Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-06-26
EDITORIAL ITEMS.

DENIH OF THE COMMISSIONER az AGRItUL
1t tA.-le;tac Newton, Commissioner of Agri-
culture. died at his residence at Washington.
Wednesday evening The duties of tins of
fee viii dcvolye, until his successor Is APP
pointed. upon John w stokes. chief clerk
of the department The nomination of Col.
H. l.. Capron of Illinois. for the position
lately held 10y Mr. Newton, which was pend
ing ut the adjournment of Congress. viii
now, doubtless. be acted upon at the July
session Of Congress. which now seems prob
able
Attorney General Stanbery, in his recent
opinion on the reconstruction act, severely
criticised some att ,f t..n Sirklcs in the
Department of South Carolina. rAc ten
eral, looking upon these criticisms as official
charges against him. has rendered his rcsig-
nation. and demanded court martial. Cen.
>icklcs letter Is as follows
have the honor II request that may be
relieved from tie command OF this military
district and respectfully demand court OF
inquiry upon nv official actions, that NAV
vindicate myself from the accusation of the
Attorney General, published, it Is presumed
with the approval Of the President.
Congress having declared these so-called
state governments illegal. the declaration of
the Attorney General that the military au-
thority has not superseded them, prevents
the execution of the reconstruction acts, and
disarns me of the means of protecting life
property and the rights of citizens, and
menaces all the interests of these states with
ruin H. f. SICKLES. Maj. Gen Comd q.
Headquarters. 2d Military District. }
Charleston. June 10Th.
Secretary Stanton, 1t is understood. dis
scented, in the Cabinet meeting, from th'
Secretary apparently believes that the law
should be enforced as Congress plainly in
tended.
President johnson, Secretary Seward, and
Post Master General Randall arrived in Bos-
ton Saturday night Nasty is not mentioned
as being with the party. but he is updoubt-
edly along.
! Surratt's trial is proceeding slowly. Sew
eral witnesses have testified positively to hi
being in Washington, and IN conference with
Booth, the evening of the assassination. 1t
is said, however. that Surratt's counsel are
confident of proving an abb
1t is said that Seward has re ccived tive
highly important communications, from
Queen Victoria and the Emperor Napoleon
in which they hope that this government
will do all that it deems proper in way of in
tercession with the Liberal authorities in
Mexico to save the life of Max imilan The
( fact of this request has been communi ca ted
to Juarez, together with the reiteraton of the
hope-forwarded sometime since to Juarez
/ by Secretary Seward-that Macmillan will
not be treated otherwise than as a prisoner
of war
own. The time for registration in Louisiana
closed the 10th inst, and the President con,
ditionally ordered it continued until into
August. Gen. Sheridan has telegraphed tc
Gen. Grant, declining to extend the time in
compliance with the Presidents conditional
instructions, on the ground that the registra-
ton has been completed and he did not feel
/ like keeping up expensive boards to suit new
issues coming in at the eleventh hour He
characterizes the Attorney Generals opinion
as opening a broad road for perjury and fraud
to travel upon, and remarks upon the Presi-
dents bitter antagonism to the reconstruc
ton law. If. after this report, the time is
to be extended, he desires to be notified and
will obey. He would do it at once, but the
Presidents telegram was conditional.