Presidential Order Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order [on death of Andrew Johnson]

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Monday, August 2, 1875

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2 min read (335 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on 1875-08-02, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "[on death of Andrew Johnson]." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ As a mark of respect for the memory of the deceased, it is ordered that the Executive Mansion and several Departments of the Government at Washington be draped in mourning until the close of the day designated for his funeral, and that all public business be suspended on that day.

▪ It is further ordered that the War and Navy Departments cause suitable honors to be paid on the occasion to the memory of the illustrious dead.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners

Total Words

335

1,926 characters

Estimated Read Time

2 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

11.4

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order, "Executive Order [on death of Andrew Johnson]," Ulysses S. Grant (Aug 2, 1875). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-death-andrew-johnson.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 73 WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE I. The following order has been received from the President of the United States: EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, July 31, 1875. It becomes the painful duty of the President to announce to the people of the United States the death of Andrew Johnson, the last survivor of his honored predecessors, which occurred in Carter County, East Tennessee, at an early hour this morning. The solemnity of the occasion which called him to the Presidency, with the varied nature and length of his public services, will cause him to be long remembered and occasion mourning for the death of a distinguished public servant. As a mark of respect for the memory of the deceased, it is ordered that the Executive Mansion and several Departments of the Government at Washington be draped in mourning until the close of the day designated for his funeral, and that all public business be suspended on that day. It is further ordered that the War and Navy Departments cause suitable honors to be paid on the occasion to the memory of the illustrious dead. U.S. GRANT. By the President: JOHN L. CADWALADER, Acting Secretary of State. II. In compliance with the President's instructions, the troops will be paraded at 10 o'clock a. m. on the day after the receipt of this order at each military post, when the order will be read to them, and the labors of that day will thereafter cease. The national flag will be displayed at half-staff. At dawn of day thirteen guns will be fired, 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-seven guns. The officers of the Army will wear crape on the left arm and on their swords and the colors of the several regiments will be put in mourning for the period of thirty days. By order of the Secretary of War: E. D. TOWNSEND, Adjutant-General.