The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1868-01-04
THE REMOVALS.

policy of Congress to be unconstitutional
President johnson continues TO take an
active hand in the business. Having re.
moved Sheridan and Sickles, he argues
Constitutionality awhile to Congress,
charges them with usurpatiou and revo-
lutionsry designs, and soon after com
mends the administration of the Fifth
! Military District, under Gen. Hancock
asking Congress to add the weight of
their endorsal to his 1t seems little
strange to us that if the reconstruction
acts are unconstitutional in the eyes of
the President that he can commend
their enforcement, and if Gen Hancock
is not enforcing them he is certainly
guilty of insubordination, and the Presi-
dent, as Commander-in-chief, should not
countenance an officers violation of duty
Not satisfied with this, he has, per Gen.
Grant, removed General Pope from COM
mand of the Third Military District and
appointed General Meade to succeed him,
hoping, doubtless, by this step to secure
a plant tool for his purposes in Florida,
Georgia and Alabama. II Gen Meade,
however, does not prove a faithful, hon
est and inhexible commander he will
belle the record he made in the army of
the Potomac, in carving his way from
the command of a brigade to that of the
army. General Pope invoked the hos
tility of the Southern malcontents in
I, - Il. A l.
ton, and they have finally succeeded in
securing his removal. What end they
expect to attain by this, more than to vent
their spleen against Gen. Pope and evil
dence their power over the President, is
not apparent. The convention has ad-
journed after appointing the 4th of Feb.
as the day upon which the vote for the
ratification of the convention will be
cast, and designating the 14th of Marcel
as the day for the Assem- bling of the
Legislature. The Hon. w. A. Smith, late
a member of Congress from Alabama,
and a firm Union man during the war,
is the Republican candidate for Governor
and will assuredly be elected. General
Meade's duties will require him to pro-
tect citizens in their right of suffrage,
and he will do it just as effectually as
General Pope. More than this, Congress
is now in session, and no infraction of
the policy determined upon will be per-
mitted, by the President or district COM
manders until recostruction has become
an accomplished fact. The change in
commanding Generals, while showing
the inclination of the President to inter
fere to the extent of his power, and hin
der, while he may, the execution of the
reconstruction acts, cannot prevent their
final accomplishment in letter or in
spirit The Tribune finds fault with
Grant for not preventing them, but it
must be remembered that Grant is not
the 7ri6une's choice for the Presidency,
and every ungracious cut that the
friends of Chase can give will be dealt at
his devoted head General Grant is more
intimately acquainted with the charac-
ter of General Meade than is Horace
Greeley; he has more at stake in his ac-
ton at the present time than Greeley,
and he never tried to sell out the Union
at halfprice at Niagara Falls,and we are
content to risk mis- action. The removal
of-General Ord, if at his own request,
should not occasion any complaint
against the Secretary of War ad interim,
The Congressional reconstruction policy
is plain and unmistakable. The duties OF
the military commanders are distinctly
defined, there is but one Interpretation
of them, but one result possible, and
whether Pope or Meade commands, John
son will find that Congress never will
recede or let up until the problem il
olyed and restoration accomplished.
The New York Independent having
stated that Joshua r. Smith, a colored