The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-10
THE PREDICTED "IrERREGNum."

II is, perhaps all well enough TO inform
the intelligent people of the United stalee,
as the newspapers just now have a mania
for doing, that Thomas w. Ferry, soft
shell republican, cannot he president of the
United States, even for a day; but there
would be as much propriety in informing
them-and the intelligence would be just
a5 fresh, importGn. aud startling-that
Stephen W. Dorsey, Sunset Cox, JimmyFa-
gan, or any other man, was in the same boat.
But when these same newspapers inform
US that either Henry Il. Anthony of Rhode
Island, George Z. Edmund5 Of Vermont,
Hannibal Hamlin or Name, or Oliver p.
Morton of Indiana, twill be president Of
" the United States for day it is just a
trihe absurd and shows rather dense ig-
norancc of the nature of our institutions.
The origin of all this fuss aud pother is
found in the wonderful discovery, some Of
these wise-acIes lave made, thgt, by the
constitution and laws of the United States,
where there is vacancy in the office both
of president and vice president Of the
United States, the prelident pro tempore of
the senate becomes president; that the
fourth of March happens upon Sunday
and that, therefore, as they say, there viii
be an "nterregnum" between the outgoing
of President Grant and the incoming of
tie prcndent elected Tuesday; that this
vacancy or ''interegnlm" will be supplied
by the president pro tempore of the senate;
that Thomas W. Ferry, of Michigan, is
now such president pro tempore, bEt as bis
senatorial term expires March 3, he cannot
hold over, but a new election Of presiding
officer must be made; ard that either Sena-
tor Anthony, Edmunds, Hamlin or Morton
will be so elected, and ''Who he may he
"thus designated, that senator will be
president of TIE United States for day
that is during this so-c4l'ci "n.eueg-
"num."
Now this is a very pleasant conceit-it
would be doubly SO to Senator Morton if,
in spite Of the republican national conyen-
tion and of the people, he could be presl-
dent even for day. But unfortunately
for these possible ephemeral presidents,
this conceit is one of thote humbugs or de-
lusions which were exploded long sco.
The fourth day of March happened on
Sunday in 1921, at the close of President
Monroe's first term, and the question Of an
interregnum was raised, the matter of
the succession was discussed, ard the num-
Der of aspirants to the temporary pIesi-
dency Of tic senate was numerous and
TO set the matter at rest, Chief Justice Mar
shall was appealed 10 for advice. He was
emphatic in the opinion that "the presi-
dent not only could but must remain il
"offlce until his successor was duly inaug.
"urated, and he did. The fourth day
of March again occurred on Sunday in
lS40, when James X. Polk's term of Office
expired, and tia, of Zachary Taylor COM
menced, but the senate did not even take
the trouble to elect president pro tempore
to hold over from the ThiItieth to the Thirty
first cougress. If such an interregnum .
takes place, then from March to noon OF
March 5, 1S40, the United States was utter
ly without goyernmsnt. Il may be cIuel
to dispel the delusion, but those possible
presidents must wait until they can take it
in the natural way.