Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-27

this condition of affairs will be enhanced
by the reflection that il was the i'm
pesehed President, Andrew Johnson,
who was most solicitous for the trial and
execution Of his captive, Jefferson Davis.
Stirring Vows from washington--A Coup
d'Etat at Last from President Johnson.
Yesterday was n day Of momentous
events and high excitement in Washing
ton. First, the nomination by President
johnson of General Mcclellan as Minis.
ter to England raised a little breeze OF
conjectures and speculation but as there
was nothing unexpected in this proceed
ing il awakened neither wrath nor alarm
in the capitol But something so bold
and decisive as to be positively startling
very soon followed: First, an Executive
communication to the Senate announc-
ing the removal of Mr.. Stanton as Secre-
tary of War and the appointment of the
Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas in
his place; secondly, in a communica-
ton to the House from Stanton trans
mitting the Presidents order to him to
vacatel the War Department at once |;
and thirdly, in the announcement to the
Senate from the President that he had
appointed Major General George Fl.
Thomas to be, first, Lieutenant Gen
eral, and next, General by brevet.
The removal Of Stanton of itself was
an act of defiance against the expressed
will of Congress sufficiently astounding
to both houses; but coupled with these
promotions of the old ministerial Gen.
Thomas and Of "the man who never lost
battle" the rock Of Gibraltar" the
fighting of General Thomas, there was
enough to satisfy the Senate and the
House that there was mischief in the
wind, and that the case of 1.-THE man at
the other end of the avenue" had as.
sumed a phase which admitted Of no
delay.
Mr.. Conkling's speech, in progress at
the time on reconstruction, thus rudely
interrupted, was promptly suspended,
and the Senate went into executive ses-
sion. As the first result of this secret
consultation Messrs Fessenden, Cattell,
and Thayer were appointed committee
to wait on Secretary Stanton, and epjoin
him to hold fast to his position until
further action by the Senate. In the
House the communication of the dis
placed Secretary of War was, in the
midst of unparalleled excitement, re-
ferred, under the previous question, to
the Committee on Reconstruction. Next,
on motion of Mr.. Butler, previous
order appropriating the 22d of February
to the holiday amusement of miscel-
laneous debate was rescinded. with q
view to these business matters from the
White House; and next, resolution
from Mr.. Covode, of Pennsylvania, that
Andrew johnson be impeached as guilty
of "bigh crimes and misdemeanors
was referred to the Reconstruction Com
mittee, and then, still in an unusual
state of combustion, the House ad-
journed.
Now, this looks like bringing the con-
Aict between King and Parliament to n
crisis. There is great gathering of the
Democratic leaders from all parts Of the
country in Washington at this time,
dancing attendance upon Mr.. Belmont
and his National Executive Committee,
in reference to the appointment of the
time and place fer the National Demo-
cratic Convention. Have these gentle
man been pointing out the way to Mr..
johnson, and are they with him in these
movements of yesterday? Are these
proceedings part of an arranged Presi-
Dental programme involving the noml-
nation of Mr.. johnson? 1t is difficult
to believe that, single handed, he has
undertaken to challenge directly
in Congress the force of law
of Congress on the impeach-
ment question. The Tenure of Office
law may be Asgrsntly unconstitutional;
but if the two houses concur in adjudging
a defiance of this law a high crime aud
misdemeanor, and that this removal of
Stanton, so soon after his reinstatement
under this law, is an act of culpable de-
fiance Of the law, where is the compensa-
ton to Mr.. Johnson7 Does he propose
to head off the impeachment penalty by
an appeal to the Supreme Court2 This
may be his purpose. 1t is said, for in
stance, that Mr.. Stanton has given no
answer to the requisition of Gen. Lorenzo
Thomas for the keys of the War Office.
If this be so, an application for man
damus may follow to oust the refractory
Stanton, and this may change materially
the present complexion of affairs
But what means this promotion Of the
fighting General Thomas to the rank, by
brevet, of General Grant. Under the cir
cumstances it is inferred that the object
is to call General Thomas (Sherman
having declined) to the new Military
Division of the Atlantic, with his hsad-
quarters at Washington. General Grant
having lost the Presidents confidence, is
General Thomas, de faetO, to take his
nlace2 Ifso, what for2 Such questions
as these are perplexins and suggestive Of
an impending conflict at Washington,
which may revive some of the decisive
events Of the Long Parliament Of Eog-
land and Of the first French republic aud
OF the empire. The case at Washington
rs it nov stands is simply this: IL the
radicals fail 10 act promptly aud deci-
sively they are gone; il they attempt to
act decisively they may fail and from
their failure Andrew johnson may cut
out all coupetilors and walk over the
broken fragments Of the republican
party into the next PTesideney.-Rep
York Herald, 22d