The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-08-30

AACAutiC"iu& " ItCA run u CcauCue YIN
SON to Gena GRANT, giving his reasons for
removing &c NJ SHERIDAN from thelcom4
mand Of Ionisana, will be read with in
tstsss. daeI ai8auoss0I tsea itstssz 81 hal.s
tsom s.i' gisisee Executive Mansion, 1Ie
eh w ashington, ID. O., Aug. 19i 1915
GENERAL - have received your com,
munication of the 7th instant, and thank
you for. the promptness with which you
hayc submitted your views respecting the
assignments, directed Ia my order of that
date. When / stated in my official note Of
the 18th that 1 would be pleased to hear
any, suggestions You might deem necessary
upon the subject, it was not MY intention
to ask from you a formal report, but rather
to ihyite a verbal statement Of any reasons
affecting the public interests, which in.your
opinion, would render the order 'inexpedi-
ent. 1nasmneh, however, as. you have an
swpred in a written communicatiofi, il lis
proper that should make some reply. ~
You earnestly urge that the order be not
insisted on. remarking that it is ':.unmis-
takably the expressed wish Of the country.
that Gen. Sheridan should not BE removed
from his present command. While / am
cognizant Of the efforts that have been made
to retain General Sheridan 10 command of
tie Fifth Military District, I am not aware
that the question has been submitted to the
people themselves for determination. : It
would certainly be unjust to the army to
assume that Ia the opinion of the nation be
alone is capable OF, commanding the states
OF Louisiana and Texas, and, that were he
for any cause removed, no other General
In the military service of the United States
would be competent to gil his place. Gen.
Thomas, whom | have designated as his
successor is well known to the country, hav-
ing won high and honorable distinction in
the field. He has since been charged with
the execution of the responsible duties Of "a
district commander, and exhibited great
ability, sound discretion and Sterling pat
ri6tisfn:.0 He has not failed under the most
trying circumstances to enforce the laws,
to preserve peace and order, to encourage
the restoration OF civil authority, and to
promote, as far as possible; spirit of rec
onciliation. His administration of the De-
partment of the. Cumberland win certainly
compare most favorably with that Of G en-,
Sheridan iq the Fifth Military District ~ !
There, affairs. appear to be in disturbed
to have resulted from Gen. Sheridan's
exceedingly obnoxious by the manner in
conferred by Congress, and still more so by
nor necessary to its faithful and efficient
execution. His rule has in fact been one
of absolute tyranny, without reference to
the principles of our government or the ma
ture of our free institutions. The state of
affairs which has result ID from. the course
he has pursued has seriously interfered
with a harmonious, satisfactory and speedy
execution of the acts Of Congress-, and is
alone sufficient to justify change. Hisre
moYal, therefore, cannot be regarded as an
effort TO defeat the laws of Congress, for
the object is to facilitated their execution
through an officer who has never failed to
obey the law, and to exact within his juris-
diction like obedience from others. Tt
cannot be interpreted by the. unrecon-
structed element Of the south, those who
did all they could to break, up the govern
ment by arms and now wish to be the only
element consulted as to the method of re-
storing order as triumph; !; for as inteli-
gent men they must know that, the mere
change, OF military commanders cannot alter
the law, and that General Thomas will be
as much 6eund by its requirements as Gen
enral Sheridan. It, cannot "embolden
them to renewed opposition to the will of
the loyal masses, believing that they have
the Executive with them," for they are
perfectly familiar with the iantecedents of
the President, and know that he has not
obstructed the faithful execution of any
law of Congress. 80
No one, as you are aware. has higher
appreciation than myself Of the services Of
Gen. Thomas, and no one would be less in
cllned to assign him to a command not en-
tirely to his wishes. Knowing him as / do
| cannot think he viii hesitate for
moment to obey my order, having in view a
complete and speedy restoration of the
Union, in the preservation Of which he has
rendered such important and valuable
service. Gen. Hancock is known to the
whole country as gallant, able and patri-.
otic soldier, and will, / have no doubt. sus7
tain his high reputation in any position to.
which he may be assigned, IF, as you OBJ
serve, the department. which he viii have
is complicated one, / feel confident that
under the guidance and instruction Of Gen.
Sherman, Gen. Sheridan will soon become
familiar with its necessities, aud will avail
himself Of the opportunity afforded by the
Indian trouble for the display Of the en-
ergy. enterprise and daring which gave
him SO enviable o reputation during the re-,
cent civil struggle. La assuming that. it is,
the expressed wish Of the people that G en-,
Sheridan should not be removed from his
present command, you remark that this is
republic, based, however, on written
constitution. That constitution is the COM.
bined and expressed will Of the people,
and their voice is law, when reflected in
the manner which that instrument pre-
seribes While one of its provisions makes
the President .Commander-in-C Chief of the
army and navy, another requires that he
shall take care that the, laws be faithfully
executed. Believing that change ri coin
mand of the 9th military district is absoG
lntely necessary for faithful execution of
the Law, I have issued the order which is
the subject, of this correspondence. In
thus exercising a power that inheres in the
Commander-in Chief of the afny and navy
am. discharging duty required of me by
tn will of the nation, as formally declared
in the supreme law Of the land. By bis
oath the executive is solehin1y bound, to
the best of his ability, TO preserve, protect
and defend the constitution, aud although
! /, Of = L L