Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-04-22
OFFICE or PRESIDENT or HE UNIFIED
STATES

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OFFICE or PRESIDENT OF HE UNIFIED
STATES.
Tie National ln;elIigeneer Of the 18th
inst. contains the following article, ex-
planaiory Of the true position Of things 10
reference 10 the Presidential office since
Tie death Of President Harrison:
An erroneous conception of the quality
and designation Of the Office dey0lyng on
the Vice President, in case of the Presi-
dents removal from Office, or of his death,
resignation, or inability, seems to prevail
in some of The public papers, in which Mr..
Tyler is styled the acting President: as il
he still ca o9Icio, Vice President, merely
acting ad interim as President, the office
proper Of President being vacant, and he
performing the duties of that office IN his
quality of Vice President. Whereas he
is, TO all iatents end purposes, by the np-
pointmenl Of the Constitution and by cleo
lion, President of the United States in.
vested with the office proper ofPresideni,
with as plenary right aud Authority as
his predecessor, Gen. Harrison; and ex-
ercises the powers Of the Office, not in his
quality of Vice President, but Of Presi.
dent, the Office of Vice Presiden; being va
Gated by his accession to the office Of
President, or entirely merged in the supe.
Fsor office. By the term Of the Consliiu-
ton, the o6fce of President " deroires on
the Vice President. BY his original
election as Vice President, he was prori.
sionaHg elected President that is, elect.
ed TO the Office Of President upon the hap
pening of any one of the conditions pro.
yided in the Constitution.
The Constitution uses very different
terms when il comes to provide for the re.
mova, death, &c. both of President and
Vice President. For such case Con.
gress is empowered 10 provide, by de-
claring what officer shall then act as Presi-
dent and such officer shall act according
ly, until the disability be removed, or a
President shall be elected" The office
of President devolves not on him +; he still
retains his original office and official de.
signation; as, for example, President pro
tenn. Of the Senate, Speaker Of the House
Of Representatives, &c. and in quality 81
that Office performs, dd interim, the duties
of another Office he becomes endued with
two political capacities at the same time
&C o0icio, he is merely President pro
tempore of the Senate, &c. and by thai
designation acts as President. Such m
officer might properly enough, in com.
mon parlance, be styled acting President
though we conceive his strictly official de.
slguaiion should be, "Prcs dent pro temporC
of the Senate, Gas the case may be, act.
ing as President Of the United States. -
Not so the Vice President when the Office
of President devo!vcs on him. He is nc
longer Vice President, but becomes Presi-
dent eG-oGcio, and fills up the vacancy
for the residue of the original term. Abe
office of Vice President is vacated by his
accession to the Office Of President he
can neither perform the duties nor receive
The salary appropriated to the Office OIL
Vice President. Nor does there seem any
constitutional provision for filling the of.
flee of Vice President. though all its active
duties are to be performed by President
pro tempore ofthe Senate, in the absence o.
the Vice President, or when the Office o.
President devolyes on HIM. The person
so chosen, takes not the Office proper o
Vice President, but a new Office under the
designation of " President pro iempore o.
the Senate"