The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1868-02-27


dcncc before he knew your yiews. and
that confidence had been violated IL
might have been said lie made a mis-
take; but q violation Of onGdenoc
reposcd after that conversation was
no mistake Of his or yours. II is the
fact only that needs to be stated, that
at tho date Of this conservation ,ou
did not intend to hold the Office with
the purpose Of forcing Mr.. Stanton
into court. but did hold it then aud
had accepted it, TO prevent that
course from being carried out. In
other words you said to the Prcs
dent, Chat IS the proper course, and
you said to yourself "l have accept.
cd this Office, aud now hold IL to do.
feat that course"
The excuse you mako in n subse.
quont paragraph Of that letter Of tho
28th ult., that aftorward you changed
your views as to what would be
proper course, has nothing to do with
tho point now under consideration.
fho point ia, that before you had Sc
crcHy determined to do the very thing
which yoa at last did--lurrender the
office to Mr.. Stanton. You may have
changed your views as to the law. but
you certainly did not change YOUR
viows as to the course you had mark
ed out for yourself from the begin.
ming.
will only notice one more state.
mcnt in your letter of the 2nd inst 49,
thatthc making good of the promises
which il is alleged were mode by you
involved you in the rcsislano Of the
law. know Of no statute that would
have beon violated had You carried
out your promise in good faith, and
rendered your resignation when YOU
concluded not to be made party ia
any legal proceedings
You add 81 am confirmed in this
conclusion, by your recent order
directing me to disoboy orders from
tho Secretary Of War, my superior and
your subordinate, without having
uountormandod his authority to issue
the orders | am 60 disobcy.
On the 24th ult, you addressed a
note to the President requesting in
writing an order given to yop verbal
ly G,e days before to disregard orders
from Mr.. Stanton, as Secretary of
War, until you know from tho Presi
deet, himself that these were his or.
ders. On the 29th, in compliance
with your request, | did give instruct
ions in writing" not to obey any or
ders from the War Department. to be
issued by the direction of tho Prosi
dent, unless such order is known by
the Gcnoral commanding the armies
Of the United States, to have been au
thorizod Wy the Esocutve,'
There are some orders which Sec
retary Of War may issue without the
authority Of of the President. There
arc others which he issues simply as
the agent Of the resident, aud which
purport to be by direction Of the
President For such orders the
President is responsible. and he
should therefore know aud under
stand what they are before giving
such direction Mr.. Stanton, in his
letter Of the l,h inst, which accom-
pauics the published corrcsondcnce.
says he has had no correspondence
with the President since the 12lh Of
August last, aud ho further saws
that since he returned to the duties
of toe Office, ho has continued 20 dis.
charge the 4 without any personal or
writton communication with the presi.
dent, and he adds " No orders have
been issued from this Department
in the name of the President with inv
knowledge, and have received no
orders from him." 1t thus seems
thnt Mr. Stanton now discharges the
duties of the War Department with
out using his name. My order to
you had only reference to orders as
sumed to be issued by the President,
1t would appear from Mr. Stantou'4
letter that you have received no such
order from him. In Your note to the
President Of the 3lst ult, in which
you acknowledge the receipt of the
written order of tho 29th, YOU say
that you have been informed by Mr.
Stanton that ho has not received any
orders to tho army according to the
practice of the department, aud state
that, while this authority to the
War Department; is not couutcrmand.
ed, it. will bo satisfactory evidence ia
me that any orders issued from the
War Department by direction of the
President arc authorized by tho Exc,
cutiye.' The President issued an
order to you to obey no order from
the War Department, purporting to
be made by tho direction of tho Pre-
sidcnt, until you have referred it ia
him for his approval. You reply
you have received the President,
order and will not obey il, but will
obey an order purporting to bo given
by his direction, ii it comes from the
War Department You will obey nr
direct order of tie President, but
will obey his indirect order, II, as
you say, there has been practice il
the War Department to issue order,
in the namo of the President, without
his direction, does not the precis,
order you have requested and have
received change the practice as to til,
General of the Army2 Could no
! the President e0untermand any sucl
order, isuod in the name of the Pre-
sidcnt, TO do special act, by al
order directly from the President
himself not to do the act2 Is ther,
any doubt which YOU are to obey
| You answer the question in which you
say to the President, in your letter
of tho 3d Instant, "thc Secretary O
! War is my superior aud your subor
dinate," aud yet you refuse obadi
ence to the superior out of diierenc,
to the subordinate.
Without further comment on th,
linsuknrliusta ottifula a. ht,h ,.,,, al.