Grant's inauguration as president—March 4, 1869
The inauguration of
Ulysses S. Grant was a particularly impressive ceremony.
When he was nominated in May, 1868, his letter of acceptance had closed with the phrase, ‘Let us have peace,’ which became the slogan of the campaign.
The ceremonies on March 4th were marked by intense enthusiasm.
The recent contest between the
President and Congress had made the people more than responsive to the prayer, ‘Let us have peace’; they looked forward with eagerness for this hero of war, the youngest of their
Presidents, to allay the bitterness of partisan strife and sectional animosity.
This was so much the purpose of
Grant's own heart that, out of all his public utterances, this was chosen for inscription on his tomb on Riverside Drive in New York.
Grant is one of the few captains in the history of the world who ‘made war that war might cease.’
The story of his career forms more than military history; it is an example for all ages.
 | |
‘To the executive mansion of the nation’ |
|
