The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-10
document, covering upwards Of hundred
sheets Of foolscap paper. The following are
the principal points:

QOcum6nG, covering upwaIuS VI d Huuuloo
sheets Of foolscap paper. The following are
the principal points:
After reciting the circumstances Of the Eus-
pension of Secretary Stanton by the President
on the 18th Of August, and the appointment Of
General Grant as Secretary Of War ad interim,
the report cites the second section Of the
Tenure Of Office act, in order to show that Con-
gress intended to prevent such O removal, ex-
some physical or mental incapacity, or some
legal disqualification.
The act requires that before the President
can order such suspension, he shall have evi-
dence satisfactory to him that some ons of
these causes exists. He must be satisfied by
evidence, and the evidence must be such as
tends to establish the existence OF some one OF
those distinctly enumerated causes and not
merely that there is difference Of opinion be-
tween him and the incumbent, or mere mutual
dislike. Both are, by the constitution, but
officers Of law, bound 70 perform for the people
the duties imposed by law, and the one no more
and to no greater extent than the other. Their
duties may greatly differ in public Importance,
but the obligation is exactly the same. It is
to be the Law that each is responsible. The
first principle Of constitutional government in
wolves this responsibility; and no official, how
ever high, is above the law, or entitled, under
our system, to claim for himself impeccatility
or immunity. That tmonarchical principle finds
no place in the republican system under which
We live, and he who seeks to resort to it seeks
to destroy liberty.
The committee say they do not propofe TO
discuss the constitutiona1ity of the Tenure Of
Office act, but contend that the President, by
his proceeding now under consideration, has
recognized its binding force. BE has adopt
ed it as the rule of his conduct, by Actually
using and employing power created and
existing only by the act itself-the power Of
suspension-and it only remains for the COM
mittee to give their views Of the sufhciency
of the evidence and the reasons upon which
he relies to justify his action. To this duty
they, therefore, address themselves.
The report then proceeds to analyze the
Presidents message to Congress on the sub
ject OF MIR. Stanton's suspension, and adds:
''The fact was already made public By Mr.
johnson himself, that in the Cabinet council
the preceding June, MIR. Stanton had dissented
from the opinion of the Attorney General in re-
ference to the true meaning and effect OF the Re
construction acts of March I'd and March 23d,
1867, which opinions Mr.. johnson had adopted
and acted upon. The whole country had seen
that II these opinions we're carried out In prac-
tlce, as Mr.. Johnson proposed they should be,
and as he had instructed his subordinases to
carry them out, the plain intention Of Congress
in regard to reconstruction In rebel States
would be defeated.
'Mr. Stanton had expressed his dissent
from those opinions, and refused to counte-
nance an artifce which had occasioned the as
semblng OF Congress on the Sd Of July. Con-
gress, to the exclusion or all other business,
passed. at that meeting o third act on recon-
struction, setting aside the dangerous inter-
pretations by the Attorney-General OF the two
previous acts.
"As he had done to the two former bills,
T>l.- kl,.e .o1o q
notorious, as three elaborate vetoes, aided by
his speeches and conversations, and the corps
OF presses in his interest could make 1t, that
he was strongly opposed to everything Of the
kind, and that he intended to render all such
legislation abortive. He had not only used his
influence and patronage to that end, but had
strenuously opposed, denounced, and endeayor-
ed to defeat, and even to veto the amendment
to the constitution, known as Article "a, pass
ed June, 1866, and intended at that time as the
basis Of reconstruction. His whole course OF
conduct was noloriously in open and violent
antagonism to the will OF the nation, as ex-
pressed by the two Houses Of Congress-.
"Mr. Stanton, on the other hand, favored
the aTs 81 gns S acts dhsS
defeat their object by any means, direct or in
direct. He had good reason to believe, aad did
believe, that if he resigned his post MIR. john
son would fill the vacancy by the appointment
Of some person IN accord with himself, in his
plans OF obstruction and resistance to the Will
Of Congress. Such an appointment would, by
the constitution, have remained in fo'ce TILL
the end of the session OF the Senate.
lit was, undoubtedly, the aim Of MIR. john
son, if we may judge from his previols con-
Duct to avail himself, if practicable, OF the
lapse Of time to carry out his scheme OF OBJ
struction, and by every means in his power,
and they were many, to hinder and thpart the
intended operation and effect OF those statutes;
and then, when bluntly asked to resign, un.
der the pretext Of public considera lions OF
high character, MIR. stanton refused to yield
his assent to such considerations, aud strong
fully and manfully opposed to them the duty
incumbent upon him to resist their accom-
plishment by remaining at his post and seek
ing to execute those statutes faithfully and
effectuany."
The report says that if the President is to
become the final and infallibe judge OF what
the public interests require, Congress and lts
wicked he may be, it becomes official miscon-
duct to differ with him in opinion, and to
make known to him this difference. The COM
mittee then ask:
sIs Mr.. johnson serious in this most arbi-
trary assumption2 Can he no longer brook to
be told that his course is wrong2 Dots he re-
gard mere difference Of opinion as to the pro-
priety of carrying out legislation OF Congress
as official misconduct? 1t would seem 30
from the position here taken. But we can
not countenance O doctrine SO absolute and
despotic. It is not merely step toward ty-
ranny, but is Of itself the essence OF tyranny.
The committee then take up the Charge by
the President that Mr.. Stanton concurred In
the veto of the Tenure Of Office bill. 1t is ad-
mitted that MIR. Stanton thought thu bill un-
constitutional, and was opposed to its becom-
ing law. Such, the committee say, was sin
cerely his view, and some OF the ablest states
men in the country have entertained the same
opinion; but others equally able have held the
contrary opinion, and among them was MR..
Webster. The controversy is almost as old as
government, but the committee contend that
It does not follow because public officer has
entertained such an opinion OF proposed
measure, he is to carry his notions 80 far as
to treat it as void when formally enacted in
to O. law by two-thirds vote Of each house
Of Congress.
Another and special ground Of complaint al
legged against MIR. Stanton in the Presidents q
message is, that he omitted to communicate
to the President the telegraphic dispatch OF
General Baird, dated 2Sth July, 1866, relative
to the State convention OF Louisiana, then
about to meet in New Orleans; and that MIR.
Stanton did not send the General instructions
as required. After quoting MIR. Johnson's mes
sage on this subject very fully, the report de-
clares that these passages from the message
show plainly enough that the purpose Of its
author Is to prove that he had no opportunity
to prevent tho riot and slaughter OF that bloody
day. and is therefore free from the RESPONSE
bility Of which he speaks, and that his failure
to prevent them is clearly chargeable to the
Secretary's not sending to General Baird In
structions and in withholding the dispatch
From the President,