Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-08-25
If Garfield Should Die.

Arthur to tho presidency, says
'Mr. Arthur comprehends that f he should
De called to the presidency the public would
hold him to q stern and jealous responsibility
for any and osery mishap. We havc not the
ieast doubt that ho will feel keenIy and nor.
vously the dolicaoy of his posision, and his
whole course since tho President was struck
down shows that he has had just thoughts
and right instincts on the matter. He has
kept himself at once and entirely aloof from
politics and politicians. lIo made haste to
place himself in Washington on friendly and
intimate relations with oil tho mombers of
the Cabinet. Ills conduct has been in every
way creditablo to him.
If Mr.. Arthur should become President
wo bolieve he will mako no changes in tho
Administration, will mako no removals from
oficc at largo except for cause, will attempt
no change in the policy or in the personnel
Of the present Administration. for to do or
attempt to do any Of these things would be
to invite ruin upon his own head. We bo.
]ievo he will quietly take up the rcins rs
they fall from Gen. Garfeld's hands No
doubt the present Cabinet md probably somo
OF the othor important officers of the Co.
vermont will offer him thcr designations
This would De a proper course for them to
pursue. But we arc equally certain that
MIR. Arthur W i'll at once ask them to continue
in Office, and it will be their hight duty to
the country to do so II Mr. Garfield should
unhappiy die there will be no extra session
Of Congress, there will bo no Cabinet changes.
there will be no new politics attempted but
tho country will 20 on and the public bust
ness will 60 on just rs before. There il no
occasion for alarm"
The New York Times, in an article on the
samo subject, says:
mo man may be able to discharge so fully
and conscicntiously the nations trust as
would James A. Garfield, strengthened and
purified by the discipline Of suffering and
sustained by tho affection of kcenly sym
pathetic people. But no man will dare to
abuse it, be Ills temptations what they may,
who has to dcal with such spirit of indig'
nation over long tolerated political abuses
and 80 resolute determination to demand
reotitrdo in return Tor confidence, as hayc
been awakened during the past few weeks.
The spirit and tho determination have never
been wanting but they have Ii, to give
place to feelings which were powerfully cx-
cited by the special necessities of tho hour
and there have been periods whom n certain |
easy confidence in the future has left them
dormant. Tho path of duty to which Presi-
dent Garfield would be lifted amid the nc
claim of Q grateful and trns!ful pcoplc can
be mono the lees clearly marked out than The
responsibility which would bo sternly pressed
upon his successor. The President may die,
but so far from passing away with him, the
work which no was expected to do will boz
como tho inheritance Of tho people them.
selves, and will DO pressed to completion
with vigor to which individual sclfshness
or apathy must yield, and which will create
party for itself if no existing parry can
ftly cmbody it,"
Tho Times in news article. after nl]ud;no
to the fact that Vice President Arthur wos
visited Tuesday evening by Con. Grant.
Hon. Roscoe Conkling, Senator Jones, of
Nevada, ard other intimate personal and
political friends, says:
ut may be stated on good authority that
in tho event Of Gen. Arthur's succession 10
tho presidency through Tho death of Gen.
Garfield, Gen. Arthur will be sworn into
Office as President in this city. That il, of
conrso, on tho assumption that President
Garfield should die whilo Gen. Arthur is in
New York. The oath Of Office mag be ad.
ministcred by any public officer who is au-
thorized to administer oaths. Ono of the
gentlemen present at last nights gathering
said to Times reporter that tho oath might
bo administered, if necessary. by Police
Justice Bixby, who lives ouly two doors dis
,tant from Con. Arthur's house. Tho oues.
'tion has been considered by Gen. Arthur and
his advisers, and tho conclusion reached was
that no should assume tho Office rs promptly
as possible, but thero was no need for haste
about it. AS to tho mattor of an intcrrep.
mum in tho Office of President, about which
many porsons and many journals scom so
solicitous, Gen. Arthur holds that there must
be on interregnum any way, if only for
minute, and that few hours can or will
make but littlo difference. An intcrregnum
Of five minutes is an interregnum as distinct
Q as if it were for fvo hours."
The New York papers quote ex-senator
Conkling as having said to friend Tuesday:
- cannot tell you what anxious hours have
passed since my Washington dispatches of
yesterday. renpso at any time is danger
QUE, but at present tho most of all. The
more think of this fcarul tragedy tho flrmer
J. am convinced that our country is passing
through dangerous crisis, and that Mr.
Gaffeld's death would bo one Of tho most
unfortunate things that could happen to it.
! do not intend to loavo tho city should the
President grow worse, unless it should be to
offer myserVices to tho bereaved family"
"A murderer atont 10 be 1vnobod ~, 4, ,ho