The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-02-24
The Removal of Secretary stanton.
NOn.COncnrrence OF the Senate.
scenes anu Incidents ut the Capitol.
WAsuINnroN. Feb. 81

Scenes and Incidents nj the CapItOI.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 81.
Shortly before two o'clock this after.
noon, while Mr.. Trumbull was speak
ing, Col, Moore, one of the private
secretaries of the President, appeared
at the door of the Senate with an arm
iul OF executive document. Assoon as
they were transferred to the Presidents
| desk there WINS a rush of Senators to
that quarter, and MIR. Sumner was the
I first 10 reach the spot, and tore off the
covers with great eHgerness, and read
the contents with suppressed excite
ment. A message OF the President.
announcing that he had, by virtue OF
Ihe power vested in him by the Consti.
| tuition, removed Mr.. Stanton from the
! position of Secretary of War, and APP
pointment of General Lorenzo Thomas
as Secretary Gd interim, was the first
one opened, and the whispered COM
lnents and threatening EXPLANATIONS OF
the crowd around the desk grew SO
loud as TO drown the voice of Mr..
Irumbull, in possession of the floor.
| The envelope continuing tho nominal
ton of General Mcclellan as Minister
to Great Britain, was next opened, and
| impartially tossed aside with sneers.
The nomination,of General George id.
Thomas as Brevet Lieutenant General
and Brevet General nextRppeared, and
was greeted with explanations of as
constituent. Some temporary ConTu-
| sion was occasioned, growing out OF the
action OF the President in regard to the
TWO Generals Thomas, which seemed
10 intensity the interest and produce
speculation and inquiry as to what this
mark OF favor by the President meant.
me news quickly spread over the
chamber, Mr.. Trumbull, who still kept
up his remarks, being the only Senator
Ignorant of what had TRANSFERRED. An
tmpromtu committee, consisting of
Messrs. Cattell, Cameron, Chandler and
Thayer, Immediately took the Senate
Cnrrlage and proceeded at a rapid pace
TO the War Department., where theV
found Mr.. Stanton looking as serene as
summer morning. To their Supplica-
lions to hold on until the last horn
blew, he returned answer that no alarm
need be entertained; that when he left
the office it would only be by main
force. The Senators then rushed over
10 General Grants Office and notified
him that he was expected to stand by
congress IN this new crisis. General
but said nothing.
The instant Mr.. Trumbull ceased
speaking, Governor Morton moved to 90
into executive session. Mr., Trumbnll
objected, as it had been agreed 10 take
the vote to-day on the pending recon-
struction bill, when Mr.. Fessenden told
nun that he presumed he would make
no objection II he knew the importance
OF the executive business. The motion.
was them carried, Mr.. Salisbury alone
voting in the negative.
The news flew like wildIire along the
Corridors, penetrated the committees
rooms and reached the House of Rep.
resentatives. Soon knots of excited
men were gathered in the halls sur
rounding the Senate chamber, discuss
ing the coup d'ctGt, as it was called, and
the dispute between the pArtisans of
Congress and the President waxed high.
The Presidents friends expressed their
qualification that he was showing nerve
ana the adherents OF Congress insisted
that the backbone of that body needed
no stittentng, and that It would soon be
found who was the strongest. During.
this time prominent radicals of the,
House, including Messrs. Bingham.
Boutwell,, Ashley, and others had come
over ana sent In for some of the Sena-
1t was suggested that the papers be
AT once sent to the House, and the
promise made that that BODY would
send over bill of impeachment in less
than forty-eight hours. Mr.. Fessenden
came out calm and talked quietly, but
very decidedly, and soon went back.
Mr.. Chandler came out blusterInL, and
laughing noisily, and said 1t was ali
right now; they had got him (the Prest-
dent) to commit the overt act. His col.
league, Mr.. Howard, came out with the
same self-satistied smile wreathinp his
countenance which spread over 1t when
the vote rejecting Governor Thomas
Capitol say that for years there has not
been such excitement as that OF TODAY.
The dozen or more telegraphic OPERA
tors In the blu lding were kept CONSTANT
~ busy In sending of the latest bulle.
TINS, and the resembling click OF their
instruments added to the liveliness of
tue scene. The army of correspondents
were flying hither and 4thIther endeay-
oring to catch the latest reports, and all
WERE listening anXiously as occasional
~ the reverberating tones of the speak
ers inside would become audible upon
the outer air. Anxious inquiries were
made us to how long the Senate would
remain in executive session, and word
was received that the duration would
probably be many hours,
ABOUT four O'Clock, "a statement was
that the Maryland, LegisIa-
ture had resolved to refuse OH the part
OF the state to pay any government
taxes until Senator Thomas was ad-
United to his seat, and this rumor
added fresh fuel to the flame,
SIX O'Clock arrived, and the Senators
came out by turns to the reiectory, apd |
infer tOrtifying the inner man. retired
once more through the open doors, and
this strengthened the impression that
they intended to make a night of IL.
For the first three hours the speeches
were pretty much confined to the con-
servative side of the chamb Der, and were
mainly in defense of the action of the
President, in the premises.
Senator Bayard spoke at great length,
reviewing the tenure Of office bill, and
that 1t encroached on the
prerbgatives OF. the Ex-
.cutive, and was followed by Messrs.
Dixon, Hendricks and Buckalew. Mr.,
Howe replied to these arguments and
their unsoundueSs. Mr.
sumner roAred very gently, and advO-
:ateu return of the message to the
president, or It's reference to the mill
AIRY COMMITTEES. ...l sg
The scene in the House, too, was
llso one of great animation this after
loon. Pending the consideration of
he naval appropriation bill, in COM
nittee OF the whole, o humber of az
,cutive documents were laid upon the
speakers desk, and at the first oppor.
unity when the committee had risen
% o close oeoate upon paragraph, they
ere presented to the House. The
only document, of special Interest.
however, was the communication az
he Secretary of War-announcinp that
le had received notice that his services
Is head OF the War Department were
10 longer required. This was referred
o the Committee on Reconstruction
llso, and meeting Of, the COMMITTEES
las been called for at 10 O'Clock To-
morrow, when the'subject will be dis
'ussed and resolutions of impeachment
vii be urged at once. ssd saf =
MIR. Stanton's son was at the office of
ne secretary Of The Senate just before
even o'clock and pronounced untrue