Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-08-20
The President aud Col. Myers

marked upon this very peculiar ransaeuon-ano looAs
ike An effort to divert public attention from the real
i.sue. So far as the Wbig is concerned, We can
dDoss Of the SsafHsrs 81 ieissue so easily thai the
brief space may be ably spared for the unmporAnt
purpose. We expressed opinion, IN the article 70
which the Sentinel il replying, as to Ooiohei myers
merits or dement's There was, therefore no lnconS1
tspey with any article in which these had been can
vsssad- We spoke Of tie opinion entertained oy Co'-
-, oF the .. fidelity" liability" and good conduct
Of ,b.. officer. We said nothing of our opinion be-
,rs, that was imnateriaL The Sentinel, therefore,
,s or what is worse, misuses words, IN is enor 10
, inconsistency on our part. But If 1t were other
80 !, would in no way affect the case Il makes no
5s,repos what We may have thought, or may now
,hink Of Colonel Myers official conduct and comps
-, The Prssiden. must have been fully satisfied Of
nj. s,nsss for the Office, Or have right TO Pc
anne he ,ould not have a?pon ed him. and continued
hin, in Office for so long perOd-eVen cOntinu Nc bin
there nearly Ave months after the passage OF the Law,
,,,b he now cons,rue5 as requiring his removal E'i'
asnuy it was not bee use the President conceded with
,sr,,in newspapers that Colonel Myers removed,
,s the removal would have been made at the me they
;oduI,sd their criticisms. The attempt made by the
S,tin,l therefore to raise differences to Colonel 8
,smpt 10 sustain the President By very cbliQue ard
Questionable mode Of defence, where If all we're right
We should LOOK only for frank statement and fair argu'
ment.
Having blown away this little cloud OF DUST raised by
tho Sentinel to cover the real case-the corpus deeti-
t "a look at the actual matter This Is an Gir which,
# We do no. greatly mistake, viii not end with news
uaper DISCUSSION. 1t will come before other tribunals,
sod involve other agencies than editorial diSputa-
ton Il is important therefore, that the people should
understand Il correctly in the outset Colonel Myers
removed for no fault fOuSd BY the President with his
oc;s csnduc but ostenfbly and aTOWedly I've do not
saw r,alv) because such removal required by Jaw.
The order BY which it done begins with these
words: "Uader the set Of Congress- approved March
2oth 1868 &c, &C." The President would have the
country bel eve that is by virtue Of this Law, BY force
of it, provisions and in compliance with its require
ments, the removal is made. We might show, if it we're
necessary that the President knew that this law
designed 70 accomplish eIscly opposite purpose
that be knew thiz only from the open and published
debates of the two Houses on the several occasions
uhep the bill and former Of like purpose we're
der consideration Of Congress bat also from eIplAnA
lions and statements made TO him personally by mem
bers interested in ia passage; ald huAy, with
quivocal aud indispuable certainty, he knew il from
written paper signed if misinformed By a
majority Of The Members Of Congress and delivered 70
him Its ye,y clear that the President knew that in
Lot giving Colonel Myers the benefit OF this Act he vas
going exactly counter their expectation and flying
directly in the face Of their purpose. The singular &C.
ton be has taken is then not in accordance. Eat in
precise discOrdAnee si,h the spirit and Sssgn of the
L; L. IN 18th
pusOn Of is requirements Ii So the President may
Be held not Ouly OF SCI Of Wauton aud cruel
iGlstos to Colonel Myers, but Of PAlPAbe defiance
and contempt of coordinate department Of the Gov
eminent, never equAled before this continent nor
appgo1imAted in monSrchSAl England even, since the
last royal bsbsadai. Let see.
The 26,h day Of February, 1861, the President Gp-
proved Law creA ing "QuartermAster Generals De-
parmsnt" and providing that il 'shAl consist Of
ouartermaster General Nth the rank Of Colonel six
Quartsrmas,srs with the rank Of Asor &C, &C." This
Law was modified on the l4sh Of March, BY amend
rnent providing that there should be Assistant Quar-
termaser General with the rank Of LeuLCOlons four
with the rank Of Major, &c.
Thus vas the once Of QuartermAster General first
created. and then modihed-AS at other times, and
especially By the AnsndAtory Of the goth March last
Il WAS again MODIFIED
And here We desire % impress distinctly the reader
the separate functions Of the Legislative and Executive
Departments Of the Government It is the duty Of Con-
Rress 70 create Ocss prescribe their duties AID
sponsbilities sz their pay &c. This duty belongs
cusvey to Congress and the power to execute never
passes from their hands is fully discharged,
since il is Just as competent for Congress TO modify al
ter and amend day, year, fifty years after it
was for them originally to The duty Of the EI
eeutve is after cfea has been created TO nominate
and by aud with the advice and Of the Senate
appoint, some 10 fill it. Aud this duty Of the Pres
dent being performed is fully executed and discharged
and the power becomes deunct in his hands until
eaney arises in legitimate way when il revVes and
he may again nominate aud appoint.
In the case under consideration Congress created an
Office or department. namely, .he Department Of Quar-
tsrmas or General and'called the President to nom-
nate an officer, namely, Qu4r;ernaster General This
the President did and therein fully executed and parted
with his power in the matter until vacancy might oc
cur. Blu. the power Of Congress, being a continuing
and abiding one alter, modify, abolish the office
at their discretion, was no. parted vithand could be
again exercised whenever il seemed good to thsm.-
They had created and partially provided the machinery
Of the Office on the 2sth Of February 1861. They had
altered that machinery, to some extent
on the l4th March of the same year They had at
Ous other later periods egsAted with reference the
Office, its conditions, duties, nOds opsrad a.. Their
last act modifying certain conditions and incidents of
the ofbOs the one passed last March. The
legislative power going all the time as to the
oHice, and being employed whenever there was occA
ion but the Executive power nOn-existent because
he ONCE was filed and there nothing on which
could be employed.
The officer vas the Qsartsrn,as,y General. Congress
I'D so named and styled him. The President had BY
aas title nominated him. The Senate had By 1hGt title