The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1896-06-10
PRESIDENT FOR A DAY.
UNIQUE DISTINCTION OF A MAN
NOW FORGOTTEN.
David r.. AtichisOr Was Chief of the Re-
public for 'Twenty-fOur Hours n.1S49.
signedI Several Ofacial Documents.

signedI Several OfHcia1 Documents.
From the New York Press.
Grover Cleveland to-day is known as
the twenty-third president of the United
States. He was in his first term the
twenty-frst president, so it would seem
that the chair of the chief executive of
this republic has been occupied by only
twenty-five meh. That is what general
history says.
There have been twenty-three men in the
Office of president, and one of them wore
the honor for only one day. His name is
completely forgotten now.
March 4, 1849, came on Sunday, day
that the constitution does not recognize
as legal in the transaction IF such of
fetal business as administering the oath
of office. On that day at noon President
Folks term OF Office ended, and Presi-
dent-elect Zachary Taylor could not take
his place, or at least did not think he
could. The prospect of the country be-
ing without an official head for the
twenty-four hours, or there being doubt
about who would be the head, created
discussion in congress and in the press.
When.Gen. Taylor arrived in Washing
ton few days before his Inauguration
be was besought to take the oath of of
fee on Sunday so as to prevent confusion
and what some persons believed to be
danger. 1t was in the hot days of the
"free soldiers and "barn stormers," and
the storm of slavery was brewing. Dur
ing Saturday and Saturday night there
we're half dozen fights in congress. The
capitol was camp of violence, but Gen.
Taylor held out that he would not become
president on Sunday.
David r. Atchison of Missouri was
president pro tempore of the senate, and
it was held by congress that the func-
tions of president must devolYe upon him
from Sunday noon till Monday noon, and
for these twenty-fyur hours he has had
the distinction of being the president of
the United States, having all the func-
tons and power of that Office. The oath
of the Office was not administered to him
for the same reason that it was not i'm
mediately administered to Gen. Taylor;
but he, being virtually vice president, it
was not considered necessary.
That President Atchison considered
himself president there can be no doubt,
for on Monday morning, when the senate
re-assembled, he sent to the white house
for the seal of the great Office, and sign
ed one or two official papers as presi-
dent.
But there was much fun and good-nat-
ured badinage INDUCED in among Atchi-
sons friends and himself during his
short presidential term. He was dem
ocrat, while the president-elect was
wing. A najority of the senate was dem
ocratic, sand his friends joklngly .pro-
posed to him to usurp the Office by call
ing the army to bis back and preventing
odd Ironsdes'' from being sworn in.
If any such .hing had been seriously
contemplated Gen. Taylor was too much
the idol of the army to let it be success
full.
Had Gen. Taylor been an unpopular
man and had Atchison had the character
and ambition of dictator, with friend
~ army, congress and timid supreme
court, President Atchison's name would
probably not have been 50 soon forgot
Ten and the constitutional day of inaugu-
rating the president of the United States
would have been changed so that it
would never again fall on Sunday.
According to an almanac maker of the
tlme, the next Inauguration to fall on
sunday viii be March A, 1921, and Just
century from the date of President
AtchIson's term of Office there Will be
another Sunday March 4, and following
this will be March A, 1877. Grover Cleve-
land was last inaugurated on Saturday.
Inc century gains whole day from the
leap year scraps left over. This day is
ADDED to the last year, 1900. If this cal
culation is correct and the constitutional
Gay OF Inauguration is not changed. the
twentieth century may have three zone
day only" presidents.
------~ e----