Today (March 4) was a historical day in 1861 and 1943

March 4, 1861 Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th president of the United States. Peggy showed us a link to an article at Philly.com, “Speech that launched the Lincoln presidency”.

(photo credit: Sandburg's Lincoln; photo taken by Mathew Brady at Washinton 9 days before inauguration. Lincoln arrived at D.C. 2/23/1861.)

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20110304_Speech_that_launched_the_Lincoln_presidency.html

Lincoln’s first inaugural speech is basically a legal argument whereas the second one religious. His vow of “not to interfere with slavery in the States where it existed” goes along with what I said in my letter-to-the-editor that was published at O-R yesterday.

The Philly.com article wrote “Lincoln moderated his tone dramatically” and changed his too menacing “Shall it be peace or the sword?” to “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies.” The latter was entirely Seward’s words; both Carl Sandburg’s and Gore Vidal’s (a novel) Lincoln said that. (photo credit: Sandburg's Lincoln showing the crowd before the Capitol with no dome yet)

Today (March 4) in 1943 also marked the 10th anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt’s first inauguration. It was greeted with the good news from Pacific theater the same day. Japanese fleet in the Bismarck Sea in the pacific, in an attempt to send seven thousand reinforcements and aircraft fuel to Salamaua, was routed by 137 American bombers, all eight of the Japanese troop transports were destroyed and 102 of the 150 Japanese aircrafts sot down.

Churchill telegraphed FDR that day, “Accept my warmest congratulations on your brilliant victory in the Pacific which fitly salutes the end of your first ten years.”