Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. II.djvu/200

156 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS most acrimonious language was used, Mr. Fillmore, in a forcible speech to the senate, announced his determination to maintain order, and that, should occasion require, he should resume the usage of his predecessors upon that point. This announcement met with unanimous approval of the senate, which directed the vice-president s remarks to be entered in full on its journal. He presided during the exciting controversy on Clay s "omnibus bill" with his usual impartiality, and so perfectly even did he hold the scales that no one knew which policy he approved excepting the president, to whom he privately stated that, should he be required to deposit a casting vote, it would be in favor of Henry Clay s bill. More than seven months of the session had been exhausted in angry contro versy, when, on July 9, 1850, the country was startled by the news of President Taylor s death. He passed away in the second year of his presi dency, suddenly and most unexpectedly, of a violent fever, which was brought on by long ex posure to the excessive heat of a fourth of July sun, while he was attending the public ceremonies of the day. It was a critical moment in the history of our country when Millard Fillmore was on Wednesday, July 10, 1850, made president of the United States. With great propriety he reduced the ceremony of his inauguration to an official act to be marked by;