From January to May 1850, Congress held a great debate on the issue of whether to implement slavery in the new land. This was one of the famous debates in American history.
During the meeting, some congressmen attended the meeting with weapons, and they sometimes fought violently at the meeting. The fierceness of the struggle was evident.
The South plans to convene a Southern Congress in June, and several southern states are likely to secede from the Union.
During this critical period, Zachary Taylor did not compromise on both sides, but firmly stated his position.
In a speech, he made it clear that he would stick to his election promise, maintain political independence, and not be a nominal president of one party.
Although he was a southerner and owned many slaves, he advocated maintaining the unity of the Union from the perspective of national interests.
Zachary Taylor proposed that the existing state of slavery across the country could be maintained, but the expansion of slavery into new areas was prohibited.
He suggested that California and other places be admitted to the Union as free states as soon as possible, and he also vowed to "personally lead the army" to use force to maintain the unity of the Union if necessary.
Although Zachary Taylor's attitude was resolute, the southern slave-owning forces had already united at that time. If the federal government adopted strong force, the American Civil War was likely to break out immediately.
At this time of particularly acute national crisis, on July 4, 1850, Zachary Taylor attended the Independence Day celebrations in Washington.
The commemoration event was held outdoors. He, who was born in the army, endured the scorching sun and listened to various patriotic speeches for more than two hours without leaving the venue early. After the rally, he walked under the strong sunshine again and walked alone for a long time.
distance.
When he returned to the White House, Zachary Taylor felt thirsty and hungry.
"Damn weather! Not a cloud at all!"
Zachary Taylor complained, and took off his suit jacket and vest, and pulled off the tie on his collar. In an instant, he went from the well-dressed president to the disheveled old general again.
In terms of image, the only difference is that my clothes are cleaner and not as slovenly as before when I was in the army.
Sitting down on the sofa, Zachary Taylor felt thirsty and hungry.
"Hurry up and bring me something to eat! And water!"
President Taylor's request was quickly conveyed.
The White House waiter brought him a jug full of ice milk and a large plate of bright red cherries.
This made Zachary Taylor, who was hungry and thirsty, couldn't help but his eyes lit up, and he glanced at the young waiter with approval.
It's rare that he has such a wink!
After standing in the sun for so long wearing a full suit, Zachary Taylor was already too hot. Although he took off his coat and vest, the shirt underneath was already wet with sweat and clung tightly to his body.
, which made him uncomfortable, but he didn't care about it at this time. He saw the waiter put the tray on the table, picked up the gorgeous silver jug and poured him a glass full of milky white iced milk, Zachary...
Taylor couldn't wait to reach out and pick up the glass, raised his head and drank it in a big gulp.
After drinking the cold milk, Zachary Taylor felt a chill from his mouth to his stomach. Although the surface of his body was still hot, his body felt much more comfortable.
However, Zachary Taylor was not satisfied. Seeing the waiter carrying the silver jug and planning to continue pouring him milk, Zachary Taylor couldn't wait any longer and directly reached out and took the silver jug from the waiter's hand without using the cup.
, just like that, he put the spout to his mouth and took a big gulp.
Zachary Taylor felt the cold milk slide through his mouth and esophagus and into his stomach. His whole body felt indescribably comfortable, and the heat in his body was reduced a lot by this coolness.
Zachary Taylor, who was drinking iced milk, did not notice the sarcasm and coldness flashing in the eyes of the young waiter standing respectfully beside him.
Putting down the empty silver jug, Zachary Taylor let out a long sigh of contentment. He was finally not as hot and thirsty as he was at the beginning. However, when he put down the milk jug, his eyes fell on the item on the tray again.
Bright red cherries on a large plate.
Although this jug of ice milk made him less thirsty and relieved the heat in his body, his stomach was already ravenous. When he saw this large plate of bright cherries, Zachary...
Taylor's stomach growled involuntarily, and the feeling of hunger became more intense. He had already drank a pot of milk just now, and Zachary Taylor no longer cared about his image. He directly reached out and brought the whole plate of cherries in front of him and devoured it.
and started eating.
Not only did this cherry look red and attractive, it also tasted really sweet and juicy. Zachary Taylor quickly devoured the large plate of cherries, then put down the plate with satisfaction and leaned back on the sofa.
He was breathing comfortably on his back.
Comfortable!
Zachary Taylor was indeed comfortable at this moment, but soon he couldn't feel comfortable anymore.
Later that day, his stomach started rumbling, followed by severe abdominal pain.
Alexander S. Wotherspoon, the president's health physician in the White House, quickly arrived to examine him, and finally diagnosed his illness as cholera and gave him calomel and opium.
The next day, President Zachary Taylor's condition not only improved greatly, but he was also able to handle some important matters.
However, the president's doctors soon realized the seriousness of the problem because they were unable to explain and stop the president's rising body temperature.
On July 8, doctors reported that the president had a high fever and was in serious condition.
Although Zachary Taylor had estimated that he would never recover, he still survived the night with the perseverance unique to a soldier.
On July 9, Zachary Taylor felt the bad condition of his body and realized that his life was in danger and he might not be able to survive the night.
Lying on the hospital bed, with a pale face and a strange blush, Zachary Taylor used his last strength to say his last words that night.
"I am about to die, and I look forward to God's call as soon as possible. I have faithfully performed all my duties to the best of my ability, and I have a clear conscience. My only regret is that I will have to leave my friends."
After saying this, Zachary Taylor couldn't help but picture the faces of Victor and James. When these two brats left, they said they were destined to meet again. It seems that there is no such fate in this life. Then
See you in the next life!
Amid a burst of noisy screams, Zachary Taylor's vision gradually turned dark, his thoughts gradually became blurred, and he finally lost consciousness completely.