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President James Knox Polk was scheduled to step down from office at noon on Sunday, March 4, 1849. It seems that President-elect Zachary Taylor was a religious man and refused to be sworn in on a Sunday. It was the Sabbath. Taylor insisted on waited until the following day.
The big question arose: Who was going to serve as the President during this twenty-four hour period? Normally, the Vice-President (George M. Dallas at the time) would fill the position, but his term expired along with Polk's. Dallas had actually resigned as President of the Senate on Friday, March 2nd.
Under the law, the Presidency then fell to the President Pro Tem of the Senate - David Rice Atchison! Atchison had just been elected for an additional term to this office during the closing hours of the Thirtieth Congress. As a result, Atchison legally became the President for a twenty-four hour period, even though he was never elected to this office or sworn in.
He served for one day with no scandals, no spin, no opposition, no war, no conflict with another nation and no problems. That would make David Rice Atchison the greatest President in US History.
true about "for their time".But in some sense they were able to look to the future also.
While change as far as equal rights didn't happen overnight for everybody after the revolution the way the words were written and the government installed it set in motion for all.
Regarding Washington and his denying himself the spoils of war that was common for war heros to take back then.
He was a ambitious man,yet put his needs below the good of the nation in many regards.To bad many today are the opposite of this and are more interested in getting rich or gaining power even if its at the expense of the nation.
Some people,politicians and global corporations or even American companies hold allegiance to their shareholders and have no allegiance or loyality to their nation.
The man was so popular and idoilized that many were ready to make him king.He rejected that and because of his willingness to put America above his ambition we have the choice of electing leaders today.
He was also important in preventing the revolution from imploding after it was won,and was instrumental in winning it also.
He was actually a ambitious man and wanted to be considered equal in British circles but the Brits kinda looked down on him being a colonist and luckily he fought on our side.Had he been more accepted by the Brits he may have fought against the colonists.
Yup.
I've always considered Washingtons' willingness to step aside as the strongest evidence of his greatness.
Consider just how RARE (and almost unheard of until Washington did it) it is for a military commander who has total control of the entire military to actually step aside and give up his power to a civilian government.
President James Knox Polk was scheduled to step down from office at noon on Sunday, March 4, 1849. It seems that President-elect Zachary Taylor was a religious man and refused to be sworn in on a Sunday. It was the Sabbath. Taylor insisted on waited until the following day.
The big question arose: Who was going to serve as the President during this twenty-four hour period? Normally, the Vice-President (George M. Dallas at the time) would fill the position, but his term expired along with Polk's. Dallas had actually resigned as President of the Senate on Friday, March 2nd.
Under the law, the Presidency then fell to the President Pro Tem of the Senate - David Rice Atchison! Atchison had just been elected for an additional term to this office during the closing hours of the Thirtieth Congress. As a result, Atchison legally became the President for a twenty-four hour period, even though he was never elected to this office or sworn in.
He served for one day with no scandals, no spin, no opposition, no war, no conflict with another nation and no problems. That would make David Rice Atchison the greatest President in US History.
true about "for their time".But in some sense they were able to look to the future also.
While change as far as equal rights didn't happen overnight for everybody after the revolution the way the words were written and the government installed it set in motion for all.
Regarding Washington and his denying himself the spoils of war that was common for war heros to take back then.
He was a ambitious man,yet put his needs below the good of the nation in many regards.To bad many today are the opposite of this and are more interested in getting rich or gaining power even if its at the expense of the nation.
Some people,politicians and global corporations or even American companies hold allegiance to their shareholders and have no allegiance or loyality to their nation.
Great post-especially your last sentence!
Nicolem
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