 On October 5 , Secretary of State Robert Lansing was the first official to propose that Marshall forcibly assume the presidency . Other cabinet secretaries backed Lansing 's request , as did Congressional leaders , including members of both the Democratic and Republican parties who sent private communications to Marshall . Marshall was cautious in accepting their offers of support . After consulting with his wife and his long @-@ time personal adviser , Mark Thistlethwaite , he privately refused to assume Wilson 's duties and become Acting President of the United States . The process for declaring a president incapacitated was unclear at that time , and he feared the precedent that might be set if he forcibly removed Wilson from office . Marshall wanted the president to voluntarily allow his powers to devolve to the vice president , but that was impossible given his condition and unlikely given Wilson 's dislike for Marshall . Marshall informed the cabinet that the only cases in which he would assume the presidency were a joint resolution of Congress calling on him to do so , or an official communication from Wilson or his staff asserting his inability to perform his duties . 
