The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-06-03
2 csldcut For One Day Only.

dent Df the UNITED STATES. lie
was in his first term the twenty
first President, so it would seem
that the chair of the Chief Execu.
tive of this Republic has been oc.
cupied by only twenty-five men.
Tnat 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 com
pletely forgotten now.
March 4, 1S49, came on Sunday,
a day that the Constitution does
not recognize as legal in the trans
action of such official business lis
administering the oath of office.
On that day at noon, President
Polk'S term OF office ended, and
President,elect Zachary Taylor
could not take his place, Or at
least did not think he could. The
prospect of the country being with.
out al official head for the TWEEN.
ty.four hours for there being doubt
about who would be the head, ere.
ated discussion in Congress md
in the press.
When Gen. Taylor arrived in
Washington few days before his
inauguration he was besoughL to
take the oath of office on Sunday
SOFAS to prevent confusion and
what some persons believed to be
danger. 1t was in the hot days of
The Gree Sellers" and "Barn
StOrmers" and the storm Of slavery
WAS brewing. During Saturday
and Saturday night there were
half dozen fights in Congress. The
Capitol Was Il camp Of violence,
but Gen. Taylor held out that ne
would not become President Oh
Sunday.
David r. Atkinson, Of Missouri,
was President pro tenpore ct the
Senate, aud it was held by Con
greSs that the functions OF pi'eSi
dent must devojve upon lin from
Sunday noon ill Monday noon,
and for these tw enty four hours he
has had lie distinction of being
President OF the United States,
having ali the functions aud pow.
ers Of that ciiice. TIL" oath Of Tie
Office was not administered to him,
for the same reason that it WAS
not immediately administered to
Gen. TayIo but he, being s;rtu
ally Vice President, it WAS hot
considered necessary.
That President Atchison cnnsiI-
cred himself President there can
be 70 doubt, for OIL Monday morn
lug when the senate rc-asSemblcd,
he sent to the " hite tinuse FIR
the seal OF The great rili,:e, and
signed one Or two official papers
as President. These we've some
smai!atts in connection with the in
that had been neglect
ed by President Polk.
But there Was much fun and
good natured a'linage inanlged
irdul.ed in among AtcElSon'S
friends and himself during his
short Presidential term. He was
d Democrat. While the President |
was u Wing. A majority of tie
Senate was Democratic, and his
friends jokins!y proposed to him
to usnrp the Office by calling the
army to his back Al preventing
"Old lronsides" from being sworn
in. II any such thing had been
seriously contemplated, Gen. Tay-
lor Was too much tie idol of the |
army to let it bc successful. -
Had Gen. Taylor been an un.
popular man and had Achison had
the character ard ambition IF a
dictator, with a friendly army,
Congress and timid Supreme Court,
President Atchisoll's name would
probably not have been forgotten
and the constitutional day Of in.
augnrating the President of the
United States would never again
fall OH Sunday.
According to an almanac maker
of the time, the next Inauguration
to fall OH Sunday will he March 4,
1921 and just a century from the
date of President Atclis0u's term
of office there will be another Sun
day March 4, and following this
will be March 4, 1877. Grover
Cleveland was last inaugurated on /
Saturday. The century gains a
whole day from the leap Year
scraps left over. THIS day is add
ed TO the last year, 1900. If this
calculation is correct and tue con
stilutional day Of Inauguration is
not changed, The Twentieth ccntu
~ may have three cone day OILY"
Presidents New York Press.
Tho duath nf rnh In K,rl