A compilation of the messages and papers of the presidents, 1789-1897
United States. President | Devitt, George Raymond | Richardson, James Daniel, 1843-1914
■r fm m ' 'V^ H^; / ; Y -/ .- • -' ; f ; <- ^ r ^ \ ) \ ■ i ' ; ) I /'^x-\ .1 < I '0, - (6 ^ (6 P 0 tn (V S- cr P 0 O A COMPILATION MESSAGES AND PAPERS PRESIDENTS 1789-1897 JAMES D. RICHARDSON A Representative from the State of Tennessee VOLUME Vlii PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF CONGRESS 1899 Copyright, 1897, by James D. Richardson. I Prefatory Note This volume comprises the Garfield- Arthur term of four years and the first term of Cleveland. The period covered is from March 4, 1881, to March 4, 1889. The death of President Garfield at the hand of an assassin early in his Administration created a vacancy in the office of the Chief Executive, and for the fourth time in our history the Vice-Presi- dent succeeded to that office. The intense excitement throughout the land brought about by the tragic death of the President, and the succes- sion of the Vice-President, caused no dangerous strain upon our insti- tutions, and once more proof was given, if, indeed, further evidence was required, that our Government was strong enough to quietly and peace- fully endure a sudden change of rulers and of administration, no matter how distressing and odious the cause. During the Administration of President Arthur a treaty between the United States and the Republic of Nicaragua was signed, providing for an interoceanic canal across the territory of that State. An able and learned discussion of this proposition will be found among his papers. This treaty was pending when he retired from office, and was promptly with- drawn by President Cleveland. The act to regulate and improve the civil service of the United States was approved by President Arthur, and he put into operation rules and regulations wide in their scope and far-reach- ing for the enforcement of the measure. In his papers will be found fre- quent and interesting discussions of this question. His vetoes of "An act to execute certain treaty stipulations relating to Chinese" and of *'An act making appropriations for the construction, repair, and preser- vation of certain works on rivers and harbors, and for other purposes, are interesting and effective papers. The latter half of the period comprised in this volume, as aheady stated, covers the Administration of Cleveland. His accession to the Presidency marked the return of the Democratic party to power. No in IV Messages a7id Papers of the Presidents Democrat who had been chosen by his party had held the office since the retirement of Buchanan, in 1861. President Cleveland's papers fill 558 pages of this volume, occupying more space than any other Chief Mag- istrate, Andrew Johnson being next with 457 pages. At an early date after Mr. Cleveland's inauguration he became involved in an important and rather acrimonious discussion with the Senate on the subject of suspensions from office. The Senate demanded of him and of the heads of some of the Executive Departments the reasons for the suspension of certain officials and the papers and correspondence incident thereto. In an exhaustive and interesting paper he declined to comply with the demand. His annual message of December, 1887, was devoted exclu- sively to a discussion of the tariff. It is conceded by all to be an able document, and is the only instance where a President in his annual mes- sage made reference to only one question. His vetoes are more numer- ous than those of any other Chief Executive, amounting within the four years to over three hundred, or more than twice the number in the aggregate of all his predecessors. These vetoes relate to almost all subjects of legislation, but mainly to pension cases and bills providing for the erection of public buildings throughout the country. JAMES D. RICHARDSON. JUI.Y 4, 1898. James A. Garfield March 4, 1881, to September 19, 1881 vJAMES A. OAR-FIELD James A. Garfield Jamks Abram GARFIKI.D was born in Orange, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, November 19, 183 1. His father, Abram Garfield, was a native of New York, but of Massachusetts ancestry; descended from Edward Gar- field, an English Puritan, who in 1630 was one of the founders of Water- town. His mother, Eliza Ballon, was born in New Hampshire, of a Huguenot family that fled from France to New England after the revo- cation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Garfield, therefore, was from lineage well represented in the struggles for civil and religious Hberty, both in the Old and in the New World. His father moved to Ohio in 1830 and settled in what was then known as the "Wilderness," now as the * ' Western Reserve, ' ' which was occupied by Connecticut people. He died at the age of 33, leaving a widow and four small children, of whom James was the youngest. Mrs. Garfield brought up her family unaided, and impressed upon them a high standard of moral and intellectual worth. James attended school in a log hut at the age of 3 years, learned to read, and began that habit of omnivorous reading which ended only with his life. At 10 years of age was accustomed to manual labor, helping out his mother's meager income by work at home or on the farms of the neigh- bors. Attended the district school in the winter months, made good prog- ress, and was conspicuous for his assiduity. At the age of 14 had a fair knowledge of arithmetic and grammar, and was particularly apt in the facts of American history. His imagination was especially kindled by tales of the sea, and he so far yielded to his love of adventure that in 1848 he went to Cleveland and proposed to ship as a sailor on board a lake schooner. Seeing that this Hfe was not the romance he had con- ceived, he turned promptly from the lake; but loath to return home without adventure and without money, he drove some months for a boat on the Ohio Canal, when he was promoted from the towpath to the boat. Attended the Geauga Seminary at Chester, Ohio, during the winter of 1849-50. In the vacations learned and practiced the trade of a carpen- ter, helped at harvest, taught — did anything and everything to earn money to pay for his schooling. After the first term he asked and needed no aid from home; he had reached the point where he could support him- self. Was converted under the instructions of a Christian preacher, 3 4 Messages and Papers of the Presidents was baptized and received into that denomination. As soon as he fin- ished his studies in Chester entered (1851) the Hiram Eclectic Institute (now Hiram College), at Hiram, Portage County, Ohio, the principal educational institution of his church. He was not very quick of acqui- sition, but his perseverance was indomitable and he soon had an excel- lent knowledge of Latin and a fair acquaintance with algebra, natural philosophy, and botany. His superiority was easily recognized in the prayer meetings and debating societies of the college, where he was assiduous and conspicuous. Living here was inexpensive, and he readily made his expenses by teaching in the English departments, and also gave instruction in the ancient languages. Entered Williams College in the autumn of 1854, and graduated with the highest honors in the class of 1856. Returned to Ohio and resumed his place as a teacher of Latin and Greek at Hiram Institute, and the next year, being then only 26 years of age, was made its president. The regulations and practices of his church, known as the Christian Church, or Church of the Disciples, permitted him to preach, and he used the permission. He also pursued the study of law, entering his name in 1858 as a student in a law office in Cleveland, but studying in Hiram. Cast his first vote in 1856 for John C. Fremont, the first Republican candidate for the Presidency. Married Lucretia Rudolph November 11, 1858. In 1859 was chosen to represent the counties of Summit and Portage in the Ohio senate. In August, 1 86 1, Governor William Dennison commissioned him lieutenant-colonel in the Forty-second Regiment Ohio Volunteers. Was promoted to the command of this regiment. In December, 1861, reported to General Buell in Louisville, Ky. Was given a brigade and assigned the difficult task of driving the Confederate general Humphrey Marshall from east- ern Kentucky. Was engaged in all the operations in front of Corinth, and in June, 1862, rebuilt the bridges on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, and exhibited noticeable engineering skill in repairing the fortifications of James A. Garfield - Huntsville. Was granted leave of absence July 30, 1862, on account of ill health, and returned to Hiram, Ohio, where he lay ill for two months Went to Washington on September 25, 1862, and was ordered on court- martial duty. November 25 was assigned to the case of General Fitz John Porter. In February, 1863, returned to duty under General Rose- crans, then in command of the Army of the Cumberland. Rosecrans made him his chief of staff, with responsibilities beyond those usually given to this office. In this field Garfield's influence on the campaign in middle Tennessee was most important. One familiar incident shows and justifies the great influence he wielded in its counsels. Before the battle of Chickamauga, June 24, 1863, General Rosecrans asked the written opinion of seventeen of his generals on the advisability of an immediate advance. All others opposed, but Garfield advised it, and his arguments were so convincing that Rosecrans determined to seek an engagement. General Garfield wrote out all the orders of that fateful day, September 19, excepting one, and that one was the blunder that lost the day. Garfield volunteered to take the news of the defeat on the right to General George H. Thomas, who held the left of the line. It was a bold ride, under constant fire, but he reached Thomas and gave the information that saved the Army of the Cumberland. For this action he was made a major-general September 19, 1863 — promoted for gallantry on a field that was lost. Yielded to Mr. Lincoln's urgent request and on December 5, 1863, resigned his commission and hastened to Washington to sit in Congress, to which he had been chosen fifteen months before. Was offered a division in the Army of the Cumberland by General Thomas, but yielded to the representations of the President and Secretary Stanton that he would be more useful in the House of Rep- resentatives. Was placed on the Committee on Military Affairs, then the most important in Congress. In the Thirty-ninth Congress (1865) was changed, at his own request, from the Committee on Military Affairs to the Committee on Ways and Means. He made a special study of the West Feliciana Parish case, and embodied his views in a brief but significant report. In January, 1877, made two notable speeches in the House on the duty of Congress in a Presidential election, and claimed that the Vice-President had a constitutional nght 6 Messages and Papers of the Presidents to count the electoral vote. Opposed the Electoral Commission, yet when the commission was ordered was chosen by acclamation to fill one of the two seats allotted to Republican Representatives. Mr. Blaine left the House for the Senate in 1877, and this made Mr. Garfield the undis- puted leader of his party in the House. At this time and subsequently was its candidate for Speaker. Was elected to the United States Senate January 13, 1880. Attended the Republican convention which met at Chicago in June, 1880, where he opposed the renomination of President Grant and supported Senator Sherman. On the thirty-sixth ballot the delegates broke their ranks, and, rushing to General Garfield, he was unanimously nominated for President on June 8, 1880. Was elected November 2, 1880, receiving 214 electoral votes to 144 that were cast for Winfield S. Hancock. Was shot July 2, 188 1, by an assassin in the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station, in Washington, and died from the effects of the wound September 19 at Klberon, N. J. He was buried at Cleveland, Ohio. INAUGURAL ADDRESS. Fki.i*ow-CiTizkns: We stand to-day upon an eminence which over- looks a hundred years of national life — a century crowded with perils, but crowned with the triumphs of liberty and law. Before continuing the onward march let us pause on this height for a moment to strengthen our faith and renew our hope by a glance at the pathway along which our people have traveled. It is now three days more than a hundred years since the adoption of the first written constitution of the United States — the Articles of Con- federation and Perpetual Union. The new Republic was then beset with danger on every hand. It had not conquered a place in the family of nations. The decisive battle of the war for independence, whose cen- tennial anniversary will soon be gratefully celebrated at Yorktown, had not yet been fought. The colonists were struggling not only against the armies of a great nation, but against the settled opinions of man- kind; for the world did not then believe that the supreme authority of government could be safely intrusted to the guardianship of the people themselves. We can not overestimate the fervent love of liberty, the intelligent courage, and the sum of common sense with which our fathers made the great experiment of self-government. When they found, after a short trial, that the confederacy of States was too weak to meet the necessities of a vigorous and expanding republic, they boldly set it aside, and in its stead established a National Union, founded directly upon the will of the James A. Garfield ^ people, endowed with full power of self-preservation and ample author- ity for the accomplishment of its great object. Under this Constitution the boundaries of freedom have been enlarged the foundations of order and peace have been strengthened, and the growth of our people in all the better elements of national life has indi- cated the wisdom of the founders and given new hope to their descend- ants. Under this Constitution our people long ago made themselves safe against danger from without and secured for their mariners and flag equality of rights on all the seas. Under this Constitution twenty- five States have been added to the Union, with constitutions and laws, framed and enforced by their own citizens, to secure the manifold blessings of local self-government. The jurisdiction of this Constitution now covers an area fifty times greater than that of the original thirteen States and a population twenty times greater than that of 1780. The supreme trial of the Constitution came at last under the tremen- dous pressure of civil war. We ourselves are witnesses that the Union emerged from the blood and fire of that conflict purified and made stronger for all the beneficent purposes of good government. And now, at the close of this first century of growth, with the inspira- tions of its history in their hearts, our people have lately reviewed the condition of the nation, passed judgment upon the conduct and opinions of political parties, and have registered their will concerning the future administration of the Government. To interpret and to execute that will in accordance with the Constitution is the paramount duty of the Executive. Even from this brief review it is manifest that the nation is resolutely facing to the front, resolved to employ its best energies in developing the great possibilities of the future. Sacredly preserving whatever has been gained to liberty and good government during the century, our people are determined to leave behind them all those bitter controversies concerning things which have been irrevocably settled, and the further discussion of which can only stir up strife and delay the onward march. The supremacy of the nation and its laws should be no longer a sub- ject of debate. That discussion, which for half a century threatened the existence of the Union, was closed at last in the high court of war by a decree from which there is no appeal — that the Constitution and the laws made in pursuance thereof are and shall continue to be the supreme law of the land, binding alike upon the States and the people. This decree does not disturb the autonomy of .the States nor interfere with any of their necessary rights of local self-government, but it does fix and estabhsh the permanent supremacy of the Union. The will of the nation, speaking with the voice of battle and through the amended Constitution, has fulfilled the great promise of 1776 by pro- claiming 'liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof." 8 Messages and Papers of the Presidents The elevation of the negro race from slavery to the full rights of citi- zenship is the most important political change we have known since the adoption of the Constitution of 1787. No thoughtful man can fail to appreciate its beneficent effect upon our institutions and people. It has freed us from the perpetual danger of war and dissolution. It has added immensely to the moral and industrial forces of our people. It has lib- erated the master as well as the slave from a relation which wronged and enfeebled both. It has surrendered to their own guardianship the manhood of more than 5,000,000 people, and has opened to each one of them a career of freedom and usefulness. It has given new inspiration to the power of self-help in both races by making labor more honor- able to the one and more necessary to the other. The influence of this force will grow greater and bear richer fruit with the coming years. No doubt this great change has caused serious disturbance to our Southern communities. This is to be deplored, though it was perhaps unavoidable. But those who resisted the change should remember that under our institutions there was no middle ground for the negro race between slavery and equal citizenship. There can be no permanent dis- franchised peasantry in the United States. Freedom can never yield its fullness of blessings so long as the law or its administration places the smallest obstacle in the pathway of any virtuous citizen. The emancipated race has already made remarkable progress. With unquestioning devotion to the Union, with a patience and gentleness not born of fear, they have ' ' followed the light as God gave them to see the light." They are rapidly laying the material foundations of self-sup- port, widening their circle of intelligence, and beginning to enjoy the blessings that gather around the homes of the industrious poor. They deserve the generous encouragement of all good men. So far as my authority can lawfully extend, they shall enjoy the full and equal protec- tion of the Constitution and the laws. The free enjoyment of equal suffrage is still in question, and a frank statement of the issue may aid its solution. It is alleged that in many communities negro citizens are practically denied the freedom of the bal- lot. In so far as the truth of this allegation is admitted, it is answered that in many places honest local government is impossible if the mass of uneducated negroes are allowed to vote. These are grave allegations. So far as the latter is true, it is the only palliation that can be offered for opposing the freedom of the ballot. Bad local government is cer- tainly a great evil, which ought to be prevented; but to violate the free- dom and sanctities of the suffrage is more than an evil. It is a crime which, if persisted in, will destroy the Government itself. Suicide is not a remedy. If in other lands it be high treason to compass the death of the king, it shall be counted no less a crime here to strangle our sover- eign power and stifle its voice. It has been said that unsettled questions have no pity for the repose James A. Garfield ^ of nations. It should be said with the utmost emphasis that this ques- tion of the suffrage will never give repose or safety to the States or to the nation until each, within its own jurisdiction, makes and keeps the ballot free and pure by the strong sanctions of the law. But the danger which arises from ignorance in the voter can not be denied. It covers a field far wider than that of negro suffrage and the present condition of the race. It is a danger that lurks and hides in the sources and fountains of power in every state. We have no standard by which to measure the disaster that may be brought upon us by igno- rance and vice in the citizens when joined to corruption and fraud Jn the suffrage. The voters of the Union, who make and unmake constitutions, and upon whose will hang the destinies of our governments, can transmit their supreme authority to no successors save the coming generation of voters, who are the sole heirs of sovereign power. If that generation comes to its inheritance blinded by ignorance and corrupted by vice, the fall of the Republic will be certain and remediless. The census has already sounded the alarm in the appalling figures which mark how dangerously high the tide of illiteracy has risen among our voters and their children. To the South this question is of supreme importance. But the respon- sibility for the existence of slavery did not rest upon the South alone. The nation itself is responsible for the extension of the suffrage, and is under special obligations to aid in removing the illiteracy which it has added to the voting population. For the North and South alike there is but one remedy. All the constitutional power of the nation and of the States and all the volunteer forces of the people should be surren- dered to meet this danger by the savory influence of universal education. It is the high privilege and sacred duty of those now living to educate their successors and fit them, by intelligence and virtue, for the inherit- ance which awaits them. In this beneficent work sections and races should be forgotten and partisanship should be unknown. I.et 6ur people find a new meaning in the divine oracle which declares that "a little child shall lead them," for our own little children will soon control the destinies of the Republic. My countrymen, we do not now differ in our judgment concerning the controversies of past generations, and fifty years hence our children will not be divided in their opinions concerning our controversies. They will surely bless their fathers and their fathers' God that the Union was preserved, that slavery was overthrown, and that both races were made equal before the law. We may hasten or we may retard, but we can not prevent, the final reconcihation. Is it not possible for us now to make a truce with time by anticipating and accepting its inevitable verdict? Enterprises of the highest importance to our moral and matenal wel - being unite us and offer ample employment of our best powers. Let all 10 Messages and Papers of the Presidents our people, leaving behind them the battlefields of dead issues, move forward and in their strength of liberty and the restored Union win the grander victories of peace. The prosperity which now prevails is without parallel in our history. Fruitful seasons have done much to secure it, but they have not done all. The preservation of the public credit and the resumption of specie payments, so successfully attained by the Administration of my prede- cessors, have enabled our people to secure the blessings which the sea- sons brought. By the experience of commercial nations in all ages it has been found that gold and silver afford the only safe foundation for a monetary sys- tem. Confusion has recently been created by variations in the relative value of the two metals, but I confidently believe that arrangements can be made between the leading commercial nations which will secure the general use of both metals. Congress should provide that the compul- sory coinage of silver now required by law may not disturb our monetary system by driving either metal out of circulation. If possible, such an adjustment should be made that the purchasing power of every coined dollar will be exactly equal to its debt-paying power in all the markets of the world. The chief duty of the National Government in connection with the currency of the country is to coin money and declare its value. Grave doubts have been entertained whether Congress is authorized by the Constitution to make any form of paper money legal tender. The pres- ent issue of United States notes has been sustained by the necessities of war; but such paper should depend for its value and currency upon its convenience in use and its prompt redemption in coin at the will of the holder, and not upon its compulsory circulation. These notes are not money, but promises to pay money. If the holders demand it, the promise should be kept. The refunding of the national debt at a lower rate of interest should be accomplished without compelling the withdrawal of the national-bank notes, and thus disturbing the business of the country. I venture to refer to the position I have occupied on financial questions during a long service in Congress, and to say that time and experience have strengthened the opinions I have so often expressed on these subjects. The finances of the Government shall suffer no detriment which it may be possible for my Administration to prevent. The interests of agriculture deserve more attention from the Govern- ment than they have yet received. The farms of the United States afford homes and employment for more than one-half our people, and furnish much the largest part of all our exports. As the Government lights our coasts for the protection of mariners and the benefit of commerce, so it should give to the tillers of the soil the best lights of practical science and experience. James A. Garfield jl Our manufactures are rapidly making us industrially independent, and are opening to capital and labor new and profitable fields of employment. Their steady and healthy growth should still be matured. Our facilities for transportation should be promoted by the continued improvement of our harbors and great interior waterways and by the increase of our ton- nage on the ocean. The development of the world's commerce has led to an tngent de- mand for shortening the great sea voyage around Cape Horn by con- structing ship canals or railways across the isthmus which unites the continents. Various plans to this end have been suggested and will need consideration, but none of them has been sufficiently matured to warrant the United States in extending pecuniary aid. The subject, however, is one which will immediately engage the attention of the Gov- ernment with a view to a thorough protection to American interests. We will urge no narrow policy nor seek peculiar or exclusive privileges in any commercial route; but, in the language of my predecessor, I believe it to be the right ' ' and duty of the United States to assert and maintain such supervision and authority over any interoceanic canal across the isthmus that connects North and South America as will protect our national interest. ' ' ^ The Constitution guarantees absolute religious freedom. Congress is prohibited from making any law respecting an establishment of reUgion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The Territories of the United States are subject to the direct legislative authority of Congress, and hence the General Government is responsible for any violation of the Constitution in any of them. It is therefore a reproach to the Govern- ment that in the most populous of the Territories the constitutional guaranty is not enjoyed by the people and the authority of Congress is set at naught. The Mormon Church not only offends the moral sense of manhood by sanctioning polygamy, but prevents the administration of justice through ordinary instrumentalities of law. In my judgment it is the duty of Congress, while respecting to the uttermost the conscientious convictions and religious scruples of every citizen, to prohibit within its jurisdiction all criminal practices, especially of that class which destroy the family relations and endanger social order. Nor can any ecclesiastical organization be safely permitted to usurp in the smallest degree the functions and powers of the National Government. . .. The civil service can never be placed on a satisfactory basis until it is regulated by law. For the good of the service itself,, for the protection of those who are intrusted with the appointing power against the waste of time and obstruction to the public business caused by the inordinate pressure for place, and for the protection of incumbents against intngue and wrong, I shall at the proper time ask Congress to fix the tenure of the minor offices of the several Executive Departments and prescnbe the 12 Messages and Papers of the Presidents grounds upon which removals shall be made during the terms for which incumbents have been appointed. Finally, acting always within the authority and limitations of the Constitution, invading neither the rights of the States nor the reserved rights of the people, it will be the purpose of my Administration to maintain the authority of the nation in all places within its jurisdiction; to enforce obedience to all the laws of the Union in the interests of the people; to demand rigid economy in all the expenditures of the Govern- ment, and to require the honest and faithful service of all executive officers, remembering that the offices were created, not for the benefit of incumbents or their supporters, but for the service of the Government. And now, fellow-citizens, I am about to assume the great trust which you have committed to my hands. I appeal to you for that earnest and thoughtful support which makes this Government in fact, as it is in law, a government of the people. I shall greatly rely upon the wisdom and patriotism of Congress and of those who may share with me the responsibilities and duties of admin- istration, and, above all, upon our efforts to promote the welfare of this great people and their Government I reverently invoke the support and blessings of Almighty God./ March 4, 1881. SPECIAL MESSAGES. KxKcuTivK Mansion, Washington, April 6, 1881. To the Senate of the United States: I transmit herewith, in response to the resolution of the Senate of the 1 8th ultimo, a report of the Secretary of State, with accompanying papers, in relation to the capitulations of the Ottoman Empire. JAMES A. GARFIEI.D. ExKCuTivK Mansion, Washington, May 20, 1881. To the Senate of the United States: I transmit herewith a report of the Secretary of State, with accompa- nying papers, submitted in response to the Senate resolution of the 12th ultimo, touching the case of Michael P. Boy ton.* JAMES A. GARFIELD. ♦Arrested and imprisoned by authorities of Great Britain. James A. Garfield j- EXECUTIVE ORDER. Executive Mansion, Washington, May 28, 1881. Dear Sir: * I am directed by the President to inform you that the sev- eral Departments of the Government will be closed on Monday, the 30th instant, to enable the employees to participate in the decoration of the graves of the soldiers who fell during the rebellion. Very respectfully, J. STANIvEY BROWN, Private Secretary. DEATH OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. ANNOUNCEMKNT OF THE ASSASSINATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES ABROAD. [From the Washington Post, Julys, 1881.] Department of State, James Russei.1. Lowei.1., Washington July 2, i88i. Minister, etc., London: The President of the United States was shot this morning by an assas- sin named Charles Guiteau. The weapon was a large-sized revolver. The President had just reached the Baltimore and Potomac station, at about 9.20, intending, with a portion of his Cabinet, to leave on the limited express for New York. I rode in the carriage with him from the Executive Mansion and was walking by his side when he was shot. The assassin was immediately arrested, and the President was conveyed to a private room in the station building and surgical aid at once sum- moned. He has now, at 10.20, been removed to the Executive Mansion. The surgeons, on consultation, regard his wounds as very serious, though not necessarily fatal. His vigorous health gives strong hopes of his recovery. He has not lost consciousness for a moment. Inform our ministers in Europe. j^^^g ^ BI.AINE, Secretary of State. PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF DEATH BY THE PHYSICIANS. [From the New York Herald, September 20, 1881.] Elberon, N. J. , September -19 — 11.30 p. m. The President died at thirty-five minutes past 10 p. m. After the bulletin was issued at half past 5 this evening the President continued in much the same condition as during the afternoon, the pulse varying from 102 to 106, with rather increased force and volume. After taking ♦Addressed to the heads of the Kxecutive Departments, etc 14 Messages and Papers of the Presidents nourishment he fell into a quiet sleep about thirty-five minutes before his death, and while asleep his pulse ran to 120 and was somewhat more feeble. At ten minutes after 10 o'clock he awoke, complaining of severe pain over the region of the heart, and almost immediately became uncon- scious, and ceased to breathe at twenty-five minutes to 1 1. D. W. BIvISS. FRANK H. HAMII.TON. D. HAYES AGNKW. ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE VICE-PRESIDENT. [From the New- York Times, September 20, 1881.] [lyONG Branch, N. J., September ig, 1881.'] Hon. Chester A. Arthur, No. I2J Lexington Avenue, New York: It becomes our painful duty to inform you of the death of President Garfield and to advise you to take the oath of office as President of the United States without delay. If it concur with your judgment, we will be very glad if you will come here on the earliest train to-morrow mormng. WII.I.IAM WINDOM, Secretary of the Treasury, WII.I.IAM H. HUNT, Secretary of the Navy. THOMAS I.. JAMBS, Postmaster- General. WAYNE MacVEAGH, Attorney-General. S. J. KIRKWOOD, Secretary of the Interior. [The Secretaries of State and of War were absent from I^ong Branch.] REPI/Y OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT. [From the livening Star, Washington, September 20, 1881.] New York, September 20, 18 81."^ I have your message announcing the death of President Garfield. Per- mit me to renew through you the expression of sorrow and sympathy which I have already telegraphed to Attorney- General MacVeagh. In accordance with your suggestion, I have taken the oath of office as President before the Hon. John R. Brady, justice of the supreme court of the State of New York. I will soon advise you further in regard to the other suggestion in your telegram. ^ ^ ARTHUR * Addressed to the Cabinet. James A. Garfield 15 ANNOUNCEMENT TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES ABROAD. [From the Sun, New York, September 21, 1881.] [Long Branch, N. J., September 20, 1881^ lyOWKiyiy, Minister, London: James A. Garfield, President of the United States, died at Elberon, N. J . , last night at ten minutes before 1 1 o' clock. For nearly eighty days he suffered great pain, and during the entire period exhibited extraordi- nary patience, fortitude, and Christian resignation. The sorrow through- out the country is deep and universal. Fifty millions of people stand as mourners by his bier. To-day, at his residence in the city of New York, Chester A. Arthur, Vice-President, took the oath of office as President, to which he succeeds by virtue of the Constitution. President Arthur has entered upon the discharge of his duties. You will formally commu- nicate these facts to the British Government and transmit this dispatch by telegraph to the American ministers on the Continent for hke commu- nication to the Governments to which they are respectively accredited. BLAINE, Secretary, ANNOUNCEMENT TO REPRESENTATIVES OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES. [From official records, Department of State.] Department of State Washington, September 20, 188 1. Sir: It is my sad duty to announce to you that the illness of the President of the United States, which you have followed with an anxiety similar to our own and a sympathy which you have repeatedly testified to this Department during the sorrowful period that has passed since he was shot by an assassin on the 2d of July, terminated last evening, when he expired at thirty-five minutes past 10 o'clock. As soon as the order and details of the funeral ceremonies are arranged you will be duly informed thereof ROBERT R. HITT, Acting Secretary. ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE ARMY. [From official records, War Department.] Generai. Orders, No. 71. Headquarters of the Army, Adjutant-GeneraIv's Office, Washington, September 20, 1881. I The following order of the Secretary of War announces to the Army the death of James A. Garfield, President of the United States: War Department, September 20, 1881. With profound sorrow the Secretary of War ^^^^^^^/^^^^^^^^^^f that James A. Garfield, President of the United States, died at Elberon, i6 Messages and Papers of the Presidents N. J., at twenty-five minutes before ii in the evening of September 19, 1881. The great grief which is felt by the nation at the untimely death of the President will be especially felt by the Army, in whose service he bore so distinguished a part during the War of the Rebellion. In him the Army has lost a beloved Commander in Chief, friend, and former comrade. Proper honors will be paid to the memory of the late Chief Magistrate of the nation at headquarters of each military department and division and at each military station. The General of the Army will give the necessary instructions for carry- ing this order into effect. ROBT. T. IvINCOIvN, Secretary of War. II. On the day after the receipt of this order at the headquarters of military commands in the field, and at each military station, and at the Military Academy at West Point, the troops and cadets will be paraded at 10 o'clock a. m. and the order read to them, after which all labor for the day will cease. At dawn of day thirteen guns will be fired at each military post, and afterwards at intervals of thirty minutes between the rising and setting sun a single gun, and at the close of the day a national salute of thirty- eight guns. The national flag will be displayed at half-staff at the headquarters of the several miHtary divisions and departments and at all military stations until the remains of the late Chief Magistrate are consigned to their final resting place at Cleveland, Ohio, at 2 p. m. on the 26th instant. The officers of the Army of the United States will wear the badge of mourning on the left arm and on their swords and the colors of the regi- ments will be draped in mourning for the period, of six months. III. The following officers of the Army will, with a like number of officers of the Navy selected for the purpose, compose the guard of honor and accompany the remains of their late Commander in Chief from the national capital to Cleveland, Ohio, and continue with them until they are consigned to their final resting place: The General of the Army, Major-General Winfield S. Hancock, Quartermaster- General M. C. Meigs, Adjutant-General R. C. Drum, Inspector- General D. B. Sacket. By command of General Sherman: R. C. DRUM, Adjutant-General, [From official records, War Department.] Genkrai, Orders, No. 72. Headquarters of the Army, Adjutant- Generai^'s Office, Washington, September 20, 188 1. The following order has been received from the War Department: The Secretary of War announces to the Army that upon the death of James A. Garfield, President of the United States, Chester A. Arthur, James A. Garfield j^ Vice-President, on the 20th day of September, 1881, at his residence in the city of New York, took the oath of office as President of the United States, to which office he succeeded by virtue of the Constitution. Presi- dent Arthur has entered upon the discharge of his official duties. ROBT. T. LINCOLN, -D J r rA -, r.. Secretary of War. By command of General Sherman: R. C. DRUM, Adjutant-General. ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE NAVY. [From official records, Navy Department.] Gi^NKRAi, Order. Navy Department, Washington, September 20, 1681. The officers and men of the Navy and of the Marine Corps of the United States are hereby notified that President Garfield died at Long Branch on the 19th instant at 10 o'clock and 40 minutes p. m. Under the Constitution and laws of the Government Chester A. Arthur, then Vice-President, duly took the oath as President of the United States, and has entered upon the duties of that office. As President and Com- mander in Chief of the Navy of the United States he will be obeyed and respected by all persons connected with this Department. It is becom- ing that at a time when the heart of the nation is heavy with grief a proper expression should be given to the respect and affection so sin- cerely and universally entertained for the memory of the wise, patriotic, and noble Chief Magistrate who has departed this life under circum- stances so distressing. To this end the officers of the Navy will see to it that all honors and ceremonies befitting the occasion are observed by their respective commands in accordance with the regulations of the service. The offices of the Department will remain closed for all business dur- ing the time the remains of the President shall He in state at the Capitol. WILLIAM H. HUNT, Secretary of the Navy. [From ofl&cial records, Navy Department.] Special Order. Navy Department, Washington, September 23, 188 1. Struck down by the hand of a cowardly assassin, in the day of his vigor and usefulness, on the eve of departure from the capital^ in search of much-needed rest from the toils and cares of office, our Chief Magis- trate, President, and Commander in Chief, James A. Garfield, after bearing M P— voif VIII— 2 i8 Messages and Papers of the Presidents with heroic fortitude untold suffering, succumbed to the dread summons and yielded up his life at Elberon, N. J., on the evening of the 19th instant. The nation mourns its loss. The funeral services will take place at Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday, the 26th instant. It is emi- nently fit and proper that special honors should be paid to the memory of the late President on that day, and the Department therefore directs that at all naval stations and on board all vessels in commission the flags shall be at half-mast from sunrise to sunset and a gun fired every half hour during that period. The period of mourning by half-masted colors will cease at sunset. On foreign stations this order will be carried out on the day after its receipt. The navy-yards will be closed and all work suspended during the day. Officers of the Navy and Marine Corps will, as a further mark of respect, wear crape on the left arm and sword hilt for six months from the 20th instant. ED. T. NICHOES, Acting Secretary of the Navy. ACTION OF SENATORS AND OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECT IN WASHINGTON. The members of the Senate and members elect of the House of Repre- sentatives in Washington held meetings on September 22 and selected the following gentlemen to accompany the remains of the late President to Cleveland, Ohio: Senators Henry B. Anthony, of Rhode Island; John Sherman, of Ohio; Thomas F. Bayard, of Delaware; John J. Ingalls, of Kansas; James L. Pugh, of Alabama; Henry W. Blair, of New Hampshire; Johnson N. Camden, of West Virginia, and John T. Morgan, of Alabama. Representatives elect John Randolph Tucker, of Virginia; John A. Kasson, of Iowa; Samuel J. Randall, of Pennsylvania; Frank Hiscock, of New York; Benjamin Wilson, of West Virginia; John R. Thomas, of lUinois; Amos Townsend, of Ohio, and Charles M. Shelley, of Alabama. ORDERS OF THE HEADS OF THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS. [From the National Republican, Washington, September 21, 1881.] Long Branch, September 20.^ It has been agreed here by all the heads of Departments that the Departments shall remain closed from this time until the conclusion of President Garfield's funeral ceremonies in Washington, and it is under- stood that you will notify the acting heads of all Departments of this arrangement. * * * ROBERT T. LINCOLN. Secretary of War, * Sent to the chief clerk of the War Department. James A. Garfield ig [From official records, Treasury Department.] Order. Treasury Department, Office of the Secretary, Washington, D. C, September 20, 1881. It is ordered, as a mark of respect to the memory of President Garfield, that the Treasury Department be closed during this day. H. F. FRENCH, Acting Secretary. [From official records, Treasury Department.] Notice. Treasury Department, Office of the Secretary, Washingto?p, D. C, September 21, 1881. As a token of respect to the memory of the late President, James A. Garfield, the Treasury Department will be closed to public business to-day at 12 o'clock noon, and remain closed Thursday and Friday, the 22d and 23d instant. H. F. FRENCH, ^ Acting Secretary. [From official records, Treasury Department.] Order. Treasury Department, Office of the Secretary, Washington, D. C, September 24., 1881. In accordance with the proclamation of the President* appointing Mon- day, the 26th day of September, as a day of humiliation and mourning, being the day of the burial of the late President, James A. Garfield, it is ordered that this Department be closed during that day. H. F. FRENCH, Acting Secretary. [From official records, Post-Office Department.] Post-Office Department, Washington, D. C, September 20, 1881. Ordered, That, owing to the death of President James A^ f^jf/j'^^,^^ Department be closed for all public business until after the funeral party shall have left Washington for Ohio. ^^^^^ ^ ELMER, Acting Postmaster-General. * See p. 34- 20 Messages and Papers of the Presidents [From official records, Post-Office Department.] Post-Officb Department, Washington^ D. C, September 24., 1881. Ordered, That, in conformity with the action of other executive branches of the Government, this Department be closed on Monday next, the 26th instant, and that the day be fittingly observed by all per- sons connected therewith as the occasion of the consignment to their final resting place of the remains of the late beloved and honored Chief Magistrate of the United States, James A. Garfield. RICHD. A. ELMER, Acting Postmaster-General, [From official records, Interior Department.] Order. Department of the Interior, Washington, September 20, 1881. As a token of respect to the memory of the late President, James A. Garfield, the Department of the Interior and the several bureau^ and offices thereof will be closed to public business until Saturday, the 24th A. BElyl/, Acting Secretary. 