The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-30
WASHLNGTON GOSSIP.

The Trouble Between General Grant and
Relieving General ShsrIdan-GeneraL
Grants Powers Under the RECONSTRUCT
tiOn Acts-He has no Voice in the Exe-
eutiOn of the LRws.
WARRINGTON, August 29.-The feeling in
Washington has settled down into almost the
been no developments to-day of any character
and the fever heat of the past few days has
Is the discovery of the fact, fully alluded to last
night, that Congress has not given General
Snt the an, Necessary powers 10 enestu9y
latteT's position is that under the RecOnstruc-
tion act, be has the right TO remove district
commanders, which is admitted; that, despite
the terms of the Reconstruction act, he mas
the power inherent in him, under the Con-
stitution, to execute those acts; that Gene
raj Grant has no original power under
them, and that mis- powers are
certain well-de6ned action. AS pertinent to
this, when General Grant issued paragraph
Ave of his Instructions to General Thomas, the
President told him he had no authority under
the Reconstruction acts to originate such in.
structions General Grant replied that II 1t
was not conferred upon him by the Recoustruc
ton acts, it certainly was by army regulations
and well-established custom; for whenever an
who succeeds him is always directed To conJi-
nue. The orders he finds in force It'll modified
or al EDulled by proper authority. General
Grant holds that the Presidents authority uu
der the acts OF Congress is expressly limited by
the acts themselves; that beyond this the Pre-
sident has no original authority; that the DIS
tIict Commanders are invested by the laws with
the sole responsibility or their execution. sub
ject 10 his General Grant's) approval and dis
approval in certain particulars. This is the
Interpretation of the acts given by Congress
itself The danger OF collision between the
President and General Grant depends entirely
upon how far the former will dare TO proceed
If he confines himselft to the removal of district
commanders, aud "A general direction that they
execute the laws of Congress according TO their
provisions, as in General Hancocl's case a
collision may be avoided, for General Grants
power of revision of the acts OF the district cnm
lnanders, though seriously and inconsisLenty
INIT hU fhtat Unt Tpip
to prevent Dluch mischief If any of them are SO
disposed. II, however, the President car
namely-that under the Constitution he has
revisionary power himself, there viii certainly
be q conflict. Time alone can determine.
Jerry Black and the Cabinet.
ApropOs of the recent Cabinet excitements, a
good story is told how little mistake produced
great, not to say a ludicrous commotion in the
1t seems Mr. Seward wished to see Mr.. Blacq1e,
the Turkish Minister, and sent for him. BY
some mistake the message found its way TO the
Office of Hon. Jerry Black, chief among the
pectants of Cabinet portfolios. He was out of
Town, and the message was opened by MS son:
hand, the conclusion was arrived at that break
up in the Cabinet was imminent, and that Mr.,
Black was wanted for consultation. So he was
telegraphed for inStanter. He received the mes
sage all right, and got here next morning, took
a carriage with Marshal Lamon, and rode to
the State Department., and found Mr.. Seward
just going to Cabinet meeting, who said, walk
waited three hours. and Mr.. Seward didn't
come. They thought il curious, but called again
next day. "Wel, Mr.. Black, what can do for
you? said the bland Secretary. II came IN re-
sponse to your despatch" said Mr.. Black.
go1 mo- tnng M His
bell he caused inquiry to be made, when the
and Mr. Black disappeared. This was the foun-
dation for the report that Mr.. Seward had tele-
graphed to Jerry Black toI to come and hx up the
General Grants Powers.
The President has triumphed. General Grants
| protest has been unavailing, and Inc oruer
| assigning Hancock to the place of sheridan,
| and ordering Sheridan to proceed at once to the
| Department of the Missouri is issued More
| to yield to the removal ofSheridan and Sickles,
| but surrenders his right to control the District
| Commanders. In his order of August 10 he
| directed Sheridan's successor to continue all
| orders he should hnd in force In the Fifth Dis
trict; the new order framed by:the President.
| full authority to revoke all that Sheridan has
| done. He may replace rhrockmorton in the
| Mayor of New Orleans The practical point
| with which the people are concerned is that
| General Grant admits the right of the President
| to apnul his directions TO the District Com
manders, and that Mr.. Johnson sweeps aside
That Congress never intended to give this
| authority to the President is certain; but the
extent Of the powers given to the General Is
struction act gives the General authority to
disapprove the acts of District Commanders,
| and all the powers of suspension, removal, and
| argued on the side of the President that this
| right to dsapprove does not constitute the
| right to direct and the validity of the argu-
ment Is evidently admitted by General Grant
| by his withdrawal from his first position, and
his exact obedience to the Presidents instruc-
tions.
Admitting this to be the correct view we do
not see that 1t follows that the District Com
manders are absolutely independent of the
General. True, the letter of the law gives him
no power to dictate whom they shall APP
point or remove, but 1t does give him
all their "poWers of suspension, removal, APP
power to remove civil officers they have APP
pointed Section further authorizes him TO
remove whenever he shall deem IL needful
any member of a board OF registration, and to
appoint another in his stead" Unquestionably
IL is clear enough that although Grant cannot
say to Hancock, Appoint such man Cover
nor, he may appoint whomsoeVer he pieases
Governor over Hancock's opposition. II this
be not the law, then Congress has legislated
directly for a conflict of authority. 1t cannot
pension and removal possessed by the District
| Commanders. His authority or theirs must be
paramount and we think there is no question
but that in any case where the District Com.
mander comes IN conflict with the General or
question OF appointment or removal, the sub
ordinate must yield.-N. Y. Tribune
The President and General Grant.
General Grant day issued the order assign
| Ing General Hancock to the command of The
Fifth Military District, precisely in accordance
| with the Presidents order directing the change
| III VIII be noticed that the Adjutant- Generals
order, instead of being dated to-day or ever
yesterday, Is dated back TO the 26th, The day on
which the President issued his order. In view
of what has transpired in the meantime it is
| little singular that the order should not bi
dated to-day, the day of its FORMULATION
General Grant, however, did not find the Sup