The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-01-29
hHairsas VI asilington.
@AAttlAk : 81 " s4-A5AA@E 8 W.T. VIZ
From the Y. @. pseaIaae.l

Affairs 1t Washington
! From the \. @. PseGy une.
The state of things at Washington is very critical
The Senate has made an issue with the Presideutin ia
vor of Mr. Stanton, attempting to force him back into
the Presidents cabinet Mr.. Stanton assumes to ac
as Secretary of War in contempt OF the President
the rurnor goes that he is supported by Gen. Grant
and that the President is at issue with Gen Grant Ii
this state of affairs it will be useful for the clear
Outstanding of the position Of the adversares to repro
duce the provision of law by which Congress under
took to dvest the President of his executive contro
over the army and his freedom OF choice Ill the selec
ton of his cabinet advisers.
The law making Gen. Grant superior and rremoTa
! BILE is contained in section second OF the military ap
preparation bill which passed at the close of the last
session of the Thirty Ninth Congress, and bears date
! March 2, 1867:
/ THE headquarters of the General of the Army Of
the United States shall be at the City of Washington
and all orders and instructions relating to military OPP
erations issued by the President Secretary of War
shall be issued by the General of the Army; and, in
of his inability, through the next Ill rank The Gen
| eral of the Army shall not be removed suspended OF
relieved from command ass gned to duty elsewhere
than said headquarters, except at his own request
without the previous approval OF the Senate aud any
orders and instructions relating to military operations
issued contrary the requirements OF this section shall
he null and void and any officer who shall issue orders
or instructions contrary the provisions OF this see
and any officer of the army who shall transmit convey
or obey any order instructions contrary to the pro-
visions Of this section, knowing that such orders were
so issued shall be liable imprisonment for not less
than years more than twenty years, upon
conviction thereof, in any court OF competent jurIs-
diction"
There was no veto on this clause. 1t was put into
the appropriation bills for the support of the army of
the United States for the coming year. The bill
tns the provisions for the pay and subsistence of the
and its bureaus, to an amount approaching S25,
900 900 If it had been passed separately, Or in differ
cnt connection it is very certain the President would
have refused to sign it, 1t is very clear that be con-
siders an invasion of the constitutional rights of the
Executive and we believe we'll Informed lawyers, with
out distinction of party are OF the same opinion. We
rarely hear any attempt made to sustain the
of the Radicals in Congress- constitutional grounds
Their acts defended necessary carry out
plans for which the powers of the constitution are in
adequate. They have a theory of government which
they insist is better than that which the constitution
made, and they proceed to establish it, outside of the
constitution. We state their theory they state it
for themselves. The constitution has become an i'm
pediment in their way AID it is be removed by the
military arm and they have prepared the military
arms for that service by making il absolute fast as
occasions come.
The case of Mr.. Stanton is complicated. The Sen
ate has declared the reasons rendered by the President
for removing Mr.. Stanton insufficient. The question
whether that restores him. in fact to the Office is
necessarily decided by that act of the Senate.
The President co formed TO law which he believed
to be unconstitutional in giving bis reasons for the
pension But he has never abdcated his power of re-
moval and the language OF the very act which the
Senate is enforcing against him leaves it open Ques
ton whether the President may not remove Mr. Stan
ton absolutely Its provisions that the Presidents
cabinet shall hold their office during the term of the
President by whom they appointed and enc
month To- ger, unless sooner removed 10y and with the
consent OF the Senate. The appointment Of Mr. Stan
ton by Mr. Lincoln in his first term; re-
newed by him after his reelection, and was never re-
newed by new commission under President Johnson
In point OF law it may be better commended that he has
not been legally in office since the expiration of his
commission from Mr.. Lincoln than that he is Secre
ary of War against the protest of President who
never appointed and refuses to receive him, to be
maintained there by bayonets.
To accomplish all the deS gins Of the Radicals, evil
IDENTIFY some additional legislation is needed if indeed
they do that the General is at vested
with unlimited power to suspend legislation, to act
without it. There is nothing in the section quoted
which arrests the power of the President to mill
ORDERS provided he issues them through the Gen
era and nothing which releases the General from the
obey his superior officer, the constitu-
tional CommHnder-iuC Chief. The military RECONSTRUCT
ton bills coufer many powers the district commnn-
derS which given to the General, except in
reySory authority after they shall have acted but the
power of the President the district commanders
still exists, and the General is bound carry his
derS into effect.
Here there is the dead lock at Washington, We
it.
The President will not recognise Stanton as Secre
tary of War; Gen Grant will accept the Presi- /
dents views, but will take orders from Stanton Sec
Rotary of War, and will disobey perhaps has dsobeyed
the orders of the President conflicting with the rights
Of Mr.. Stanton.
Another act two from the Reconstruction com
nittee if passed br Congress- will make the sui,iuga-
ton of all departments to :. will Of Congress, above
law, complete; and will military dictator to
enforce it with unlimited discretion and irresponsible
DoWrr.