The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-11-14
POLITICAL COMPLICATIONS.

This lresent year OF Grace, besides
being our National Centennial, is, in va
rious other respects, an anomalous year
in our political history. The Presiden-
tial contest has been, throughout, the
most extraordinary ever known to the
country; and it's conclusion is totally
without parallel in any instance of our
national career. But, assuming that
the final result, though even yet in
doubt, may be quietly determined by a
the other, there nevertheless arise there
from numerous grave questions that
stamp the present time as the era of po-
htical complications, for the solution
that this Centennial year had decreed
the necessity Of a "new departure" as
precedents for the coming century.
In the first place, it is found that the
day fixed as the Inauguration Day, the
4th Of March, tails, in this instance,
upon Sunday. But one other instance Of
such an occurrence has heretofore hap
pened since the formation of the Govern
currence OF events, it has been assumed
by that portion Of the public press that
has given any expression of views upon
the subject, that the Inauguration of the
President-elect must needs be post
pOned beyond the Sunday upon which
the next Inauguration Day must fall.
But is such postponement really and
actually necessary? Where is the
requirement TO be found that
demands or directs such post
ponement? 1t is not in the Con-
stitution. 1t is not in any act of Con-
gress. 1t is not in any judicial decree
or decision. In fact, such postpone
ment is equally unknown to the law and
to precedent.
The duration of the term of the Presi-
Dental office is fixed absolutely by the
Constitution, which declares of the Ex-
eeutiVe-"He shall hold his office during
the term Of four years" And the
act of Congress under this provision
says that "the term of four years shall
IN all cases commence on the 4th of
March next succeeding the election"
General Grants term will therefore
expire with the third day of
next March. There is no provision
for his holding over single hour, under
any circumstances, beyond the limit of
his constitutional term. There is, how
ever, q special provision of the Consti-
tuition directing the exercise of the ex-
ecutve office by the Vice President, in
certain contingency, beyond the limit
Of the four year term, for which as Vice
President he was elected. But that
contingency is limited to the single
event Of no President being chosen by
the 4th of March next succeeding the
day OF election. In such event, "the
Vice President shall act as President,
as in the case of death or other consti-
tutional disability Of the President"
But, supposing, as some have feared,
that the present complications may
eventuate in staving off an election OF
President by the 4th OF March next,
here again may arise a further complica-
tion depending upon the question
whether we now have, in this view of
the Constitution, any Vice President.
The Vice President elected by the peo-
pie, HENRY WILSON, is dead. The
President of the Senate, Mr.. FERRY,
elected to that place by the Senate, per-
forms the Vice Presidents functions so
far as presiding in the Senate is con-
cerned. And this he might do
even with the Vice President
living. But do his functions as
President of the Senate extend,
S1 oticio, to all the duties and preroga-
tives Of the Vice Presidency as the con-
stitutional successor to the Presidency
under all the prescribed conditions Of
sac0ession2 The ordinary conditions of
succession are limited to four-removaI,
death, resignation or disability of the
President. To these the Constitution,
by an amendment, has added the extraor-
ainary condition Of non-election Of q
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