The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-12-19


tecutive branch Of the Government 10
reorganize State governments which
had been In rebellion, without the aid
OF Congressfn He answered. -siN one,
whatever. Ihad, myself, entertained
no doubt OF the authority OF the PreSI-
dent to take measures for the oreaniza-
tlon OF the rebel States on the plan pro-
posed during the vacation OF Congress,
and agreed In the plan specified In the
proclamation In the case of North Car
ollna."
In regard to the New orleans riots
the President makes some very point
dstatementsi in relation to Mr., stanton,
which II not met and rsfuted can not
help seriously impairiug the latter's
standing before the country. We
quote from that portion OF the recent
message of the President to the Senate,
as follows:
"The sanguinary riot which occurred
In the city OF New Orleans on the 3Oth
OF August, 1865, justly aroused public
indignation and public Inquiry, not
only as to those who were engaged In IL
but as to those who, more or less re-.
motely, might be held to responsibility
for It's occurrence. need not remind
the Senate Of the effort made to tix that
responsibility on the President. The
charge was openly made, and again
and again reiterated all through the
land, that the President was warned In
time, but refused 20 interfere.
By telegrans from the Lieutenant
Governor and Attorney General Of
Louislann, dated the 9th and 2sth OF
August, was advised that q body OF
delegates, claiming TO be constitution.
al convention, were about 10 assemble
In New Orleans; that the mater was
before the grand jury, but'thatit II would
be impossible TO execute civil process
without a riot, and this qucstion was
asked: as the military to interfere to
prevent process OF Gourtf"- This aues.
tton was asked at time when the civil
courts were In the full exercise of their
authority, and the answer sent by tele.
graph, on the same 2Sth OF August, was
this: "The military will be expected to
sustain, and not interfere with the nro,
ceedings OF the courts"
On the same 2Sth Of August the fol.
lowing telegram WIS sent 20 Mr.. Stan.
ton, by Major General Baird, then Tow.
Ing to the absence Of General SheridAnl
In command OF the military at New
Orleans:
Hon. Edwin NJ. Stanton, Secretary
OF ofWar;-Conventlon has been called,
with the sanction OF Governor Wells,
to meet here on Monday. The Lieuten.
ant Governor and city authorities think
II unlawful, and propose to break It MP
by arresting the delegates. l have
given no orders on the subject, but
have. warned tue parties that I could
not countanance or permit such action
without Instruction 10 that effect from
the President. Please Instruct me al
once by telegraph Ep
The 18th OF August was on Saturday,
The next morning, the 29th, this dis.
patch was received by Mr.. Stanton at
his residence In this city. He took no
| action on II, and neither sent instruc.
tions to General Baird himself nor
presented II TO me for such instructions.
On the next day Monday the riot oc.
Cured. never saw this dispatch
from General Baird until some ten days
or two weeks after the riot, when, upon
my call for all the dispatches, with
view TO their publication, Mr.. Stanton
sent 1t TO me. These facts all appear In
the testimony of Mr.. Stanton before the
Judiciary Committee In the lmpeach.
ment investigation.
There is this 10 be said about the
above statements from Mr.. johnson:
Mr.. Stanton may innocently enough
have Withheld the dispatches alluded
to. Eodoubt he often failed to send
up dispatches to the President, It being
both his disposition and his habit to do
great deal OF i'm portant business on
bis own responsibility. But the iea.
ture Of the OGense for which the coun.
try will Judge him harshly Ia, that he
failed to assume the responsibility at.
ter the riot occuped. and permitted The
world TO suppose that the blame rested
exclusively upon the President. Had
Mr.. Stanton at once caused the public
to know that the fault, 40 far US there
was any, was hls own, then bis record
In the transaction would have present.
ed different aspect. is, he hns
seemed to forfeit his claims upon tho
popular respect as fair minded and
fair dealing official. or course MIR,
Stanton could not know beforehand
that riot was To occur NJ New Orleans
bat, after 1t occurred, he could not bel y
knowing how far he himself was rS.
sponsible for the failure to answer
Gen. BRlrd's dispatch. tl..
The country can never afford 10 for.
get Mr.. Stanton's great services M u
War Minister. Since the days of Car.
not, said Mr.. Seward during the rebel.
lIon, no Minister has organized war so
foEmIdably and successfully M MIR.
Stanton, Tint WIS Il compliment that
thepubllc, even after properly discount.
Ing Mr.. Stewards pronenes to rhetofl.
cal tiattery, accepted M well deserved.
viii all his axtravagance, all his p6r.
verSIty, all his bitter preiudlces, all hIR
unscrupulousness, In some senses OF
that word, II IL no where charged to.
day that Mr.. s,hntou'S hands werO
ever attained by fraud or corruption,
That is u great thing. In this ago Of the
world, to Say abouta man whose aIg.
nature dIsbnrS"d hundreds Of millions
OF dollars. 'f
And yet while suCh u compliment
can bo paid Mr.. Stanton, tho recent
message OF the President, backed up as
II is In one Of ita Important statements
by Mr.. Stantons own evidence, goes