Chester Arthur safeguarding the Order of Presidential Succession


Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I spotlight a constitutional conundrum resulting from the murder of President James Garfield. On his death, September 19th 1881, Vice President Chester Arthur assumed office, but it was unclear who would succeed him, were there another tragedy.

Back then, next in order of succession was the Senate President pro Tempore. Unfortunately, being even divided between Republicans and Democrats, the Senate had been unable to elect someone. Congress was in recess at the time, so prudence required the new Republican President to take action.

Before traveling from Manhattan to Washington, Arthur mailed to the White House a proclamation calling the Senate into special session. Arriving safely, he issued in its place a formal proclamation, dated September 23rd:

"I, Chester A. Arthur, President of the United States, have considered it to be my duty to issue this my proclamation, declaring that an extraordinary occasion requires the Senate of the United States to convene for the transaction of business at the Capitol, in the city of Washington, on Monday, the 10th day of October next, at 12 o'clock noon on that day, of which all who shall at that time be entitled to act as members of that body are hereby required to take notice."

Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more information, see www.grandoldpartisan.com. 

Here is a YouTube Video about this article.

Here is an Instagram Video about this article.

Here is a TikTok Video about this article.

Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement.


Each day, his YouTube videos and TikTok videos and Rumble videos and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states.

Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision.

"This is the most amazing book about politics that I have ever read. The Overview should be required reading for anyone with even a minor interest in government. The remainder is an enthralling history lesson that I will never forget. For years, we have all been misled about the true nature of the GOP. This is the real deal! Read it and be proud!"

"Your book is a national treasure. I'm always recommending it."

"Michael Zak wrote the definitive history of the GOP."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is the most significant contribution to the Republican Party in the last twenty years apart from Ronald Reagan."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is more important to our party now than ever before."

and

"one of the best books I ever read"


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Democrats enacted their black codes to oppress African-Americans

Image
Grand Old Partisan denounce Democrat devilry. November 22nd 1865, the Democrat-controlled legislature of Mississippi passed the nation's first  black codes . These were laws that Democrats of the post-Civil War South enacted to impose near-slavery on African-Americans. According to these Democrat laws, African-Americans could not:  • vote  • serve on juries  • testify against white people  • own guns  • travel without permission  • assemble for political purposes  • own farmland  • be outdoors at night  • change jobs without permission Democrats decreed that all African-Americans had to:  •sign annual labor contracts with white masters  • be deferential to all white people  • be apprenticed (in practice, enslaved) to white masters until adulthood  • work only in agriculture and a few other occupations Fortunately, after winning a two-thirds majority in Congress, Republicans swept a...
Read more

thanking Republicans for the 19th Amendment

Image
Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I commemorate ratification of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote. It became part of the Constitution on August 26th 1920. Republican Senator Aaron Sargent had written this Women's Suffrage Amendment in 1878, but Democrats delayed ratification for decades. After the GOP won control of Congress in the 1918 midterm elections, Republican Representative James Mann introduced the measure again. Within hours it passed. Twenty-six of the thirty-six states to ratify had Republican-controlled legislatures. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more information, see www.grandoldpartisan.com .  Here is a YouTube Video about this article. Here is an In...
Read more

President Lincoln justifying the Emancipation Proclamation

Image
Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I spotlight a classic assertion of Republican patriotism and decency. Summer 1863, Illinois Republicans invited Abraham Lincoln to Springfield. Though he could not leave Washington at so critical a time, the President did send a letter, on August 26th. He knew it would be reported nationwide. James Conkling, host of the event and an old friend, read it to the crowd. An observer noted that the letter "will live in history side by side" with the Emancipation Proclamation. "It meets the fears of the timid and the doubts of the reformer. It proves that the Proclamation and the policy resulting from it are the most conservative, both of liberty and of our form of government." President Lincoln wrote: "There are those who are dissatisfied with me. To such I would say: You desire peace; and you blame me that we do not have...
Read more