, or by silent indifference, but my
temperament led me to defy and combat with my accusers, however
formidable or insignificant they might be.

The annual message of President Arthur, submitted to Congress on
the 6th of December, was a creditable, businesslike statement of
the condition of the government. It commenced with a very proper
announcement of the appalling calamity which had fallen upon the
American people by the untimely death of President Garfield. He
said:

"The memory of his exalted character, of his noble achievements,
and of his patriotic life, will be treasured forever as a sacred
possession of the whole people.

"The announcement of his death drew from foreign governments and
peoples tributes of sympathy and sorrow which history will record
as signal tokens of the kinship of nations and the federation of
mankind."

Our friendly relations with foreign nations were fully described,
and the operations of the different departments of the government
during the past year were clearly and emphatically stated. In
closing he called attention to the second article of the constitution,
in the fifth clause of its first section, that "in case of the
removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation,
or inability to discharge the powers and duties of said office,
the same shall devolve on the Vice President," and asked that
Congress should define "what is the intendment of the constitution
in its specification of 'inability to discharge the powers and
duties of said office,' as one of the contingencies which calls
for the Vice President to the exercise of presidential functions?
Is the inability limited in its nature to long continued intellectual
incapacity, or has it a broader import? What must be its extent
and duration? How must its existence be established?"

These and other questions connected with the subject were not acted
upon by Congress, as it could not foresee the conditions of the
inabilities in advance of their occurrence. He closed with the
following sentence:

"Deeply impressed with the gravity of the responsibilities which
have so unexpectedly devolved upon me, it will be my constant
purpose to co-operate with you in such measures as will promote
the glory of the country and the prosperity of its people."

At the regular meeting of the House of Representatives, on the 5th
of December, 1881, J. Warren Keifer was elected speaker by a small
majority. Both Houses were