Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-20

munlcafion to that effect. through your secre-
tary might enable you the more promptly to
proceed to the choice Of presiding officer.
WILLARD FILLMORE.
Mr.. FILLMORE ANNOUNCES To CONGRESS THE
PRESIDENTS DEATH, AND REPEATS his LAST
WORDS.
WASHINGTON. July 10. 1850
FeRo,c-caizrls Of tie Senate and of the House Of
Representatives.
have to perform the melancholy duty Of an
nouncing to you that it has pleased Almighty
God to remove from this life Zachary Taylor late
President Of the United States. He deceased
last evening at the hour of half-past 10 o'clock,
IN the midst OF his family. and surrounded by
aHectlonate friends. caimly and in the full pos
session of all his faculties. Among his last words
were these, which he uttered with emphatic dis
| tnctness -" have always done my duty; L am
ready to die: my only regret is for the friends
leave behind me-"
Having announced to You, ellow-citizens. this
most affecting bereavement, and assuring you
that IL has penetrated no heart with deeper grief
than mine, it remains for me to say that pro-
pose this day at IL o'clock, in the hall of the
House OF Representatives, in presence of both
Houses of Congress. to take the oath prescribed
by the constitution to enable me to enter on the
execution of the office which this event has de-
yOlved upon me. WILLARD FILLMORE.
MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT FILLMORE IN RELATION
TO THE oBSEoUIEs OF HIS PREDECESSOR.
WASHINGTON. July TO- 1850.
Fe!to,c-catzsls Of the Senate and of aae House Of
Representatives,:
great man has fallen among u.s. and a whole
country is called to an occasion of unexpected.
deep. and general mourning. / recommend to
the two Houses of Congress to adopt such
measures as in their discretion may seem proper
to perform with due solemnities the funeral OBJ
sequleS OF Zachary TAYLOR late President of the
/ INV To Si.r fb.a,
ana alfectionate regard of the American people
! for the memory of one whose life has been de-
voted TO the public service-whose career i'm
arms has not been surpassed i'm usefulness or
DflIllancy-WhO has been recently raised by
| the unsolicited voice of the people to the high
est civil authority in the government. which he
administered with so much honor and advantage
| to his country, and by whose sudden death so
many hopes of future usefulness have been
blighted forever.
To you, Senators and Representatives Of a
nation in tears. say nothing which can al
leviate the sorrow with which you are oppressed
appeal to you to aid me. under the trying cir
cumstanceS which surround me- in the discharge
OF the duties from which. however much may
be oppressed by them. | dare not shrink: and
rely upon Him who holds in His hands the dcsti-
MES of nations, to endow me with the requisite
strength for the task, and to avert from our
country the evils apprehended from the heavy
calamity which has befalen us.
L shall most readily concur in whatever
measures the wisdom of the two Houses may
suggest as betting this deeply melancholy Occa-
sion. WILLARD FILLMORE
THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN
DETAILS OF HIS DEATH. AND THE SUCCESSION
OF ANDREW JOHNSON TO THE PRESIDENCY.
Though sixteen years have elapsed, the occur
rences attending the assassination of President
Lincoln and the succession of the Vice Presi-
dent, Andrew Johnson, to the presidency, are
m inaa In
| the night of April IA. 1865. attended perform
ance of ''Our American Cousin" at Fords Thea
ter. on 10th street. He was assassinated there
at hali-paSt 10 O'Clock. while sitting i'm his pri-
yate box with Mrs. Lincoln. Miss Harris and
Major Itathburn. The assassin. who approached
from behind the President after firing the fatal
shot leaped upon the stage hrandishing dag
ger. and escaped by rear entrance
before the crowded audience realized that a
terrible crime had been committed The
wounded President was borne TO the house of
MI Petersen, opposite the theater where he
lay unconscious until his death. which occurred
at twenty minutes past seven O'Clock on the fol-
lowing morning. No one who was in Washing
ton that night will ever forget the wild excite
ment that Tacked the reason of the strongest
men. murderous assault made upon Secre-
tary Seward at his residence on Lafayette
square. about the same hour, increased the pop
ular agitation.
PRESIDENT LINCOLN DIED
at % minutes past seven o'clock in the morning
He closed his eyes as if falling asleep. There
were no indications of pain, and it was not
known that he was dead until the gradually
decreasing respiration ceased altogether Rev.
DIR. Gurley. of the New York Avenue Presby-
terrain church. Immediately on its being ascer-
tanned that life was extinct knelt at the bedside
and offered an impressive prayer. which was
responded to by all present. DIR. Gurley then
proceeded to the front parlor of the house. where
the members of the Presidents family were
assembled. and again offered prayer for the con-
ISOLATION of the family. Immediately after the
Presidents death Cabinet meeting was called
by Secretary Stanton. and held i'm the room
where the body lay. A little after nine o'clock
in the morning. the remains having been placed
in temporary coffin, were borne to the White
House, escorted by detachment Of cavalry.
VICE PRESIDENT JOHNSON INAUGURATED.
At an early hour on the morning of the 18th
Secretary Stanton sent communication to Vice
President Johnson notifying him of the death of
the Chief Magistrate. and requesting him to
state the place and hour at which his Inaugural
ton as President should take place. Mr. John
son at once replied that it would be agreeable to
him 20 have the proceedings take place at his
rooms in the kirkwOod House as soon as the ar
rangeTents could be perfected. The Kirkwood
Honse taen occupied the site where the Pension
Office now stands THE EVENING STAR of April
Is 1855. gives the following account of the brief
ceremony of inauguration:
''Chief Justice Chase was informed of the
fact. and repaired to the appointed place
in company with Secretary McCulioch of
the Treasury department; Mr.. Attorney Gen
eral Speed. f. Z. Blair. ST., Hon. Montgomery
Blair. Senators Foot, of Vermont; Ramsey. of
Minnesota; Yates, Of Illinois; Stewart. of Ne
vada; Hale. of New Hampshire. and Gen. Farms
worth, of Illinois. At IL o'clock. the oath of
office was administered by the Chief Justice of
the United States in his usual solemn and i'm
pressve manner. Mr.. johnson received the
kind expressions of the gentlemen by whom he
was surrounded. in a manner which showed his
earnest sense of the great responsibilities so
suddenly devolved upon him. and made brief
speech. in which he said: The duties of the
Office are mine: 1 will perform them; the con-
sequences are with God. Gentlemen L shall
lean upon you; feel that shall need your sup
port. 1 am deeply impressed with the sole.n-
nifty of the occasion aud the responsibility OF the
duties of the Office am assuming"
THE FUNERAL OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN
took place from the White House on Thursday.
April both. The body lay i'm state i'm the East
Room. where years before the bodies of Presi-
dents Harrison and Taylor had lain in state. The
remains were escorted by an immense procession
to the Capitol, where services were held and the
remains lay in state until the following day,
when they were removed TO the railroad station