The Constitution of the United States was ratified by the states in June 1788.1 In February of the following year the new nations Electoral College2 selected George Washington to be its first president. On April 16, 1789 Washington began the journey from his home at Mount Vernon to New York City, then the nations capital, where he would be inaugurated. Washington was reluctant to leave the serenity of his home and uncertain about his new position.3 His journal entry for that day noted:

“About 10 oclock I bade adieu to Mount Vernon, to private life, and to domestic felicity, and with a mind oppressed with more anxious and painful sensations than I have words to express, set out for New York in company with Mr. Thompson, and Colonel Humphries, with the best dispositions to render service to my country in obedience to its call, but with less hope of answering its expectations.4”

His journey to New York City took seven days and was transformed into a triumphal procession by the crowds and local officials who greeted the new president along the way.5 Celebrations erupted6 at numerous towns along his route including Alexandria, Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia and Trenton. Washington arrived at Elizabeth Town, NJ on April 23 where a ceremonial barge awaited to take him across the river to Manhattan.7

Entrance into the City

Rudolph Von Dorsten was the Secretary of the Dutch Legation8 in New York City and describes Washingtons entrance into the city:

“President George Washington made his entry into New York on Thursday, April 23d. On the previous day a barge left this city. The barge was built expressly by the citizens of New York, and was rowed by thirteen pilots, all dressed in white.9 A committee of three Senators and five Representatives on behalf of Congress, and three of the first officers on behalf of New York, went to Elizabethtown in New Jersey, to welcome the President, and to await his arrival there. His Excellency was also accompanied by some well-equipped sloops and by a multitude of small craft with citizens of New Jersey and New York on board.10

A Spanish royal packet-boat, happening to be anchored at the entrance of the harbor, at sight of the barge, on board of which was the President, fired a signal-shot, whereupon that vessel was dressed at once with the flags of all nations.11 When the presidential barge passed, the Spanish vessel saluted his Excellency by firing thirteen guns, which was repeated by the Battery, and again thirteen guns were fired by the fort when the President landed.12

His Excellency was received by Governor George Clinton, the mayor of the city and other officers, and, after a procession had formed, consisting of some companies of uniformed citizens and the merchants and other citizens of the city, the President walked with his escort and, Governor Clinton at his side, to the house prepared by Congress for his use.13”

Taking the Oath of Office14

Washington remained at his New York residence for a week while the House and the Senate ironed out15 their differences over how the formal inauguration should be conducted. Finally, on April 30, Washington was escorted to Federal Hall on Wall Street and into the Senate Chamber. Washington, Vice President John Adams, the Senators and Representatives stepped out of the chamber onto a balcony overlooking the street filled with a cheering crowd. As there were as yet no Supreme Court Justices, the Oath of Office was administered by Chancellor Robert R. Livingstone—New Yorks highest ranking judge.16 After taking the oath, Washington and the others returned to the Senate Chamber where the new president gave a short speech.

William Maclay was a farmer, a lawyer and one of Pennsylvanias Senators. He kept a diary of his experiences. We pick up his story as Washington arrives at the Senate Chamber:

“The President advanced between the Senate and Representatives, bowing to each. He was placed in the chair by the Vice-President; the Senate with their president on the right, the Speaker and the Representatives on his left. The Vice-President rose and addressed a short sentence to him. The import17 of it was that he should now take the oath of office as President. He seemed to have forgotten half what he was to say, for he made a dead pause and stood for some time, to appearance, in a vacant mood.18 He finished with a formal bow, and the President was conducted out of the middle window into the gallery, and the oath was administered by the Chancellor. Notice that the business done was communicated to the crowd by proclamation19, etc., who gave three cheers, and repeated it on the President bowing to them.

As the company returned into the Senate chamber, the President took the chair and the Senators and Representatives, their seats. He rose, and all arose also, and addressed them. This great man was agitated and embarrassed more than ever he was by the leveled cannon or pointed musket.20 He trembled, and several times could scarce make out to read, though it must be supposed he had often read it before.

He put part of the fingers of his left hand into the side of what I think the tailors call the fall of the breeches (corresponding to the modern side-pocket),21 changing the paper into his left (right) hand. After some time he then did the same with some of the fingers of his right hand.

When he came to the words “all the world”, he made a flourish with his right hand, which left rather an ungainly impression.22 I sincerely, for my part, wished all set ceremony in the hands of the dancing-masters23, and that this first of men had read off his address in the plainest manner, without ever taking his eyes from the paper, for I felt hurt that he was not first in everything.

He was dressed in deep brown, with metal buttons, with an eagle on them, white stockings, a bag, and sword.”

1. the Constitution: 美國(guó)憲法；ratify: 正式批準(zhǔn)，（尤指經(jīng)簽署）認(rèn)可。

2. Electoral College: 〈美〉總統(tǒng)選舉團(tuán)（由各州選舉人推選組成，參加投票選舉總統(tǒng)及副總統(tǒng)）。

3. 華盛頓不太情愿離開自己家鄉(xiāng)的安詳寧靜，并對(duì)其新的任職感到前途未卜。serenity: 安詳，寧靜。

4.大概十點(diǎn)鐘的時(shí)候，我向弗農(nóng)山道別，告別了私人生活和家庭樂趣；而且，我懷著一種無以言狀的焦慮與痛苦摻雜的激動(dòng)心情，在湯普森先生和漢弗萊斯上校的陪同下，啟程前往紐約市，肩負(fù)著為我的祖國(guó)效勞的最崇高使命，遵從它的召喚，但卻對(duì)達(dá)成它的殷切期望感到前途渺茫。

5.triumphal:凱旋的，成功的；procession:（人、車、船等的）列隊(duì)行進(jìn)。

6. erupt: 爆發(fā)，突然冒出。

7.ceremonial:禮儀的，典禮的；barge:（在內(nèi)河、港灣被拖曳或推頂航行的）大型平底船，駁船。

8. legation: 代表團(tuán)。

9. expressly: 特意地，專誠(chéng)；pilot: 舵手，舵工。

10. Excellency: 閣下（對(duì)大使、總督、主教、總理等的尊稱）；sloop: 單桅帆船；a multitude of: 許多；craft:船。

11. packet-boat:（通常在內(nèi)河和近海航行的）班輪，定期郵船；whereupon: 隨之，于是；vessel: 船。

12. salute:（以鳴炮等方式）向……致敬；the Battery:（美國(guó)紐約市曼哈頓島南端的）炮臺(tái)公園。

13. uniformed: 穿著制服的；escort: 護(hù)衛(wèi)隊(duì)，儀仗隊(duì)，下文出現(xiàn)的escort作動(dòng)詞，是“護(hù)送”的意思。

14. take the oath of office: 宣誓就職。

15. iron out: 〈俚〉解決，消除。

16. administer: 主持……的儀式；Robert R. Livingstone: 羅伯特·R. 利文斯敦（1746—1813），美國(guó)早期政治家、大陸會(huì)議代表、美國(guó)獨(dú)立宣言起草委員、美國(guó)首任國(guó)務(wù)卿。

17. import: 意思，含意。

18. dead pause: 完全停頓；vacant:茫然的。

19. proclamation: 公告，宣言。

20. agitated: 激動(dòng)不安的，焦慮的；leveled cannon: 瞄準(zhǔn)的大炮；pointed musket: 瞄準(zhǔn)目標(biāo)的火槍。

21. fall:（衣服的）寬下擺；breech:臀部；correspond to: 相當(dāng)，相類似；side-pocket: 側(cè)兜。

22. flourish: 炫耀性的動(dòng)作，戲劇性的手勢(shì)；ungainly: 難看的，笨拙的。

23. dancing-master: 舞蹈教師。