Chester A. Arthur’s Story
And how it informs Donald Trump’s. It’s surprisingly relevant.
Chester A. Arthur was one of the vice presidents who assumed office following an assassination and one of the most manifestly unqualified men to ever hold the presidency. He was a customs officer for the port of New York and shoved down Garfield’s throat as a vice president by Roscoe Conkling, at the time he was regarded as a deeply corrupt man and basically a mess.
Then Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau and was utterly terrified by the notion of assuming the presidency. He made it clear to everybody that he would not assume the powers of the presidency while Garfield still lived. Then Arthur shocked people, he transformed from a venal, corrupt man, with what it must be said are fantastic muttonchops, to a diligent hard-working tireless civil servant. He realized that he wanted and needed to fulfill Garfield’s legacy.
Arthur began receiving letters from a woman named Julia Sand, full of optimism and hope. “Your kindest opponents say: ‘Arthur will try to do right’ — adding gloomily — ‘He won’t succeed, though — making a man president cannot change him,’” She wrote. “But making a man president can change him! Great emergencies awaken generous traits which have lain dormant half a life. If there is a spark of true nobility in you, now is the occasion to let it shine. Faith in your better nature forces me to write to you — but not to beg you to resign. Do what is more difficult & be more brave. Reform!”
I read about Arthur in a book about Garfield and borrowed those quotes wholesale from Candice Millard. As I was trying to resign myself to the idea of a Trump administration it struck me. He never really expected to win, his ideas have never been fully formed, he’s probably terrified of having to actually be commander in chief. It reminded me of Arthur.
Each of Sand’s letters to Arthur urged him to be a better man, he kept twenty-three of the letters she wrote him. “It is not the proof of highest goodness never to have done wrong, but it is a proof of it … to recognize the evil, to turn resolutely against it.” She may have been the only person believing him capable of change and improvement. “Once in awhile there comes a crisis which renders miracles feasible,” she wrote. “The great tidal wave of sorrow which has rolled over the country, has swept you loose from our old moorings, & set you on a mountaintop alone.”
Arthur never expected to have power and was terrified by it. He was buoyed by this one woman urging him to be a better man than he had been.
Perhaps we can provide that same service to Donald. He can be a better man, governing is different than campaigning. His past is in the past let us allow him to leave it there. Let us hope and pray that he will find that better man within him, that he will not do any of the crazy things America stands terrified of today.
Donald repeatedly claimed that he would be the greatest advocate for Americans as president, let us hope he meant that. Let us hope that he will listen to those that know more than him. Let us hope oh so many things, but first allow us to stand united and offer Donald one message.
You can do this. You can be a better man. This is an awesome responsibility, go forward not just as Donald, but as an American President. You can do this. You can be a better man. Go forward and do it.
Just don’t feel betrayed in four years when we try to evict you anyway.
