Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-09-04

What, than those Of the Commsnder.in-
Chief Of the army and navy? What,
than the power Of ~sdjourning Congress?
Congress could not make General
GRANT independent or beyond the
control, in any way, Of the President.
They could not dlsenable the President
70 order him TO any point he may please.
They could not require the President to
issue sl orders through him. All such
legislation is sheer ursupation.
The reconstruction act places the
subjugated States under the military
authority Of the United States. 1t is but
an impudent lie to say that Congress has
taken the five generals and made them
ia agents, to govern their districts,
They command as military officers. As
such, they are necessarily subject to the
orders and under the supervision Of Gen.
eral GRANT; and he under those of the
President, coming 70 him direct, or
through the Secretary Of War. Al the
acts of General GRANT are subject to the
supervision Of the President. The Cen
ersl must obey, and cannot even resign
without the Presidents consent. He is
in no sense the Presidents adviser, and
has no right to volunteer his opinion on
any subject, or 70 demonstrate against an
order, except as a commander Of a divis-
sion might, receiving what he deemed an
unwise order from the commander Of his
corps. He would delay obedience at the
risk Of his commission, or perhaps Of his
head.
General IGRANT might very properly
be consulted by the President, in respect
to the detailing OF officers for special
service or commands. All orders for this
purpose ought, by the rules Of the service,
to go through him. He is supposed to be
better acquainted with the needs Of the
service and the peculiar qualifications Of
officers, than the President. When con-
suited, he has the right, Of course,
respectfully to offer his advice. But
when the order is given, be must obey.
We do not suppose that he ever dreamed
OF not obeying the orders transferring
SHERIDAN and SICKLEs. He is Acting
Secretary Of War, also, and the COnsti-
tuition authorizes the President to require
his opinions in writing.
1t seems that he demonstrated against
the removal Of STANTON, that Sg0Hus
Of the War Office. We DO not imagine
that he volunteered to de so, by virtue Of
any supposed right in himself as General
to tender his advice Unasked for. We
suppose that the President, proposing to
appoint him to be Secretary for the time,
took steps to ascertain whether he would
accept, and the General, in reply, by a
private letter, advised him not to remove
STANTON. The letter vas unquestionably
respectful one for it gave the President
no offence. The public has no business
to see the letter, any more than any
other private letter from gentleman
to another; and that pimp to the private
curiosity Of the ~pOpnlaee, the Northern
press, has not succeeded in procuring it
for publication.
The Presidents reply to the Generals
letter advising against the transfer Of
SHERIDAN, may have ELECTED aresponse
from the General. If it did, We have not
seen it. At AIl events, the order issued.
1t, snd the subsequent one placing Gen
eraI HANCOCK in command Of the Fifth
Military District, ike that replacing
SICKLEs with General CANBY, directed
the officers thus placed in command to
execute the acts Of Congress. General
GRANT undertook to direct General HAN
COCK not to appoint to office any person
removed by SHERIDAN, perhaps not to
undo any Of his sets. The question Of
his right to do this, Independently Of
Presidential control, seems to have been
discussed between himself and the Presi-
dent: and he, satisfied of his error, has
had leave TO withdraw his letter in re-
spect 10 the order to General HANCOCK.
We presume that he yielded, on finding
himself in the wrong, in that spirit which
should actuste an officer and a gentle
man. But it has suited the papers to
make 8 sensation, and they succeeded in
MAKING q mud4I