The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-02-21

Il
We notice an idea aAoat in the public
press, that, unless President Taylor shall
take the oath Of office on the fourth day Of
March, there will be no President on that
day. This is mistaken notion, as brief ex-
animation Of the law in the case will show.
The Constitution asserts thatthe executive
power shall be vested in a President Of the
United States Of America, and that he shall
hold his Office during the term Of four years.
The law Of 1892 declares, that the term
Of four years, Tor which President shall be
elected, shall, in all cases commence on the
fourth day Of March next, succeeding the
day on whiG the votes Of the electors shall
have been given.
The votes by which Zachary Taylor was
elected President were given on the first
Wednesday Of December, 1s4s, and the 4th
Of March, ls4s, next succeeding falls on the
Christian Sabbath
The law Of 1892 further declares, that
Congress shall be in session the second We'd
nesday Of February succeeding every meet
ing OF the electors and the certificates OF the
electors shall be opened, the votes counted,
and the person who shall fill the Office of
President shall be ascertained and declared
agr eeably to the Constitution. as
The Constitution says on this point, that
the person having the greatest number Of
votes for President shall be President, if
such number bea majority Of the whole num-
Der Of electors appointed
On the second Wednesday Of the present
month, February, the certificates Of the cleo
tors we're opened, the votes counted, and
Zachary Taylor was ascertained and declared
to be President agreealdy to the constitution,
for the term Of four years, commencing on
the fourth day Of March, ls49.
ZACHARY TAYLOR will therefore be Pres
ident Of the United States Of America on the
lth dayot March, 1s49. That days falling
on Christian Sabbath does not in any man
ner affect the commencement Of the term
He will be President on that day as well as
on any day subsequent within the period Of
four years.
But, il is urged, he will not take the oath
Of Office oD the Lords day, and man can
not be President until he shall take the oath
Of Office. Here Is another error. The taxi
ing OF the oath Of Office is not necessary to
complete the act electing a citizen to be
President
The Constitution says:--before he enter
on the execution Of his office, he shall take
the following oath or affirmation He is
President when he takes the oath. The only
effect Of deferring the act Of taking the oath,
is to postpone the execution Of the office for
thirty-siz hours, Whether this postpone
ment can do any injury to the public service,
It Is not for US to ssy, for even when the 4th
Of March ..slls on other days Of tie week be-
81 the Sabbath, there Is .. postpone ment
Of the execution Of the Office by the new
President for period Of twelve hours
The term Of the outgoing President expires
at midnight Of the third day Of March, the
close Of the ordinary civil day, and the fourth
=
Of March commences Immediately after mid
night Of the third The custom is for the
new President to. take the oath Of Office at
noon Of the 9TH Of March, 50 that in this case
he postpones the execution Of his ONCE for
twelve hours.
But, whether President TAYLOR will post
none taking the oath OF Office until noon OF
the 5th Of March, remains TO be seen. lie
is smphatically man Of duty, and where duty
calls, there he is ever to be found. Il he
shall deem il to be his duty to go quietly to
the Senate Chamber, at noon on the 4th Of
March, and there require the oath Of office
to be administered to him by the Chief JUS
tics Of the Supreme Court Of the United
States, he will execute that duty with al