The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-02
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Cause Of the Defects or the Recon-
stTuCttOn Acts.

WASHINGTON, Sept. l.-Some of the papers,
in copying and commenting on the dispatches
regarding the defects in the last Supplementary
Reconstruction acts, undertake To correct your
correspondent by attributing such defects to the
% conservatism Oh tne senate, instead OF TO hasty
every one who was here during the session
knows better. The so-called Conservatism
of the Senate" expressed itself in doubts
as to the constitutional power of Congress
to prohibit the President from removing
the military commanders, and to this
the House yielded. But the chief de-
feet in the law, which is the limited power
result of rushing the bill tbroneh the SlinG
manipulations OF Conference Committee.
Every one present will remember the lorcible
appeals OF Mr.. Schofeld, of Pennsylvania,
against sending the bill TO a Conference Com.
mittee, whose report must necessarily be voted
on blindly, and the result has shown the wis
dom of his position. Congress assembled under
the whip and spur of Stanberrys opinion,
which had just declared that there was no
power in the law authorizing military COM
manders TO make removals. "Well," said Con-
gress II It be not there let's put it there" And
General Grant the same power"-which they
did-and stopped just short of the mark. A
section of three lines, investing General Grant
with all the powers conferred upon the district
commanders, would have effected more than
the three whole sections which 1t took to give
him the power TO make and unmake office
holders. But l remember an incident which
helps to explain this shortsightedness in part.
at that time many Republicans hadn't much
faith in General Grant, and a prominent Sena-
tor said to me, We put Grant in the bill, so If
chance to show It,"
Another point some of the papers entirely
overlook. They say If Grant has not sufficient
power under the acts he liz General-in- Chief,
and his subordinates must obey the orders he
may issue, Equally, in this sense, is General
Grant the Presidents subordinate, and he must
obey all his orders, though they may overrule
everything he does.
II would be the height OF folly to undertake
to contradict or refute a tithe of the misstate-
ments and gross exaggerations that nave been
inspired at the White House during the last
flan sNaVaoa and In
views between the President and General
Grant. Yet some OF them are so utterly devoid
of truth, and yet SO ingenlously stated, that
they may possibly be credited In questions
where their source and subject are not
fully understood. In one of these, ac-
pleading the yellow fever as a reason
why General Hancock should not be sent
10 New Orleans, and as failing to make that OBJ
lection wnen the assignment of Gen. Thomas
was under consideration The facts simply are,
that when the President broached the subject
OF changing commanders of the Fifth District,
General Grant urged this as one Of the incl
dental objections, and sent TO the President
which ne recommended that officers on leave
at that time be permit ted to remain away, as
the presence of unacclimated persons would
tend TO greatly increase the mortality. This Is
all there Is of that story. Other points are
equally untrue. Where the President is repre-
sehted as lntlmatlng TO General Grant Lhat
his letter smacked of characterization, and
that the latter attempted 10 apologize, and
where also, the President is represented as
telling General Grant that IL every order he
should issue should provoke from him politi-
cal essay, affairs must come 10 a stand still, IL
must oe understood that the President made
such remarks TO the correspondent who gives
the account OF the interview. He never said
any such thing 10 General Grant. In concu-
sion, the last interview on the Hancock. .Sheri-
dan order was sought by the President, II there
was any seeking about it, During this Inter
view General Grant told the President that he
considered the injunction of privacy removed
from MS letter on the removal OF Secretary
Stanton.
Senator Cameron, of Pennsylvania, had a
lengthy interview with General Grant yester-
day, during which the latter is reported To have
expressed decidedly radical sentiments.-N' u
Times.
The Presidents Despatch.
The recent order Of General Grant that "Dis-
trlcG commanders viii make no appointment
10 civil ohce OF persons who have been removed
py themselves or their predecessors In COM
manu," does not make new issue between
Seneral Grant and the President. There is
GOOD authority for asserting that the rumors OF
ulmcuities having occurred on this subject are
groundless. The Reconstruction act vests IN
the General commanding the armies the same
powers as are conferred upon District Coul-
manders, in regard TO removals and appoint
ments, and, therefore. the order Of General
Grant Is considered merely as a notice in ad-
vance that he would disapprove OF such ap'
polnlment as he indicates.--N Y. Tribune
DEAD LIoN.-The lioness which wounded
M Batty, and led TO general order Of the