The Capitol Dome

this case, is to deny that there is a God governing the world. It is a truth which I thought needed to be told, and, as whatever of humiliation there is in it falls most directly on myself, I thought others might afford for me to tell it." In spite of its lack of immediate acceptance he did expect the speech "to wear as well as—perhaps better than—anything I have produced." 24 And indeed it has, ranking with the Gettysburg address as milestones of American oratory. TAKING THE OATH OF OFFICE After delivering the second inaugural address, President Lincoln took the oath of office administered by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase (fig. 9). Lincoln and Chase stood beside a cast- iron table (fig. 10) made by Commissioner of Public Buildings Benjamin B. French (fig. 11) from decorative elements left over from the construction of the Capitol Dome. 25 Chase motioned for the clerk of the Supreme Court to present an open Bible, on which Lincoln placed his right hand as the oath was taken. As prescribed by the Constitution, the oath read: "I 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." According to one eyewitness account, after taking the oath, "then solemnly repeating, 'So help me God!' he bent forward and reverently kissed the Book." 26 It was long thought that George Washington had begun the practice of adding the "So help me God," tagline to the presidential oath. But no contemporary account has ever been found to substantiate that belief, nor that any of Washington's successors prior to Lincoln had done so. Historians have discovered no other contemporary account that mentions Lincoln adding the "So help me God" benediction to the oath. e author of this reference was Noah Brooks (fig. 12), the Washington correspondent for the Sacramento Daily Fig. 11. Superintendent of Public Buildings Benjamin Brown French managed arrange- ments at the Capitol for the second inaugural. He later came to believe that he had prevented Booth from possibly assassinating Lincoln in the Capitol Rotunda. (left) Fig. 12. Noah Brooks became a close friend of President Lincoln as a reporter for the Sacramento Daily Union. He later wrote a memorable account of Lincoln's funeral in the Capitol Rotunda, describing the scene from a perch high up in the dome. (See Jane Armstrong Hudiburg's article on the Lincoln funeral in this issue.) (right) COL L EC T ION OF T HE MA S S ACHUSE T T S HIS TORIC AL SOCIE T Y L IBR ARY OF CONGRE S S PRIN T S AND PHOTO GR APHS DIVISION THE CAPITOL DOME 16 BR ADY-HANDY COL L EC T ION, L IBR ARY OF CONGRE S S PRIN T S AND PHOTO GR APHS DIVISION T HE L INCOL N MUSEUM, FORT WAYNE, IN Fig. 9. Harper's Weekly published this engraving of Lincoln taking the oath of office administered by Chief Justice Chase in its March 18, 1865 issue. Note that the top of the inau- gural table appears to be round or oblong, not square as Benjamin B. French described it. (left) Fig. 10. Benjamin Brown French fabricated the table used in Lincoln's second inaugural cere- mony from cast-iron pieces left over from the construction of the Capitol Dome. He later donated it to the Massachusetts Historical Society. (right)

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