The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-08-21
Documeutary evidence,

The Argus quotes from three provincial jour
nails Of the Republican persuasion to show
that the Radicals are feeling badly over ing
imaginary detection of Gen. Grant, Dut SHOWS
nothing of the kind after all. There is no heeo
IN ,csort IN tbe opinions of the press TOR the
,.,,,no,o Of d;scoverin az what views the Gener-
,etar.,;,, His instructions to the military
afford ample testimony to the po-
,.,;,,I ortbodoxy of his views. Some of the
ss,,nvvnp documents have previously been be-
fore the public, while others have been printed
this week for the first time, They show that
their author is as radical as any one but Wen
cell Phillips could desire The first is a letter
dated May 6, to Gen. Schofield in regard to
the latter's order to the boards of registration
in which Grant says: r'.7s .1c iraat.5 ;
The order seems to me to meet eperv poipt.
and to be good. asked the Secretary of War
TO know II he had any suggestions to offer. He
Sdid thdt ne hdd read the order, and had found
nothing TO suggest in relation to IT, y. 10
The order referred to was a documant in
which Gen. Schoie!d took the ground that
persons applying for registration might be put
upon oath, ard that other witnesses might be
examined for the purpose of discovering the
true history of the applicant. Hence it ap-
pears that on one of the most important cues
tons arising from the construction of the Mill
tary Government bill, Grant certainly was on
the side of Congress. The same fact is also
shown by the following letter to Gen Ord
written June %: eas lo sfas ..,t ,,.'
GENERAL: Copy of your final instructions
to Boards of Registration of June 10, 1867, is
Just received. E1 ~ = =
Ientirely dissent from the views contained
in paragraph Nv. Your view as to the duty OF
Registrars to register every man who will take
the required oath, though they may know the
applicant perfumes himself is sustained by the
views of the Attorney General. Ny opinion
Is, that 1t IS the duty Of the Board of Registra-
trdtaon 10 see, so far as ii lies in their potoer
that no unauthorized person is alloaoed to regis
ter. 10 secure this end, Registrars should be
allowed to administer oaths and examine wit
nesses. The law, however, makes district
commanders their own Interpreters of their
power and duty under it; and in my opinion
| the Attorney General or myself can no more
than giUe our opinion as to the meaning of the
| law; neither can enforce their views against
| the Judgment of those made responsible fol
| the faithful execution of the law, the distric
commanders. ss-. .ss. ..4t.,fs. ......, -.
On the still more important question as t,
| whether the district commanders had power t,
| remove civil officers, he was also opposed t,
the President Gen. Pope had applied to hin
for instructions on this point. Pope's commu
ncation was referred to the Secretary of Wa
by an Endorsements written thereon in whicl
the following paragraph appears - Cd yaft
The conduct of Gov. Jenkins demonstrates
however, how possible it; is for DISCONTINUED
civil officers Of the reconstructed States to de
! feat the tdigS of Congress If the Doaoer does no
ertst aoifh the district commanders to suspent
their functions for cause in some way. II seem
pIna tn ma b<yf he ac - Ill
sfor the more efficient government OF the rebe
Z States" to use or not, at the pleasure OF dis
trict commanders, the provisional machinerl
set Pup Without the authority of Congress in TIL
4 States to which the Reconstruction Act ap
| plies. There being doubt, however, on thi
point, would respectfully ask an early opinion
| on the subject. 7sllt ff.f, rsaffiaa 81 .lstrs
| If the power of removal does not exist will
district commanders, then 1t ,oM become neces
sa'y for them to take refuge under that sectio,
4 si0ns.
| The dispute on these two points occasionet
the special session of Congress, and, from til,
facts we have cited, it is clear that Grant ap
| proved that meeting isao3 9at no NO
There are other letters and dispatches from
Grant that show that his position was identi
calwth that taken by the great body of tn,
loyal men in the country, Upon receipt of tn,
Attorney Generals opinion both Pope an,
Sheridan telegraphed to know whether tn
views expressed therein were binding upo,
them. The reply in both cases was that tn,
opinion had not been promulgated in the form
ofan order and that they were to put their owr
construction upon the law. That he is friendly
to Sheridan cannot be denied while we have
before us the following dispatch to that Gener
al, written soon after the removal of Governor
| Wells:o Ell ifiw dsda aklduts ssste sgt nj n,
| j see dispatch from Washington annoupc
ing that the Secretary of War and myself IA
vored reprimand for your action in removing
the Governor of Louisiana. Twas not even in tn,
city at the time. There is not one ,oord of trait
| in the story. ~ 'ei il -e49ll S3n5o h'iIl o.
What ecfdetce has the Argus to show tina
Grant is friendly to the policy Of the admins
| tration? 3lo4i Gs lHn Il ,uIoif issd sdJ ssaga,
l. ,; 9m0G 077--T = TT--7-7- 777-7-T5 81 fsglf 10