The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-08-29
4ittlu,ond Dispatrh.
20, 1867
The Progress of the Revolution

No wonder gold rises in New York
when General GRANT, whom the Consti-
tuition of the United States makes subject
TO the" commander-in-chief of the army
and navy Of the United States," refuses to
issue the orders which that commander
in-chicf directs him to issue. The letter
which we published yesterday had pre-
pared US for any action which might be
taken by military officer who could de-
clare that the will Of the people is the
supreme law Of the land. 1t appears,
however, that General GRANT has appealed
to the written law, claiming that Congress
has vested the authority in the five MILL
tary districts in himself, and asserting tna'
nc is unwilling to transfer that authority
TO any other person. We Of the South
arc not particularly concerned in this mat
ter. Both the President and General
GRANT agree that VIC are to be ruled by
military authority. We are, therefore,
fatcd to be subject to the military whether
the Presidents or General GRANTS con-
sruction of the law be the true one. We
may, then, without prejudice, say that the
reconstruction act (the last-the one re-
ferred to by General GRANT, does not in
any manner abridge, or attempt to abridge,
the powers conferred upon the President
by the Constitution. The first section de-
carcs that the State governments are SUBJ
iect in all respects to the military COM
manders and to the authority of Congress.
The second declares that the commanders
have full power to remove all State
officers. And the third gives to &C.
neral GRANT the same powers. NO
other section except the tenth touches
these questions, and that merely de-
c,arcs that "no district commander or
"member of the boards Of registration,
cor any of the officers or appointees act
ing under them, shall be bound in his
faction by any opinion mot order, be 1t
observed, but such an 'opinion , as the
Attorney Generals, for instancc] of any
"civil officer of the United States" We
have fairly stated the whole law as it bears
upon the question at issue between the
President and General GRANT. The reader
will see at once that there is no ground for
denying the power Of the President to re-
move any Of the district commanders.
These commanders are army officers, and
the Constitution says:
"Thc President shall be Commander
"in-chef of the Army and Navy of the
"United States"
So that Congress could not have taken
the power from the President if it had
tried, without violating the Constitution.
il 50 happens that THAD. STEVENS has just
written letter in which he declares in SO
many words to his correspondent that
"you mistake in sopposing that there IS any
"iQ,o to prohibit the remoUal Of district
commanders lvHhOW tie consent Of the
".Smate. THAD.'s authority ought to set
tie the question even in General GRANTS
mind. We give the whole letter:
LANCASTER, Pa, August 26, 1867.
Colonel Su7nuel Schoch, Columbia, Pa:
"Dear Sir,-You are right in supposDg
that Congress made mistakes, as is the in
cvitablc lot of man, but you mistake in
surprising that there is any law to pro-
llhiU the removal Of district commanders
without the consent Of the Senate. Soon
after the commencement Of the last SEES
sion of Congress reported bill from the
committee Of the House Of Representa-
tivcs which contained o provision prohibit
al han a
Senate. Itpassed the House and was sent
to the Senate. The Senate struck it out
and returned it to the House, who refused
to concur in the amendment. The result
was Il committee Of conference, where an
animated contest enSued.
"There were several other questions in
controversy between the Houses, which the
House offered to yield if this could be
granted. The Senate persistently refused,
declaring that they would sooner lose the
bill. AS that would Illustrate all our
legislation, it could not be allowed. The
House yielded, with a warning of the evils
it would inhict upon the country. Some
of the members of the Senate seemed to
doubt their power under the Constitution,
which they had just repudiated, and out
side of which all agreed that we were
ton was usurpation or perhaps they had
u desire to be thought gravely conservative
and magnanim0us.
"These ideas seemed to control the &C
ton OF some half dozen senators who pre-
ferred trusting the President. My dear
Colonel, few senators Of great ability,
undoubted patriotism and purity, have be-
come so saturated with what they were
nlaased TO call conservatism (WhOSe
meaning confess l am unable to under
stand) that | fear they will forget the
monster that was slain in l776, and again
in 1861, and will thus do great damage to
the creation of q government now SO capa-
bic of being converted into political pa
radse. This is liable to happen, not so
much by direct and palpable attack upon
lis framework as by gradually forgetting
the vital principles Of the Declaration OF
Independence.
"Strike out one Of the living sparks
which give life to our Goddess Of Liberty
and the mysterious and intense heat
whose welding fires nearly a century ago
and at present are fusing principles of
freedom and reducing despotsm to Gin
doris will gradually cool until the most
conservative despot could thrust his sword
into it without affecting its temper. have
said above that did not know the mean
ing of the word conservatism" l have
since seen the report of speech said to
have been made by an Ohio senator at
Canton, Ohio, which, if it be truly re-
ported, and is to be considered a definition
of that doctrine, then it to me is very
alarming-worse than apprehension. 1t
Is legislation without authority, and recon.