UNITED STATES. 



847 



rious life to which he had been exalted, the 

 assassin was his follower, seeking his opportu- 

 nity for murder. 



The President's life passed away on the 19th 

 day of September, amid the lamentations of the 

 Christian world. Is there reason to believe 

 that his counsels can prevail ? May it be hoped 

 that the fountains of political power can be 

 made pure or kept pure by intelligence and 

 vigilance ; or that the coming generations will 

 enter upon their inheritance with souls not 

 darkened by ignorance nor contaminated by 

 vice ; or that the ballot-box will never be cor- 

 rupted to make an evil report ? 



Is there no method by which to divide the 

 responsibility for the selection of competent 

 officers and for maintaining them in their po- 

 sitions against the covetous practices of office- 

 hunters? Is there no mode to prevent at least 

 the corruption of the ballot-box by assessments 

 upon all the officers of government in any eon- 

 tested election, State or Federal ? Surely this 

 offense against public order and the public 

 morals is felonious, meriting a confinement in 

 the penitentiary. Is there no mode by which 

 the representatives of the States and of the 

 people can be compelled to perform their leg- 

 islative duties independently, and to leave the 

 President to fulfill his oath to support the Con- 

 stitution and to execute the laws? 



Must this generation die without any return 

 to the traditions of the fathers, without any 

 knowledge of a condition of public affairs 

 where party management for the mere advan- 

 tage of partisans shall not predominate; where 

 influenced majorities shall not be attempted ; 

 where contracts, pension arrearages, appropri- 

 ations for spurious and unworthy objects will 

 never be considered? 



Must there be no hope ever to see a gov- 

 ernment which will confidently rest upon the 

 basis of the wisdom, justice, moderation, and 

 publicity of its measures, the intelligence em- 

 ployed to make itself pure, and the vigilance 

 exercised over its conduct that it shall remain 

 pure and incorrupt? 



Questions relating to the succession in the 

 presidential office came under discussion dur- 

 ing this interval of the President's feebleness. 

 (See INABILITY OR DISABILITY in the present 

 volume.) 



On the night of the President's death, or in 

 the early hours of the morning of September 

 20th, the oath of office was administered to 

 Vice-President Chester A. Arthur, at his own 

 house in the city of New York, by Judge John 

 R. Brady, of the State Supreme Court, who 

 was summoned for the purpose. Subsequently, 

 on the 22d of September, the oath was admin- 

 istered again in a more formal manner, in the 

 Senate-chamber at Washington, by Chief-Jus- 

 tice Waite, in the presence of a distinguished 

 company. On that occasion the following 

 brief inaugural address was delivered : 



For the fourth time in the history of the republic 

 its Chief Magistrate has been removed by death. All 



hearts are filled with grief and horror at the hideous 

 crime which has darkened our luiid ; and the memory 

 of the murdered President, his protracted Bufferings, 

 his unyielding fortitude, the example and achieve- 

 ments of his life, and the pathos of iiis death will for 

 ever illumine the pages ot our history. 



For the fourth time the officer elected by the people 

 and ordained by the Constitution to fill a vacancy so 

 created is called to assume the executive chair. The 

 wisdom of our fathers, foreseeing even the most dire 

 possibilities, made sure that the government should 

 never be imperiled because of the uncertainty of hu- 

 man life. Men may die, but the fabrics of our free 

 institutions remain unshaken. No higher or more 

 assuring proof could exist of the strength and perma- 

 nence of popular government than the fact that, though 

 the chosen of the people be struck down, his constitu- 

 tional successor is peacefully installed without shock 

 or strain, except the sorrow which mourns the be- 

 reavement. Ail the noble aspirations of mv lamented 

 predecessor which found expression in his life, the 

 measures devised and suggested during his brief ad- 

 ministration to correct abuses and enforce economv, 

 to advance prosperity and promote the general wel- 

 fare, to insure domestic security and maintain friendly 

 and honorable relations with tne nations of the earth, 

 will be garnered in the hearts of the people, and it 

 will be my earnest endeavor to profit and to tee that 

 the nation shall profit by his example and expe- 

 rience. 



Prosperity blesses our country, our fiscal policy is 

 fixed by law, is well grounded and generally ap- 

 proved. No threatening issue mars our fort- ign inter- 

 course, and the wisdom, integrity, and thrift of our 

 people may be trusted to continue undisturbed the 

 present assured career of peace, tranquillity, and wel- 

 fare. The gloom and anxiety which nave enshrouded 

 the country must make repose especially welcome now. 

 No demand for speedy legislation has been heard ; no 

 adequate occasion is apparent for an unusual session 

 of Congress. The Constitution defines the functions 

 and powers of the Executive as clearly as those of ei- 

 ther of the other two departments of the Government, 

 and he must answer for the just exercise of the dis- 

 cretion it permits and the performance of the duties 

 it imposes. Summoned to these high duties and re- 

 sponsibilities, and profoundly conscious of their mag- 

 nitude and gravity, I assume" the trust imposed by the 

 Constitution, relying tor aid on Divine guidance and 

 the virtue, patriotism, and intelligence of the Ameri- 

 can people. 



(For other particulars, see articles GARFIELD, 

 JAMES A., and ARTHUR, CHESTER A.) 



The first official act of the new President was 

 the issuing of the following proclamation : 



By the President of the United States of America 



A PROCLAMATION. 



Whereas, In his inscrutable wisdom it has pleased 

 God to remove from us the illustrious head of the na- 

 tion, James A. Garfield, late President of the United 

 States ; and whereas it is fitting that the dei-p grivf 

 which fills all hearts should mauiti>t itself with one 

 accord toward tho throne of infinite grace, and that 

 we should bow before the Almighty and seek from 

 him that consolation in our affliction and that sanr- 

 tification of our loss which he is able and willing to 

 vouchsafe : 



Now, therefore, in obedience to sacred duty and m 

 accordance with the <U'sire of the people, 1, CIIESTKK 

 A. ABTHCR, President of the United States of America, 

 do hereby appoint Monday next, the 2Gth day of Sep- 

 tember, o*n which day the remains of our honored and 

 beloved dead will be consigned to their last r< 

 place on earth, to be observed throughout the United 

 States as a day of humiliation and mourning : and I 

 earnestly reco'mmcnd all the people to assemble on 

 that day in tlicir res] motive places of divine worship, 

 there to render alike their tribute of sorrowful sub- 



