The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-07-17
General Sickles Offers to Resign
His Position as Commanding
General Of the Second Satrapy.

General sickles is one Of the political
Generals who have grown out Of the war.
He was not bred a soldier as his resigna-
ton, Just rendered, sufficiently, shows. lie
was first brough into notice BY President
Buchanan, who, when he was Minister to
England, appointed him-then a young
man about New York-his Secretary OF
Legation. He subsequently represented
New York city in Congress, and became
notorious by shooting Phil. Barton Key,
for seducing his wife: His political for
times seemed on the wane when the war
broke out. He entered the army, showed
courage and capacity, and has since become
} notorious again, if not famous. Such is
!, the history Of Dan. Sickles; but it is not
t with his history that we care to deal at
present; our purpose being to look, for
3 moment, at the position occupied by the
t commanding Generals under the recon-
: struction acts, and to see what their duty
$ as military men requires of tham. The
y Radical papers which have taken exception
r to Mr.. Stanberys opinion, seem to assume
e that the Generals are executors OF the
It reconstruction acts, independent of the
J, President. But this is not and cannot be
1t so. The military, under our system OF
e, government, is an entirety, OF which the
n President is the head. Every duty, there
o fore, confded to the military, is necessarily
a confded to it, under the supreme direction
C. and control of the President. In. theory
ID every act of every subordinate is the act o.
W the President himself, for which he is
De responsible. And every attempt on the
k part Of Congress to overthrow This theory
r. and put military officer beyond the contro
of the President, is subversive OF the Con
a stitution-fof it is the Constitution which
is makes the President the COMMANDMENT
he chief of the army. When, therefore, Con
CHI gress passed the reconstruction acts, an
se placed the execution of these acts in tn
ia hands of Brigadier Generals, to be OF
be pointed by the President, it did not an
cir could not exempt these officers from OBJ,
,re dience to the Presidents orders, as the
On. commander-in-chief. 1t was his duty t
the construe the acts, and in case Of different
ion ofopinion between himselfan his subord
,ss, mates, to set the latter right, for tt
of simple reason already stated, that the!
lin acts were, of necessity, his; acts, and
ure was responsible for them. The reconstr'l
will ton acts did not, in any wise, make tt
self Brigadiers civil officers. They spoke
is them as officers of the army, and all q
to duty required Of them was to be perform
yho "a such officers. General Sickles, it seen
to has failed to comprehend this. He seer
itch to have fancied that the law put him abo
! he and beyond the control Of his command
,ern in-chief, and that an unwarrantable hDe'
,e of has been taken with him by MT. Stanoe
anu in undertaking to construe the law I
the guidance Of that commander-in-cnl
peal A true military man, who was not pol
true clan, looking to outside influences, won
,ruct from the beginning, have asked Tor
isca- structions from headquarters, as to n
who he should perform his duties. Dlsclpil
and as well as a proper respect for the Pr
most dent, required this. General Slckles sho
the have obeyed any order received from
with commander-in-chief on the subject OF
econ execution Of the reconstruction acts,
Gritty, cisely as he would have obeyed an orde
owed. to the clothing, equipment or quarterln
trate. his men. But instead Of this, he seems
les in have dehed the authorities duly set
5surd him, And now, in dungeon, and with
acih hope OF making capital out OF IT, WIN
r en- reiigning party Of the country, he asks t
- relieved. The explanation is, that
party Sickles is the same ola party mack ~ Una
that was, when he was dAbbllng III JIG
thern politics of New York City, ana Is not
elease to comprehend the significance OF ene
itiOns form he wears Memphis Builetln.