Huntsville gazette., 1881-10-15
Presidents by Succession.

| Beside President Garfield, three Pres
idents of the United States, in the course
Of our national history, have died while
holding that high Office The first Of
these was William Henry Harrison, who
was inaugurated as President on the
| fourth. of March, 1S41, and who died on
April 4th Of the same year, having ex-
ercised the powers of the office just
one month His death was probably
hastened by the exhaustion resulting
from the pressure of office-seekers and
of public business. .,..,....
President Harrison was succeeded by
the Vice-President, John Tyler, of Vir-
ginia; who acted as President during
the rest of the term. sa+
The next President who died in office
was General Zachary Taylor, who was
installed in office March 4, 1S49, and
died of indigestion in July, 1850; hav-
ing occupied the executive chair for one
year and four months. His successor
was President Millard Fillmore, of
New York, who filled out the unexpired
two years and a half. 5@
Abraham Lincoln, the third President
to vacate the Office by death, was in
IHaugurated for his second term on March
4, 1865. In a little more than month
he was assassinated, when Vice-Presi-
dent Andrew johnson took possession of
the Presidential chair; which he held
until General, Grants inauguration, on
March 4, 1869.
When John Tyler succeeded to the
duties Of the executive Office, he as
sumed the full title, powers and digni-
ties of President of the United States.
Now the Constitution says that, in case
of the death or inability of the President,
the Vice President shall act as President.
Some statesmen, therefore, declared
that Mr.. Tyler should have called him.
self, not President, but '.acting" Presi-
dent; and denied that he was entitled
to the full prerogatives of the Presiden-
tial office. No legal resistance, howev-
er, was made to his course. He contin-
ued to assert his right to the title and
all the powers of the Presidency, and
appears in the regular lists of Presidents
of the United States.
When, therefore, Mr.. Fillmore and
Mr.. johnson succeeded to Gen. Taylor
and Mr.. Lincoln, they, too. adopted the
same title and powers as those of Mr..
Tyler. The matter had been settled by
precedent; and no one any longer OBJ
iected to the assumption by Vice-Presi-
dents who succeeded to the Presi6tAstial
duties, the full title and powers.
1T has often been remarked that the
heirs apparent to European thrones are
usually found acting in opposition to the
opinions and policies of their royal ia
theirs. To some extent, the same thing
has proved true of our Vice-Presidents.
Since the first election of Gen. Jack
son to the Presidency, the President
and Vice-President have always been
chosen as members of the same political
party. They have both been either
Wings, or Democrats, or Republicans,
since both are voted for on the same
ticket. Despite this fact, in each of the
three instances in which the death of the
President has brought the Vice-Presi-
dent into power, his policy has been diff
ferent from that of the President to
whom he succeeded.
Mr.. Tyler retained President Harri-
sons Cabinet; but so quickly did he
change the policy Of his predecessor
that all Of the Cabinet except one
Daniel Webster-resigned within a year.
The Wings, who had elected Harrison
and Tyler, were alienated from the lat
ter; and before his term had come to
close he derived his main support from
the Democrats.
In the case of Mr.. Fillmore, the de-
parture from Gen. Taylor's policy was
not SO wide. But Mr.. Fillmore chose
new Cabinet, and sustained several
very important measures, which, with
out doubt, Gen. Taylor would have
strongly opposed.
| Although Andrew johnson retained
Mr.. Lincoln's Cabinet, with one or two
changes, throughout his term, he soon
came into very bitter collision with the
mass of the Republicans, who had cor
daily supported Mr.. Lincoln. So fierce,
indeed, became the contest between the
President and the party which had
chosen him as Vice-Prcsident that he
was impeached before the Senate by
| Republican leaders.
But it may be said, to the credit of
the country, that the changes in the
great office of President, suddenly, as a
result of death, and, in one case, OF
assassination, have never produced any
serious convulsion or disturbance; and
that the wheels of the Government and
OF business have gone on revolving, with
scarcely hitch, through every one Of
them. This is a striking proof OF the
stability Of our Republic. c.-Youth's Com
pa,aton. t@
The World Not Crowded.
= III