No need to stop at the white house at the posted coordinates; there's nothing there, not even a specter. Solve the ensuing puzzle, using a mix of commonly used cipher substitutions, if you want to make a find and perhaps learn a bit about our nation’s history. So here we go...
The initial Constitution of the United States was comprised of seven articles to provide the national framework of government. Its first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the Presidency (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III).
Article II addresses the original line of succession to the presidency and it states:
In case of the removal of the president from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the vice president, and the congress may by law provide for the case of removal, death, resignation or inability, both of the president and vice president, declaring what officer shall then act as president, and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a president shall be elected.
This provision is ambiguous as to whether, in the enumerated circumstances, the vice president becomes the president, or merely assumes the "powers and duties" of the presidency. It also did not define what constitutes inability, or how questions concerning inability are resolved. This created uncertainty about what to do when “Tippecanoe”, our country’s first loss of a president, died 31 days into his term. A debate ensued as to whether “Tyler Too” was to act as president until a special election was held or if he actually became the president, serving out Tippecanoe’s term. In the end, he served out the term and set a precedent as what to do when the president could no longer serve, even though it was not well supported by the Constitution.
To address the deficiencies regarding presidential succession and disabilities, the Twenty-fifth Amendment was added to the Constitution. It clarifies that the vice president becomes president (as opposed to acting president) if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office; and establishes procedures for filling a vacancy in the office of the vice president and for responding to presidential disabilities. The Twenty-fifth Amendment was adopted on February 10, 1967, so Richard Nixon’s resignation was the first devolution of the presidency to the vice president that is well supported by the Constitution.
This cache honors the Whigs, Republicans, and Democrats who gave the last days of their lives serving our country as president. Solve this puzzle to find a place where you can pay your respects, if you care to do so.
So, who died and made you boss,
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Theodore Roosevelt? plus the caliber of the murder weapon, plus the first letter of the city where he was killed, minus the last letter of the assassin’s last name.
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Lyndon B. Johnson? plus his home state, plus the first letter of the accused assassin's first name, minus the second letter of the city where the murder occurred.
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Chester A. Arthur? plus the last letter in the assassin’s first name.
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Millard Fillmore? minus the month of death.
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Andrew Johnson? plus the first letter of the assassin’s middle name, plus the caliber of the murder weapon, plus the penultimate letter of his political party’s name.
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Gerald Ford?
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Harry S. Truman? minus his home state, minus the fourth letter of the town where he died.
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John Tyler? minus the number of letters in his political party’s name, minus the last letter of the diagnosis of the official cause of death.
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Calvin Coolidge? plus the sum of the digits of the year of his death.
You may find GZ a bit jumpy on your detection device for the high power emanating from this office; however, it's an easy spot once you're there. Good luck!
Congratulations go to FTFer Molecular Hoopala for a search reminiscent of the night search by Young Frankenstein and Igor. At least it wasn't raining!