Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-20
PRESIDENTS WHO DIED IN OFFICE.
Harrison, Taylor and Lincoln.


"REMINISCENCES OF PAST NATIONAL cALAM1rIEs.
The period of anxiety and distress through
which the people Of the country have just
passed recalls former similar reasons of ma
tlonal sorrow and suspense. Three Presidents
OF the United States have died in Office
William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor and
Abraham Lincoln. The horror which thrilled
the country at the announcement of the shoot
ing of Lincoln by the assassin Booth. the hours
OF painful suspense that followed, and the pro-
found grief Of the people when the end came.
are still fresh in the memory of many of our
readers.
The Death Of President Harrison.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE PHYsICIANs-LAsr
WORDS OF TIE DECEASED.
On the 4th day Of April 1S4l, the Secretary OF
State received the following letter and report:
Washing ton. April 4. lS41.
Dear SIR: In compliance with the request
made to us by yourself and the other gentlemen
OF the Cabinet, the attending and consulting
physicians have drawn up the abstract of a re-
port on the Presidents case, which herewith
transmit to you.
Verg Respectfully your obedient servant,
THOMAS MILLER Attending Physician.
10 the Hon. d. Webster, Secretary Of State.
On Saturday. March % 1S41. President Har-
rison. after several days previous indspostion
was seized with chill and other symptoms of
FEVER The next day pneumonia, with conges-
ton OF the liver and arrangement of the stomach
and bowels, was ascertained to exist. The age
ana debility of the patient. with the immediate
prostratiOn, forbade resort to general blood
letting Topical depletion, blistering and APP
prOprate internal remedies subdued. in a great
measure, the disease of the lungs and liver, but
the stomach and intestineS did not regain a
healthy condition. Finally, on the Sd of April
at O'Clock p. m. profuse diarrhpa came on.
under which he sank, at thirty minutes to one
O'Clock, on the morning of the fourth. The
last words uttered by the President as
heaTo Dy Doctor Worthingtap, were these; "Sir. |
wish You to understand the true principles of
the government, wish them CARRIED out. ask
nothing mOre
THOMAS MILLER. NJ. D.. Attending Physician.
FRED MAY d
n. w. WORTHINGTON, N. d.
}. c. HALL. NJ D..
ASHTON ALEXANDER, NJ. D. Consulting Ply stefan.
SUCCESSION OF VICE PRESIDENT TYLER TO THE
observation-disclosures RAISED AND SETTLED IN
CONGRESS-
John Tyler the Vice President, succeeded to
the Presidency by the death of President Harri-
SON AT the extra session, May 81, 1871. Mr..
Henry A. Wise moved TO appoint committee to
wait upon the President and inform him that
the House OF Representatives was now organized
and ready to proceed to business.
Mr.. John McKeon. then member of the
House of Representatives from New York CITY,
proposed to amend this resolution by striking
out the word President and inserting .'vice
PRESIDENT now exercising the office of President
OF the United States.''
He commended, and with an ingenious argu-
ment from his point ofview. that the Vice Presi-
dent did not become President by tine death of
General Harrison, and that only ''the powers
ana duties of the Office" devolved upon him.
While the office itself was vacant.
Mr. Wise answered: "He was glad the point
had been raised because the vote on the amend
ment WONH settle in viii Sfn
to the President Of the United States And he
must be permitted to say that the present incum-
bent would claim the position that he was. by
the constitution. by election and by the act of
God, President Of the United States"
Mr.. Mckeon asked the yeas and nays on the
amendment which were refused. BIZ. Ingersoll
moved an adjournment (Which became the test)
ana the House, by yeas 50, nays not counted,
refused to adjourn.
The question was then taken on Mr. McKeon's
resolution. and it was rejected without a
reported vote; and the resolution (of Mr.. Wise)
was adopted.
These are all the proceedings i'm the House on
TINS question, AS reported in the Congressional
Globe
In the Senate. Mr. Allen. of Ohio. moved to
amend the resolution by striking out the words
president or the United States" and inserting
in lieu thereof 1.-The Vice President. on whom.
by the death of the late President, the powers
and duties of the office of President have de-
vo!ved." He said his sole and simple object
was to obtain an expression Of the sense of the
senate on an important question in tine interpre-
tation OF the constitution, now arising for the
first time
Mr.. Tappan. of Ohio. held that the constitu-
ton did not declare in any of the contingencies
OF removal. death, resignation. or inability that
the wee President. while exercising the bowers
and duties Of the office, became President of the
United States
Mr.. Walker, of Mississippi-s.It is then the
that daVOIVpS on Ha
is not the Vice President acting as President. as
IN the contingency of the death Of the President
and Vice President, but he ceases to be the Vice
President; he is no longer the Vice President.
and the office of President is deyOyed on him."
The discussion closed with some further re-
marks by Mr. Alien and. as the Globe says:
The question was then taken on the amend
ment lof Mr.. Allen and it was disagreed to
nays. IS; yeas, 8. as follows:
''Ieas-Alen, Benton. Henderson. Linn, Nc
Roberts, Tappan, Williams and Wright-S
'Nays-Archer. Barrow. Bates. Bayard Ber-
rien. Buchanan, Calhoun. Choate Clay. CLAYTON.
Dixon. Evans. Fulton. Graham. Huntington.
Aer, King, Manguin, MeTiick. Miller. Morehead.
Nicholson. Pierce. Porter, PrentiSs. Preston,
Rlves. Sewer, Simmons. Smith of Indiana. South
ard Sturgeon. Ta!lmadge Walker. White, Wood
bridge Woodbury. and Young-3S."
Congress thus. by overwhelming votes in both
houses and OF both parties. decided that the Vice
President became President absolutely and not
professionally. nor technically nor contlitionaIIy
IN case OF the death of the President Death is
one OF the four conditions described in the Con-
stitutlon. wherein 'the powers and duties of the
said office" devoiye upon the Vice President.
Such was the decision of the 9th Congress re-
garding this question.
The Death OF President TAYLOR.
AN ACCOUNT OF HIS LAST ILLNESS
The following is an article. which appeared in
a city newspaper. on the morning of July 9. 1850.
under the caption of THE Presidents Health
sit being generally known that President
Taylor had been much indsposed for two or
three days past great anxiety was excited YES
terday by information, which spread through the
city, that his illness had assumed very ser;ous
and critical aspect. This was really the case we
learn, during the greater part of the day. In
the afternoon. however, the symptoms became
less menacing. His illness commenced on
Friday last, with an attack of cholera morbus,
which appeared to yield to medical treatment,
but it afterwards assumed different and more
threatening type.
The following bulletin indicates his condition
at ten o'clock last nights
The President is laboring under a bilious re-
mittent fever, following an attack of severe
cholera mOrbus and is considered by his phys-
icians seriously ILL., July Sth, 10 pm"
THE CABINET NOTIFY MR.. FILLMORE OF THE
a, death OF THE PRESIDENT.
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