The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-12-26
Tho Presidents Explanation Of
Stanton's Removal.

The President sent 10 tho Senate
to-day a message giving his reasons
for the suspension Of the Hon. Edwin
NJ. Stanton as Secretary Of War on the
l2th Of August lest. 4 copy of tho
message cauuot now bc procured for
publication, nor was tho document
read in opeu Senate, but the follow
ing, IL Is believed, are the essential
points of tie document: lt wall be
rocolected that the President, Tor
cousidcra, ,ions Of high character
requested Secretary Stanton to resign
his Office, aud that Mr. Stanton, 10
reply, quoting tho phrase Of the
Prosidont, said that considerations Of
4 high character alone had Induced
him to continue at tho head Of the
Department, and constrained him not
TO resign the office ofSeoretary of War
before tho ucSt meeting or Congress.
This, the President says, was not
merely a deolinaiiou Of compliance
with tho request for his resignation,
but was dcGiucc Whatever pro-
prioty there might bo in tho oxpros.
sion Of his opinions TO others, one
thing was certaiu--it was official mis-.
conduct, to say tho least Of il, to
parade them before his superior OH
Ger, aud showed want Of proper
respect and dignity for the President.
la addition 70 the above rocited
grounds Of the Secretary, why he did
not resign, he denied tho Presidents
right to remove him, but the Presi.
dent says that, under Mr.. Slauton's
sense of duty he could not refer to the
| law creating the War Department, for
that eonfers on the President tho
right to remove the head Of The de
plr'ment,
The only other law under which
Mr.. Stanton could plead an extonua.
ton of his Conduct, was that in relation
to tho tenure Of office. Nothing in
that law compelled him to remain 10
Office he was free at any time to
resign it. The tonure Of Office
| bill did not pass without notice,
Every member OF the Cabinet was
consulted on the subject aud particu
. larly the Attorney General aud Mr.,
I Stanton, tho latter formerly having
held the Office Of Attorney General.
Mr. S,antou's condemnation of the
law. the President says, was most
elaborate and emphatic.
Some reference is mado to the cir
cumstanccs under which tho Presi-
dent retained his predecessors Cabi.
net, including Mr., Stanton, aud he
remarks, as to the proposed modo OF
rcconstructing tho Southern States,
that all the members were in perfect
accord with himself
Tho President, after setting forth al
length his view Of tho case, assigns Q
special ground for the suspension oi
Mr.. Stanton. Ii will be recollccted
that, during the summer of 1866
General Baird telcgraphed from New
Orleans to the Secretary of War that
Convention was about to assemble
aud that the Government aud city
authorities, thinking it was an unlaw
ful assembly, would break it up. TIL,
General asked the Secretary for in
structions to be telegraphed him u
/ once. MIR, Stanton did not, however
. give General Baird the desired orders
nCr did he communicate the fact 0
, the reception to the President, VIII
knew nothing Of its existence unit
ten days after it came to Mr.. Stanton
, aud not until tho riot had occurred
The President therefore takes Tia
ground that Mr.. Stanton was rOspou.
sible for the delinquency, aud if h
(the PresidcnD had known that Gen
: Baird had sought advice. the rio
might have been prevented.
= The President holds that so far Il
. the public interests are concerned
= there Is no cause to regret the remoy
= al Of Mr.. Stanton, for the Secretar
. ad interim has By his measures {
4 economy saved millions of dollars /
1 the Government.