Does this sound right? Did they put themselves in charge by act of terror? While the 1792 act was never implemented, there were ten instances when the Vice Presidency was vacant. Had the President died, resigned or been removed from office during those times, the President pro tempore of the Senate would have become the Acting President: Vice Presidents John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Chester A. Arthur succeeded to the Presidency following the deaths of their predecessors. George Clinton, Elbridge Gerry, William R. King, Henry Wilson and Thomas A. Hendricks died in office, and John C. Calhoun resigned. The act thrice came very close to being implemented: In 1844, President John Tyler narrowly missed being killed (along with Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, and Secretary of the Navy Thomas Walker Gilmer) by the explosion of a bow gun on board the USS Princeton while sailing on a demonstration in the Potomac River below Washington;[2] had this occurred, President pro tempore Willie Person Mangum would have become Acting President. In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Two of Booths accomplices also intended to assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson as well as Secretary of State William H. Seward. Sewards assassin, Lewis Powell, struck and severely wounded Seward, whereas Johnsons assassin, George Atzerodt, never acted. If Atzerodt had assassinated Johnson, President pro tempore Lafayette S. Foster would have been Lincolns successor as Acting President of the United States. In 1868, after President Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives, the Senate came one vote short of removing him from office; if Johnson had been removed, President pro tempore Benjamin Wade would have become Acting President.[3]
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 22:56:48 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015