possessed. He requested the members of the Cabinet to remain with him after the Chief Justice and the other witnesses of the ceremony had retired, and he expressed to each and all of us his desire that we should stand by him in his difficult and responsible position. This desire was expressed in the language of entreaty, and he appeared to be relieved when he was assured that while we felt it to be our duty to him to place our resignations in his hands, he should have the benefit of such services as we could render until he saw fit to dispense with them. Our conference with him was short, but when we left him, the unfavorable impression which had been made upon us by the reports of his unfortunate speech when he took the Vice-President's chair had under gone a considerable change. We all felt as we left him, not entirely relieved of apprehensions, but at least hopeful that he would prove to be a popular and judicious President. The hopes of none of us were fully realized as time went on and controversies arose between him and Congress; but his first year's administration was cordially supported by every member of his Cabinet.

— Hugh McCulloch, 1888

Ad hoc inaugural address

Per the New York Times, Johnson's first statement, which served as an inaugural address under the circumstances, was as follows:[11]

ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT JOHNSON. "Gentlemen, I must be permitted, to say that I have been almost overwhelmed by the announcement of the sad event which has so recently occurred. I feel incompetent to perform duties so important and responsible as those which have been so unexpectedly thrown upon me. As to an indication of any policy which may be presented by me in the administration of the government. I have to say that that must be left for development as the Administration progresses. The message or declaration must be made by the acts as they transpire. The only assurance that I can now give of the future is by reference to the past. The course which I have taken in the past in connection with this rebellion, must be regarded as a guarantee of the future. My past public life, which has been long and laborious, has been founded as I, in good conscience believe, upon a great principle of right, which lies at the basis of all things. The best energies of my life have been spent in endeavoring to establish and perpetuate the principles of free government, and I believe that the government, in passing through its present trials, will settle down upon principles consonant with popular rights, more permanent and enduring than heretofore. I must be permitted to say, if I understand the feelings of my own heart, I have long labored to ameliorate and alleviate the condition of the great mass of the American people. Toil and an honest advocacy of the great principles of free government have been my lot. The duties have been mine—the consequences are God's. This has been the foundation of my political creed. I feel that in the end the government will triumph, and that these great principles will be permanently established. In conclusion, gentlemen, let me say that I want your encouragement and countenance. I shall ask and rely upon you and others in carrying the government through its present perils. I feel in making this request that it will be heartily responded to by you and all other patriots and lovers of the rights and interests of a free people.

According to James G. Blaine, this statement was poorly received. In his memoirs published in the 1880s, Blaine wrote, "The effect produced upon the public by this speech, which might be regarded as an Inaugural address, was not happy. Besides its evasive character respecting public policies which every observing man noted with apprehension, an unpleasant impression was created by its evasive character respecting Mr. Lincoln. The entire absence of eulogy of the slain President was remarked...While he found no time to praise one whose praise was on every tongue, he made ample reference to himself and his own past history. Though speaking not more than five minutes, it was noticed that I and my and me were mentioned at least a score of times."[8]

See also

References
  1. Stewart, William M.; Brown, George Rothwell (1908). Reminiscences of Senator William M. Stewart, of Nevada; ed. by George Rothwell Brown. New York: Neale Pub. Co. p. 194.
  2. "The Swearing In of Chester A. Arthur, April 15, 1865". United States Senate. Archived from the original on January 20, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  3. "Washington, April 15". The Leavenworth Times. 1865-04-16. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  4. "Seward still Lives! JOHNSON INAUGURATED President of the United States". The Appleton Crescent. 1865-04-15. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  5. Kunhardt, Dorothy Meserve; Kunhardt, Philip B. (1965). Twenty days : a narrative in text and pictures of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the twenty days and night that followed--the Nation in mourning, the long trip home to Springfield. Internet Archive. New York : Castle Books.
  6. Schroeder-Lein, Glenna; Zuczek, Richard (2001). Andrew Johnson: A Biographical Companion (illustrated ed.). ABC-CLIO, 2001. pp. 36 (Blair), 88, 271 (Speed), 306–307 (as VP). ISBN 9781576070307.
  7. "Senate Journal. 40th Cong., 2nd sess., 16 / 26 May 1868, 943–51". A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  8. Blaine, James Gillespie (1884–86). Twenty years of Congress: from Lincoln to Garfield. Norwick, Conn.: Henry Bill Pub. Co. p. 1 (Johnson oath), 9 (Johnson first speech) – via HathiTrust.
  9. Lenihan, Mary Ruth (1986). Reputation and history: Andrew Johnson's historiographical rise and fall (Master of Arts thesis). University of Montana. 3408. pp. 5 (McCulloch)
  10. McCulloch, Hugh (1888). Men and measures of half a century; sketches and comments. New York: C. Scribner's Sons. p. 375 – via HathiTrust.
  11. "THE NEW PRESIDENT.; INAUGURATION OF ANDREW JOHNSON. BRIEF AND IMPRESSIVE CEREMONIES. The Oath of Office Administered on Saturday by Chief-Justice Chase. PRESIDENT JOHNSON'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS". The New York Times. 1865-04-17. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
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