|
The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from The Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln by Helen Nicolay: courteously held his hat during the ceremony. A cheer greeted him
as he finished his address. Then the Chief Justice arose, the
clerk opened his Bible, and Mr. Lincoln, laying his hand upon the
book, pronounced the oath:
"I, Abraham Lincoln, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully
execute the office of President of the United States, and will,
to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the
Constitution of the United States."
Amid the thundering of cannon and the applause of all the
spectators, President Lincoln and Citizen Buchanan again entered
their carriage and drove back from the Capitol to the Executive
|