Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-08-08
Secretary Stanton's Removal from
the Cabinet.

Almost monthly since the day when
Andrew Johnson was elevated to the
Chief Magistraey of the nation by the
bullet of the assassin has the rumor
come to us from the seat OF the national
government, that Secretary Stanton was
about to resign his position as Secretary
of War in the Great Directors Cabinet q
course which it was hoped he would not
see fit to take,-hoped he would not SIS
all loyal men had learned to love him in
view of the untiring efforts put forth by
him, under the lamented Lincoln, to put
down the Shareholders rebellion, which
was at it's height when the martyr Presi
dent selected him to fill the responsible
position of Secretary of War, when that
good man called him to the head Of
bureau, which, after looking over our
land of statesmen, and consulting with
his State advisers, he deemed Mr.. Stan
ton the best fitted of all our eminent
men for the administration of its affairs.
And right worthily did the Secretary fill
the trust assigned to him throughontthe
rebellion and up to the present hour, he
perhaps contributing more than any
other man out of the field to the grand
results which followed the surrender at
Appomattox Court House and Sherman's
march to the sea. No man ever enjoyed
the warm friendship and confidence of
President Lincoln to the time of his death
than did Mr.. Stanton, and probably
no man better merited such friendship.
But when Andrew Johnson was call
ed to the chair of his illustrious prede-
cessor, and entered upon his milk-and-
water policy of reconstruction. Mr.,
Stanton, considering the duties which he
owed to the nation as paramount to
those which he owed to the President at
whose will he held his Office, threw
aside pecuniary considerations, and took
a bold stand in favor of the Congress
sional policy of reconstruction and res
toration, believing that through the
adoption of that policy alone would the
ends for which the war was waged be
achieved and lasting and glorious
peace be consummated. For this course
he has incurred the enmity of the Presi-
dent and his adherents in the Cabinet,
and has frequently signified his intention
to resign, q course which he would pro-
badly ere this have adopted, were it not
that he has frequently been urged and
prevailed upon by leading Republican
Congressman to forego taking the step,
that the interests of the people might at
least be partially considered as long as
one true man remained In the Cabinet.
Johnson would undoubtedly have long
since been pleased to have the Secretary
out of his way, and has left no stone
unturned to provoke him to resigna-
ton, but the head of the War Depart
ment has patiently borne with insult
and torment throughout the present ad-
ministration, until the Executive, see
ing no other way to get rid of him, has
formally requested him to resign, coup
ling the request with the information
that unless the resignation was forth
coming he would remove him, under the
provisions of the tenure of office bill.
This is the last arbitrary act of the
Great Director, and the lesson to be
learned from it is not without its due
share of significance. johnson, in the
result of the Tennessee election, has lost
his last hope, and is determined to re-
move all obstacles which he can that lie
in his way toward impeding the policy
of Congress in the great work Of recon-
structing the States lately in rebellion.
For this reason Secretary Stanton loses
his official head, and in a few days we
expect to hear that the patriotic and in
trepid Sheridan is witout an important
military command. General Grant,
who entertaiDs similar views upon ma
tional questions as Stanton aud Sheri-
dan, would, undoubtedly, share the
same fate as they, did the President