The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-10-18
PRETENDERs TO THE PRESIDENCY.
To the Editor ofMe National Era:

American, visiting the countries and capitals Of
Europe, who attracts to himself much considera-
ton by virtue Of his position and former relations
to the Government of the United States. The
pretensions of this person to have held the high
and distinguished Office of President Of the Uni
ted States, IA, no doubt, n passport to his en-
trance into places and among parties inaccessi-
BILE to less distinguished parsonage. Majesty
itself, it is said is captvated with his excellent
person, and his claim to have been President,
and Commander-in-Ch Chief of the Army and Navy
OF the United States, unbars TO him baropial cas-
ties and ancient halls, where only noble lords,
genteel ladies, and mitred hierarchs, are per-
mitted to enter. 1t will not he denied, how
ever that he has been the occupant of the
White House at Washington, and has discharged
the poacerS aid d,tts&s Of the Office male vacant
by the demise of General Taylor. All this is
but constitutional allotment Of the Iics Prssj-
dent Let us look at and examine these pre-
tensions.
Twice since the genesis of the Federal Gov
eminent have the Executives thereof departed
this life, leaving vacant the office of President
Of the United States. The trainers Of the Con
stltutlon, counting upon such contingencies,
made provisions in the articles of the same,
concerning the exercise and discharge of the
powers and duties of that Office for the remain
der of the Presidential term The whole pro-
ceedlng and course Of action, in such cases,
was distinctly marked by them, and declared
IN that instrument. 1t had been deemed by
them Inconvenient and unadvisable 20 have a
new election, for the purpose of filling the va
cant Office. They determined that the office Of
President should continue vacant, and that
the powers and duties thereof should degolve
on another State officer till "a President shall
be elected an officer whose very being, as
his name and style of office indicates, was con-
stitutcd solely for such purpose Not so, how
ever, the Char of the Presidency. IL was to
be filled, not by new election or choice by
ballot, nos by any outward or preliminary act
OF the people, or appointment of the Govern
ment. IN collective, aggregate, or corporate
capacity, but by operation OF law. No exter-
nal acts were required, as qualifications for the
occupancy OF the vacant chair OF State. Its
seat 10 the Inheritance of the lice President,
as such; his title to it is derived ia the same
silent, invisible, incOrporeal manner that tho
heir-at-law derives title to the estate Of his an
cestor-its descent il Ike the dew on Her
mon-noiseless in its nasceht manifestation.
There Is no virtue in the administration Of an
oath to him, as fit requisite to act. There Is
no necessity for pOmpous public Inaugural
uon, and other ceremonious induction Of the
Wee President to that chair. To suffer such
things to be DONE or 20 submit 10 such silly IN
hctions, argues weakness, or vanity, or both.
Nor Is there in the Constitution itself a syllable
or sentence to warrant a view different from
this. Its language is explicit " In case of the
removal of the President from Office, or Of his
death, resignation, or inability to discharge the
powers and duties Of the said Office, the same
shall devolve on the Vice President" II,
Sec. e.
The incumbent of the Office Of Vice Presi-
dent, who has taken the proper oath, as such
oihcer, by simple constitutional investiture, ia
TO be the Executive, losing nothing of his
othcIal name, character, style, or title, OF Vice
President. The office of President does not
devolve on him-only the pO1cers and duties
of the Office devolve on him. The connecting
and relative words, tie same used in the
passage above quoted, most manifestly warrant
this view. The grammatical construction Of
the whole sentence demands this version. The
absurdity of the contrary becomes plain, when
1t Is seen that the provision rs well applies to
a vacancy made otherwise than by removal,
death, or resignation, all of which etIectually
place outside of and beyond both the office and
chd'r OF office, the presence and person of the
President. The other sort of vacancy, made
by inability, clearly does not reach or affect
the once. There Is TO vacancy of the office,
nor can there be, while the officer lives, unim-
peached, unassigned; which may be the case
in the category of inability. How, then, can
the Vice President step into the Office itself of
the President, yet alive, unremoyed, never hav-
ing resigned it, and himself Vice President
be, at once, made the President!
Take illustration Let the dnly-elecied
President become insane, idiotic, or DO overta-
ken by disease, in some of its manifold forms,
to the extent of operating disability or ina
bllity TO discharge the powers and duties of hia
othce,' Is he, III such case, any the less the law
full and constitutional President Of the United
States? Is he any the less the incumbent Of the
office, because disabled? Because of his inabil-
ity, for the reason above supposed, to discharge
the powers and duties of his office, and because
they are performed by the Vice President, is
the disabled President less or other than tho
President, and the acting Vice President more
or other than the Vice President? For what
purpose, indeed, is the Office Of Vice President?
Its very name Is significant; and the use of the
term VICE, instead Of, would seem to leave no
doubt OF the object and intent of the office. II
IS true that the Constitution has not left idle the
incumbent of the Office of Vice President, but
has assigned him place and duties to perform
IN the Senate, during the actual administration
OF the duties of the office of President, by that .
highest officer of the Government.
The oath taken by the Vice President on en-.
tering upon the duties OF his office, extends in
its obligations to every contingency growin,
out of its relations; one of which, we'll under
stood by him at the time lie takes upon himself
Its solemnities, is to exercise and perform the
duties of President, in place Of, instead of, in
room OF, the President, when he has been re-
moved, has died, has resigned, or, still remain
ing the incumbent of the Office, through inal,Y-
ity, cannot exercise and discharge them him
self. 1t is safe TO confidently assert that no
popular debate, no teaching Of tho articles of
the FEDERALIsr, no history contemporaneous
with the adoption of the Federal Constitution,
will show that these possible events, in respect
TO the Presidency, were intended or expected
TO work metamorphosis of the person Of the
Vice President into a President of the United
States! ct twice has it occurred in the life
time OF this Government, that individuals, eho-
sen to fill the Office of Vice President. and. Of
course, to perform the duties of President if
certain events happened, have had the vsnity
to think that what the people had neglected to
do for them, had been done by kind Providence;
that they were, not only by the grace, bat by the
act OF God, transformed into veritable Presi-
dents Of the United States Practical beliey-
ers, moreover, in the philosophy and doctrines
of the MetempSychosis, so beautifully taught by
certain Of the ancients, were these same indi-
viduals; for, feeling the transition thrills in
their very Utmost Intervals, they pompously
summon within the walls and under the domes
of the National Capitol the high officers of
State, the Ambassadors of foreign Courts, &c.
to witness the TRANSPORTATION of Vice Presi-
dent into President, by the solemn ceremony
of the great High Priest of the Judiciary, in his
robes of office, gravely uttering to the Vice
President, with his right hand resting on The
Holy Evangelists these words: al do solemnlv
swear that l will faithfully execute the ofhce
r D. 81 o..