From January to May 1850, Congress debated whether to implement slavery in the new lands. It was one of the most famous debates in American history.
Some members of Congress attended the meeting with weapons. They sometimes fought at the meeting. The intensity of the struggle was evident.
The Southern Congress planned to hold a Southern Congress in June. The southern states had the potential to secede from the Union.
At this critical period, Zachary Taylor did not compromise on both sides. Instead, he firmly stated his position.
He made it clear in a speech that he would keep his promise in the election, maintain political independence, and not be a nominal president of a party.
Although he was a southerner and owned many slaves, he advocated maintaining the unity of the Union for the sake of the national interest.
Zachary Taylor proposed that the existing state of slavery in the country could be maintained, but the expansion of slavery to new areas was prohibited.
He suggested that California and other places be admitted to the Union as free states as soon as possible. He also vowed that if necessary, "he would personally lead the army" to use force to maintain the unity of the Union.
Although Zachary Taylor's attitude was firm, at that time, the southern slave owners had already united. If the federal government took strong military measures, the American Civil War was likely to break out immediately.
At this time of national crisis,
On July 4, 1850, Zachary Taylor attended the Independence Day celebration in Washington.
The commemorative event was held outdoors. He, who was born in the army, listened to more than two hours of patriotic speeches under the scorching sun and did not leave early. After the rally, he walked under the strong sun and walked alone for a long time.
When he returned to the White House, Zachary Taylor felt thirsty and hungry.
"This damn weather! There are no clouds at all! "
As Zachary Taylor complained, he took off his suit jacket and vest and pulled off the bow tie on his collar. In an instant, he changed from a well-dressed president to a disheveled old general. The only difference was that his clothes were cleaner and he was not as sloppy as when he was in the army.
Zachary Taylor sat down on the sofa and felt thirsty. At the same time, his stomach was already rumbling with hunger.
"Hurry up and give me something to eat! And water! "
President Taylor's request was quickly conveyed.
The waiter at the White House brought him a pot full of iced milk and a large plate of bright red cherries.
This made the hungry and thirsty Zachary Taylor's eyes light up. He looked at the young waiter with approval.
It was rare for him to be so perceptive!
After standing under the sun for so long in a full suit, Zachary Taylor was already unbearably hot. Although he had taken off his jacket and vest, the shirt inside had long been soaked in sweat and clung tightly to his body, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. However, he couldn't care less about that at this moment. Seeing the waiter put the tray on the table and poured him a glass full of milky white iced milk from the gorgeous silver pot, Zachary Taylor couldn't wait to reach out and pick up the glass, tilting his head back and drinking it in big gulps.
As the cold milk entered his stomach, Zachary Taylor felt a cooling sensation from his mouth all the way to his stomach. Although the surface of his body was still hot, his insides were much more comfortable.
However, Zachary Taylor wasn't satisfied. Seeing that the waiter was about to pour more milk for him, Zachary Taylor couldn't wait any longer. He reached out and took the silver pot from the waiter's hand. Without using the cup, he placed the pot's mouth against his mouth and gulped down the milk.
Zachary Taylor felt the cold milk sliding through his mouth and esophagus all the way to his stomach. He felt indescribably carefree, and the heat in his body was reduced by a lot under this cooling sensation.
Zachary Taylor, who was drinking the iced milk, didn't notice the sneer and coldness in the eyes of the young waiter standing respectfully beside him.
Putting down the empty silver pot, Zachary Taylor let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, he wasn't as hot and thirsty as he was at the beginning. But when he put down the milk pot, his gaze fell on the large plate of bright red cherries on the tray again.
Although this pot of iced milk made him less thirsty and relieved the heat in his body, his stomach was already rumbling with hunger. At this time, when he saw the large plate of bright and juicy cherries, Zachary Taylor's stomach couldn't help but growl. The feeling of hunger became even stronger. Zachary Taylor, who had just gulped down a pot of milk, didn't care about his image anymore. He reached out and took the entire plate of cherries in front of him, wolfing them down.
Not only were the cherries red and alluring, but they were also sweet and juicy when eaten. Zachary Taylor quickly finished the entire plate of cherries. Only then did he put down the plate in satisfaction. He leaned back on the sofa and panted contentedly.
Comfortable!
Zachary Taylor was indeed comfortable at this moment. But soon, he couldn't feel comfortable anymore.
Later that day, his stomach began to growl, followed by severe pain in his abdomen.
In the White House, the president's health care physician, Alexander S. Wasserspoon, quickly rushed over to examine him. Finally, he 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 affairs.
However, the president's doctors soon realized the seriousness of the problem because they couldn't explain or stop the president's rising temperature.
On July 8th, the doctors reported that the president had a high fever and was in serious condition.
Although Zachary Taylor already estimated that he couldn't recover, he still endured through the night with the perseverance of a soldier.
On July 9th, Zachary Taylor felt his body's terrible condition and realized that his life was in danger. It was likely that he wouldn't be able to survive the night.
Lying on the hospital bed, Zachary Taylor's face was pale with a strange blush. Using the last of his strength, he said his last words that night.
"I'm probably going to die. I'm waiting for God to summon me as soon as possible. I've been faithfully doing my best to fulfill all my duties. I have a clear conscience about this. My only regret is that I have to leave my friends. "
After saying this, Zachary Taylor couldn't help but think of the faces of Viktor and James. When the two brats left, they said that they would meet again if fate brought them together. It seemed that there was no such fate in this life. Then let's meet again in the next life!
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
