Vice President Colfax reached headquarters shortly after ten o'clock, and went immediately to Grant's office. After a cordial greeting with the President elect and members of his Staff, he entered into a conversation with the gentlemen present on ordinary topics. In the meantime the troops and military organizations began forming, and the crowd of spectators upon the streets grew more dense. At precisely eleven o'clock, the Marshals entered headquarters. The troops were every where stationed at their proper posts. General Grant, calm and composed as ever in his life, came from the office, and entered his phaton, accompanied by General Rawlins. Vice President Colfax came next and entered the next carriage, accompanied by Admiral Bailey, of the navy. The members of the Staff of the General next entered the carriages, with the Committees of Congress, and of the different organizations present. As the procession started, the band struck up "Hail to the Chief." The reg ular and other troops were drawn up along the square, and came to a present arms as the carriage containing the President elect, with his head uncovered, drove slowly along, while immense cheers rent the air on every side.

There were eight grand divisions in line the first, under Colonel Wallace, and composed of Regu lars, escorting the President and Vice President elect; second, the division composed of Volunteers, including two colored organizations; the third division was composed of prominent civil officers of the Gov

ernment, Foreign Ministers, the Grant and Colfax electors, officers of the army, navy, and marine corps, and the corporate authorities of this city and Georgetown; fourth, the division of the Republican political organizations of this place and elsewhere; fifth, the division of Sailors' and Soldiers' Union, Grant and Colfax Clubs, the others composed of the United States Fire Department, and its visitors, and the city of Washington Fire Department and its visitors. Among prominent objects of attraction was a miniature ship, fully rigged and manned, and a printing press in operation.

The head of the parade having reached the Capitol, the President elect entered to take the oath, and deliver his inaugural address. The throng of human beings in front exceeded any thing of the kind ever before witnessed here. The procession was about one hour in passing a given point. After the organization of the new Senate, a procession was formed, and the occupants of the floor proceeded through the corridors and rotunda to the place indicated, in the following order: The Marshal of the Supreme Court; the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court; the Sergeant-at-arms of the Senate; the President elect, with the members of the Committee of Arrangements; the Vice President and Secretary of the Senate; the members of the Senate; the Diplomatic Corps; ex-members of the House of Representatives, and members elect to the Forty-first Congress; heads of departments; Governors of States and Territories; Officers of the

Army and Navy, and all other persons who had been admitted to the floor of the Senate. In front of the portico, but about ten feet below--being on a level with the first landing place of the flight of marble steps, had been constructed a platform, capable of accommodating, together with the steps, about five hundred or six hundred persons. It

had a semi-circular front, which was covered with wreaths of evergreen. The national flag was also entwined with two of the columns supporting the pediment of the portico.

On reaching the platform, the President elect took the seat provided for him, directly in front of the centre, Vice President Colfax, and the Sergeant-atarms in charge of the ceremonies sitting on his right, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on his left. The Senate Committee of Arrangements were near at hand, and next in the rear, the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court all occupied seats on the left, and the members and Secretary of the Senate on the right. The Diplomatic Corps were to have occupied seats next in the rear of the Supreme Court, but were not sufficiently alert to prevent themselves from being crowded into the background by the members of the House of Representatives and others who secured the foremost places remaining, which left the diplomatists to their chances with the officers of the army and navy, and others, on the steps and portico, where perhaps they fared better, being less crowded, and having a better view of the general scene. Though the atmosphere was damp, the

weather seemed to have no chilling effect upon the general enthusiasm. The grounds opposite and the streets adjoining were packed with human beings. Mrs. Grant sat a little behind the General, accompanied by her sisters, Mrs. Sharp and Mrs. Casey, her sister-in-law, Mrs. General Dent, and her children, Jennie and Nellie, and Masters Fred. and U. S. Grant.

The shouts and bursts of music from a dozen bands subsided as the President elect and Chief Justice of the United States rose simultaneously, and the latter commenced, in clear and solemn tones, to recite the formula of the Presidential oath of office, which General Grant reverently took, when the boom of cannon and shouts of the vast multitude burst forth.

GRANT'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.

Partial quiet having been restored, the President rose and proceeded to read from manuscript his inaugural address, as follows:

"CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES: Your suffrage having elevated me to the office of President of the United States, I have, in conformity with the Constitution of our country, taken the oath of office provided therein. I have taken this oath without mental reservation, and with the determination to do, to the utmost of my ability, all that is required of me. The responsibilities of the position I feel, but accept them without fear. The office has come to me unsought. I commence its duties untrammeled. I bring to it a conscientious desire and determination to fill it to the best of my ability and to the satisfaction of the people.

"On all leading questions agitating the public mind, I will

always express my views to Congress, and urge them according to my judgment, and when I think it advisable I will exercise the constitutional privilege of interposing a veto to defeat measures which I oppose; but all laws will be faithfully executed, whether they meet my approval or not. I shall on all subjects have a policy to recommend, but none to enforce against the will of the people. Laws are to govern all alike,— those opposed to, as well as those who favor them. I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution.

"The country having just emerged from a great rebellion, many questions will come before it for settlement in the next four years, which the preceding administrations have never had to deal with. In meeting these, it is desirable that they should be approached calmly, without prejudice, hate, or sectional pride, remembering that the greatest good to the greatest number is the object to be attained. This requires security of person and property, and toleration for religious and political opinions in every part of our common country, without regard to local prejudice. Laws to secure these will receive my best efforts for their enforcement.

"A great debt has been contracted in securing to us and our posterity the Union. The payment of this, principal and interest, as well as the return to a specie basis, as soon as it can be accomplished without material detriment to the debtor class, or to the country at large, must be provided for. We must protect the national honor. Every dollar of the Government indebtedness should be paid in gold, unless otherwise expressly stipulated in the contract. Let it be understood that no repudiator of one farthing of our public debt will be trusted in public place, and it will go far toward strengthening a credit which ought to be the best in the world, and will, ultimately, enable us to replace the debt with bonds bearing less interest than we now pay. To this should be added a faithful collection of the revenue, a strict accountability to the treasury for every dollar collected, and the greatest practicable retrenchment in expenditure in every department of the Government. When we compare the paying capacity of the country now, with ten States still in poverty from the effects of war, but soon to emerge, I trust, into greater pros