The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-02-24

Mr. Stanton. We FIRST intimated to
him that we would like for him to
withdraw from our privy counsel. He
did not take the hint. We then re-
quested him to resign He refused
We then suspended him, under the
constitutional power which we have
to suspend or remove member of
the Cabinet. The act of suspension
was also not in conflict with the
Tenure-of-Ofice bill; although we
did not therefore recognize its consti-
tutionality. As matter of courtesy
we sent reasons for our action to the
Senate. That body pretended not
to consider those reasons sufficien
and as umed to reinsta.e Mr.. Stanton
In office Well, we still waited, hos
ping Mr.. Stanton would see the pro-
priety Of resigning himself. Generals
Sherman and Grant offered to go to
Stanton, and advise him to resign
Here is a letter which indicates what
they proposed:
r Saturday. Febrdary Is.
| neglected this morning to say that
| had agreed to 90 down to Annapolis
to spend Sunday with Admiral Porter.
Gen. Grant has to leave for Rich
mond on Monday morning at g A. N.
At a conversation with the Gen
eral, after our interview wherein l
offered TO go with him, on Monday
morning, to Mr.. Stanton, aBd say it
was our joint opinion he should resign,
it was found impossible, by reason of
his going to- Richmond and my going
to Annapolis 5 The General says he
will call on you to- morrow, and offer
to go to Mr.. Stanton, to say for the
good Of the service and of the coun-
try, that he ought to resign. This
on Sunday. Monday Twill call
on you, and If you think it necessary
[ will also call on Mr.. Stanton, and
tell him he should resign. IF he will
not, then it will be fine TO contrive
ulterior measures. In the meantime
it also happens that no necessity ex-
lists for precipitating matters.
Yours. truly, w. L. SHERMAN.
The President then continued:
After waiting a reasonable time, we
thought proper, to-day, to order the
removal OF Stanton, and appoint Gen.
Thomas Secretary of War al Interim.
This is the whole story"
Correspondent" Was this step dis
cussed in the Cabinet council, Mr..
President?"
President" No, sir, not precisely.
A general policy was agreed upon
some time ago, and the rem val to-
day is in accordance Herewith. |
have just received copy of the resO-
luton adopted by the Senate tonight
in executive session"
NJ D-.ms1,.A !
luton printed elsewhere.
Correspondent" What will the
Senate do, Mr.. President, under that
resolution, if you still insist upon
having General Thomas act as Secre-
tary ad interjnl?" Ts4.slkH
President" [ don't see that they
can do anything; the resolution itself
is the end of the matter, so far as the
Senate is concerned, unless the House
presents articles of impeachment, and
the Seuate undertakes to try the Ex-
ecutive and resolves itself into a high
court of impeachment
Correspondent" Do you + think
Congress really will attempt impeach-
ment, Mr.. President?' sftgstse
President" | don't know, indeed,
nor do | care. 1t would make very
little difference to me-"
The correspondent here asked what
the President would do in the event
of the passage of Mr.. Edmunds's Bill
of Suspension, to which the President
answered, substantially:
Sir, | would not obey the law, if
they attempted to suspend me. The
law is clearly unconstitutional. There
is point against it which you gentle
men of the press seem to have alto
gether overlooked The bill of
Senator Edmunds to suspend i'm
pending trial would undoubtedly
be on erposte fqcto law. As far as my
case would be concerned, such a law
is declared unconstitutional by the
very language OF the Constitution
itself. My otfe ase, we will suppose, is
the removal of Mr.. Stanton. That is
an accompl shed fact. Any law pre-
scribing a penalty for that act would
be erp0ste factO, and therefore uncOn-
stitutional. How, therefore, can Con-
gress legally pass bill of such char
acter?
The correspondent remarked that
certain Radicals might argue that
the persistence in keeping Mr.. Stan
ton out of Office after the Senate de-
clIring mis- removal, contrary to law,
and after the proposed passage Of Mr..
Edmund's suspension bill, would be
bringing the question out Of the Oh
Grafton Of an 90 pOste fdcto law"
The President replied, that that
could not alter the case, as the offense
charged would still be the removal of
Mr.. Stanton, an act performed before
the PASSAGE of the nronosed law"