Daily Republican., 1881-08-11
FOURTH EDITION
PRESIDENTIAL INABILITY.
ResOllees1Ons Of Cases in which
Vice Presidents have bes ono
President.


Vice Presidents have bet ono
President.
Mr.. Thurlow Weed discoursed, in
NewYork. last evening, of the three
occasions in the history of the United
States when the Vice President became
President by the death of the President
who was elected.
"rhe case of Mr.. Tyler" said Mr..
Weed, twas the first case of the kind
under our government" The question
came up in the Senate how Mr.. Tyler
should be styled-whether acting Pres
ident, President al interim or Presi-
dent. do not think it was under con-
sideration-certainly not in those pre-
else words-w whether he should be con-
siderpd as Vice President discharging
the duties of President. This discus
sion was not confined TO the Senate,
but was taken up very generally by the
newspapers. No conclusion was
reached, aud Mr. Tyler was variously
styled during his term. l think he
was not generally recognized as Pre.i-
dent, more particularly because his
course was such as TO subject him to a
great deal of unpleasant criticism.
The larger part of his own party display.
I'd an nnwillngress to recognize him
as President. He was more commonly
called Vice President Tyler than
President Tyler"
When asked what Daniel Websters
views We're on the subject, 80 far as he
gave them public or private expression
at the time, MIR. Weed said he could not
recall them, although he was intimate
with Mr. Webster at the time.
"Was it not curious coincidence,
when viewed III the light of subsequent
historical events only eight years later
that Millard Fillmore, then in the
House of Erpr' >tntativ"s, should have
voted against JOhH NJ" krou' reaOlu-
ton prcs,utrd when he message came
in to ca,i Mr., ryl"rs a.ting prc>i-
dent?'''
"Ir VA, only fortnight ag) a. the
Manhatiau tlnh, sand Mr. Weed,
''tnat was iattins over tuat very
question Wi Ii M,k~ou hlI.eit. FllI-
more, of cUura", I'D :. no expectation
that he WAS toiInins pre- edent .o!
himself, and LIZ mast have been c' bar
rassed by it when he afterwards fouud
Himself occupying Tyler's position ana
claiming to be tuli President"
Tyler Was frequently, if not general
ly, called His Arcidcncy, was he
nCt,'
"Almos. universally: Think l was
present i'll the House Of Representatives
when in debate he was called so tor .he
first time, but cannot recall the name
of the member who used the expression
that ciuus to Mr. Tyler ill nis death. "
"C.u YOU explain or suggest a pro-
bahle reason why Congress never de-
tntd the word Inability as applied in
the Constitution TO the President, or
provided Il mode--for example, medi.
cal certliiirarr tied with the Secretary
OF State--of determining inability? y
"l was rejecting on that subject and
talking on it yesterday, and | went
back to the Constitution To get the exact
language. My impression is that all
such questions are postponed until there
Is an emergency demanding an answer;
and that emergency only occurred i'll
the attempt to aSSassinate General Gar
field. In the 'l.:ce preceding case, the
death OF Harrison, Tyler ana Lincoln
prevented an emergency involving in
ability
"Do youthink Congress WAS afraid Of
the question.
"No, ! DO not H. was never settled,
because there had arisen no necessity
for considering it. Now it cannot be
postponed II Congress had been in
ession during the I've weeks since
General GaItieid's inability to act as
President occurred, ii would have me-
cessariIy received attention. And, now
when Cong. ess meets aytiu, whe her
General Garfield survives or passes
away, The question presented Itself as
one vi So much Importance that II VIII
be settled.
"r,uld the Vice President Determine
the question Tor nlIusei?
lhe result OF an attempt on the part
of The Vice President to settle that ques-
tion himself would depend upon the
of the case itself
1t would become a popular
question; and if the Vice pres.-
dent should assume such inability to
thiat tHe pupllC J"hEoihNAt "ouhi We
termlur he question after all, i'll spite
of the Wee President. Our people are
sufficiently intelligent to cou'prcendh
that question, and # an Inability III
point OF fact existed, the people would
accept the Vice President and recognize
him MS President al once"
"Dors not All inability act like res
ignation?"
81 think it does. In effect they are
synonymous. They vacate the Office in
both cases.
"WoulI Aaron Burr, if Jefferson had
been shot Ike President Garfield, have
forced hims If, unlike Vice President
Arthur, into the full Pres idency.'
"Most undoubtedly. think Arthur
in this emergency has acted with en-
lightened consideration and the great
est delicacy."
In concluding the interview Mr..
Weed said he wished to add that Mr..
Fillmore, after the death of President
Tyler, was recognized and spoken of
everywhere as President Fillmore-un-
like Tyler's case there was no "Acci-
he was very generally rec.