New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-20
PRESIDENT GARFIELD.

Ia
A SENSIBLE IMPROVEMENT IN THE CoNpiIioN or
r,,v s,cx mAN-THE INFLAMMATION OF THE
pARoTID GLAND DECREASING AND CAOsiN"
LITTLE PAIN-TAKING AN INCREASED ooANiiii
OF LIQUID NoURIsHMENT WITH GOOD EffE'i-
ARMENIAN SYMPATHY.
There was sufficient improvement in the con-
dtion of President Garfield yesterday to war
rant the feeling of relief that became general
at Washington. The patient slept well lhurs-
day night and awoke refreshed Inc imam
nation of the parotid gland decreased ana
caused little pain An increased quantity OF
liquid nourshment was taken and retained
the pulse was not so high, and the temperature
was little above or about the normal. Inc
Patriarch of the Armenians In Turkey mas sehI
a communication congratulating the President
upon his preservation.
UNQUESTIONABLY GAINING GROUND.
TURNING THE CORNER FROM DEATH TO LIFE-THE
PATIENT ENFFEBIED BUT PROBABLY sAFE-
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT OF THE GOV
ERNMENT CONDUCTED ON A STRICTLY CoNsr-
TUTIoNAL BAsIs-THE QUESTION OF DISABILITY.
lBY TELEGRAPH To THE rRIBUNEI
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19.-The barometer of public
feeling has risen rapidly to-day. The President is
unquestOnably gaining ground. He is by no means
up to the point yet from which he fell so suddenly
last Monday. but he is steadily working out of the
condition which then threatened u colhpiote coI-
lapse of the vital powers, His stomach is resum-
ing its functions. For more than fortyeight hours
1t has rejected none of the nutriment the doctors
have thought safe to let the patient swallow The
swelling of the right parotid gland, which was OBJ
served yesterday, is diminishing and is causing no
more apprehension.
1t would be an exaggeration of the hopeful synp-
toms, howeve", to say the President is out of
immediate danger The best thai be said
10 bat fha ia
turning the corner between life and death, and
turning il the ri:ht way. Only whom the stomach
6igests food enough to beglu to repair the fearful
waste Of flesh and strength, and the pulse goes
down considerably below the lowest rate
recorded since the day the wound was re-
eeived, can be be said to be a safe
road to health. That time may not yet be close at
hand. One thing seems certain. though the drain
upon the slender stock of vitality cannot 60 on
many days longer. He must either mend decSiycv
or fail. The hard struggle is almost over Thank
Heaven no one need now be without hope that IT
will end in safe and rapid convalescence.
One of the New-York papers says to-day that on
account of the disability of the President undue
share OF mower devolve upon chief of the Cabi-
net" This is misleading statement, and doubtless
grows out of a misrepresentation, quite common in the
country Of the situation here The chiefof the Cabl
net referred to is of course, Mr. Blaine. Neither he
nor any other member Of the Administration is ex.
ercisiUg any undue extra constitutional power
by reason of the Presidents illness. There is NJ
acting-President No executive function which the
Constitution says shall be performed by the Presi
dent has been performed by any othe
officials since he was shot What then. it may b,
asked, has become Of the Executive Department o
the Government In all its ordinary routine ad
minisrative features it is going as smoothly a
ever under the direction of the several members o
the Cabinet, each having all needful authority Of
law TO manage his own branch of the service. No
one executive act in one hundred is required to b
done 10y the President. The great mass of regula
Governmental business is dispatched by the head
Of Departments and their subordnates.
As 10 acts which necessarily devolvo upon th
President, they wait his recovery Fortunately in
time of peace and during of Congress. thes
acts be postponed without great detrimcn
TO public interests. The appointing power, excep
in So far rs it is delegated by law to the heads 0
Departments, is in state of complete suspension
but this fact occasions trouble. except to appl
cants for Office. Where vacancies in PresidentIa
appointments occur, by death or resignation,
is usually deputy some other officer VIII
authorized by law to perform temporarily the du G
Of the Office. In the cases of post offices where uer
are no deputy postmasters the Post Office Depart
mout is authorzci to scnd special agents 20 ak
c}arre until the vacant postnas.ershlp can !
filed. IL the Presidents prostration should cor
Time until the meeting of Congress--a contiugenc
wholly mprobahe-there would be 10 stoppagc {
any part of the Government machine. Mr. Elaine
not the chief of the Cabinet in the sense of havin
any authority in any Department other than h
aud all his colleagues will bear out the stat,
Inept that he has not shown the least disposition
go beyond his strictly legal duties.
The condition of the Cabinet deprived Of its chi,
is of course. abnormal one, but it has led TO n
discords. Every member minds his own busines
aud all are drawn together in close sympathetic r
lstious by the calamity which menaces the Natio
There are no regular Cabinet meetings but info
House for conversation about the condition of Il
President. The wives of the Cabinet officers a
usually present with tbeI husbands aud Mrs Ga
field frequently goes into the room and stays a fe
minutes. These gatherings last half an hour or q
hour. Sometimes some matter Of Government bus
ness Is mentioned, but 1t is for suggestion and a.
vice and not for action, as at a regular Cabin
meeting. The question has more than once be,
IaOoted in conversation, between the members
the Cabinet as TO how the inability of the Prosidc
to discharge his functions could be constitut onal
ascertained and declared that the Vice Preside
could temporarily perform bis duties. 1t a
pears to be the unanimous opinion TIL
Congress alone has the authority to 81
that the inability clause in the CONSTITUTE
shall GO into effect, and the Vice President sh;
assume executive functions In only n few of
provisions is the Constitution self-cxecuting; mC
of its features take effect only by means of statu
law. There Is no law 10 say under what cOndito
the Nice-PTesdent shall act as President and it
held that the President himself has no power
eau IN tho second officer of the Government to