Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-08-14
The President and the Secretary of
War.

SIR Public considerations of high
character constrain me to say that your
ignati0nas Secretary of War will be accept
ed Very respectfully,
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Hon. EDWIN NJ STANTON, Secretary of War
To which the Secretary replied
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, Aug 5, 1867.
SIR Your note Of this date has been re-
ceivcd, stating that public considerations Of
a irh character constrain you to say that my
resignation as Secretary of War will be ae-
ccpted- In reply. have the honor to say
that public considerations of a high charac-
ter, which have alone induced me to continue
az the head of this Department, constrain me
not to resign the Office of Secretary of Wai
before the next meeting of Congress
Very respectfully yours,
EDWIN NJ STANTON.
10 the President.
This correspondence is concise and laconic.
None Of it could be rejected as surplusage.
:. Public considerations of high character
constrained - both officials. So far
doubtedly both have acted within the law
The President has an unquestioned right to
ask any official To resign. The official has
indisputable right to refuse to grant the
request. The question which now furnishes
material for any quantity of speculations
and rumors is What next?
One wise correspondent telegraphs to the
newspaper, which keeps him at Washington
to furnish it with sensational prophecies.
that President johnson is Disguised with an
office to which so little respect is paid, and
in which he is so comparatively powerless,
and has expressed a determination to
resign the presidency. The same brilliant
genius will undoubtedly inform the public
tomorrow, that Mr.. johnson concluded has
to commit hari-kari. If johnson should
resign the people would try and get along
without him, although it would be quite
impossible to fill the Office with just such
another - Noses But there is no more
probability of his resigning than of his behav
ing with becoming propriety in his position :
and. unfortunately for the country. it can
hope for neither of these happy events.
Another correspondent wisely hints that
Mr. Stanton will revise his decision, and will
accc1e TO the Presidents wish for vacancy
in the War Department No facts have been
presented to support this speculation, and
its exceeding improbability is all the foun-
dation there is for the story Many of these
rumor-circulatOrs prophesy by contraries-
and as they desire to startle the public they
fJrctell what there is not the least reason t.
expect Mr.. Stanton will not now resign in
any event.
Probably the President has not vet con-
Guided what course he Will pursue Mr.
stanton has put him in an exceedingly awk-
ward position. If the President had supposed
he had the right to remove him, he would
never have asked him to resign, and this
request is therefore an acknowledgment that
he understands the civil tenure law as pro-
hibiting him for removing Cabinet officer
during the recess Of Congress. Some ingeni-
Gus hair-splitters endeavor to prove that the
law does not apply to the case of Cabi-
net officer appointed by former President.
but if Mr.. johnson and his advisers had so
construed it they would not have gone
through the form of desiring a resignation
1t does not follow, to be sure, that the Presi-
dent may not now attempt to remove him. as
Mr.. johnson does n allow his conduct to be
governed by the rules Of consistency: and
Mr. Stanton's short, sharp and decisive refu-
sal may sting President not remarkable for
amiability into a proceeding which he has
cenfessed to be unlawful. The delay, how
ever, to attempt Mr.. Stanton removal since
this correspondence TRANSFERRED. is the highest
evidence that he is quite undecided what to
do
We can see but two courses open to the
President. He can suffer what he can't help.
and leave Mr. Stanton in the War Depart
ment. holding few official relations with
him possible, not inviting him to cabinet
meetings, and generally ignoring him or he
can attempt to suspend the Secretary for
the performance Of his official duties on the
feigned charge of official misconduct, putting
some one in his place until the next session
of Congress The civil-tenure act gives the
President power to suspend an officer for mis-
conduct in his office, and report the case will
his reasons to the Senate when it convenes
If the Senate approves the action it becomes
valid, otherwise the suspended officer is re-
stored to his place. 1t is by no means i'm
probable that Mr.. johnson will resort to THU
course to temporarily get rid of an officer
who Is directly in his way in all his attempts
TO nullifv the reconstruction laws of the
country
We have not had the greatest admiration
for Mr.. Stanton He has, apparently a
several important periods in the politica
commissions of the past two years. been nei
Their for the President nor against him, Blu
inclined to so far favor the conservative pol
icy as to keep his seat in the cabinet. w
can imagine that in this he might have beer
actuated by public considerations of higl
character" deeming it better for the radica
policy of reconstruction that it should hav,
a secret friend, than an open enemy in tn
War Office By SO far apparently favorin,
the President as to avoid an open collisio,
with him, he doubtless secured himsel
against removal until the civil tenure Law
was passed, which put it out of the powe
of Mr.. johnson to remove him and it ha
been evident enough since that time that b.
has been no friend of the conservative-rebel
johnson style of reconstruction. If this j
the true Interpretation of his political cours
it is probable the country owes to this double
facedness decided benefit; yet we cannot
after all, have much admiration for the du
plicity through which the good has bees
reached Mr.. Webster staid in Presiden