The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1868-02-27
WASHINGTON, Feb. 81.

ATE.
WASHINGTON, Feb 81.
At about two PM. the Presidents Sec
retary brought to the Senate several com
munications, and when they were quietly
opened were found to contain the nomin-
alton of George b. Mcclellan to be Min
ister to England; General George Ii.
Thomas to be Lieutenant General, and
General by brevet; and an announcement
that the President had removed Hon. h.
NJ. Stanton as Secretary of War, and or
dered Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas
to assume the duties of the War Depart
ment, under the authority of an old stat
ute e1humcd for the occasion, and which
dates prior to the Tenure of Office bill.
which letter, Mr.. johnson does not ad
NIT, was repealed by the Tenure of Office
law. The news of this action of the EI.
scutivc flew rapidly over the Senate, and
soon motion was made to 90 into Execu-
tive Session, which was carried by par.
ty vote.
Simultaneous with the departure of the
Presidents Sectary for the Capitol, Ad-
jutant-G General Thomas, accompanied by
General Williams, called upon the Sec
retsry Of War and read him his order
| from Mr.. johnson to take possession of
the War Department, all papers, &c, and
letter to Mr. Stanton, from the Presi-
dent, to surrender the Office Mr.. Stan
ton laughed, and asked how summary he
intended his process to be, and if he
would have time to gather up his papers
aud put on his coat. General Thomas
responded that he would" and Mr.
Stanton said that he would like some
tirue to consider upon it, and desired to
have copy of the notice served upon
him in writing. General Thomas then
withdrew, and soon after sent in copy OF
his order from the President, which Mr.
Stanton Immediately had copied and
transmitted to the House of Representa-
tIves.
The removal soon became noised
around the Department, aud a general
suspension of work followed, every one
inquiring of some one else. What
next? will he go," "What will
Grant do?"
About three Pm. a committee of Sena
tors, consisting of Messrs. Cameron
Chandler, Cattell and Thayer arrived
aud were granted an immediate interview
They informed Mr.. Stanton that they
came at the request of their Republican col
leagues to ask that he should not surrender
except to physical force, and on no &C
count to leave his Office long enough foI
General Thomas to move In and get pos
session, so as to put upon him the neces
slty of resor.ing to any unusual mean;
to retain the Office
Mr. Stanton replied that if the Repub
lican party were united upon the ques
ton, and they considered it to be his duty
to remain, he would do SO until he was re
moved piecemeal; that this was not hi:
quarrel, but that of the loyal people, and
he wanted it to be understood That il
they would act in the matter, and sc,
promptly, he would see it through; but
he was not disposed to keep up this fight
single handed and alone.
The Senator'S assured him that on this
question the Republican party were u
unit at the Capitol, and they would act
in the matter before the adjournment ;
and that, as he had frequently spent night
after night in his Office when the country
was in peril, it ought to be repeated now,
for they considered the same emergency
now exists as then. They then left,
promising that he should hear from
them officially before many hours
They proceeded to General Grants
headquarters, and found him making ar
rangements to go to New York to. ight,
but on their putting the case to him aud
announcing their intention to resist any
attempt to remove Mr. Stanton, they
soon found that he coincided with their
views, aud left for the Senate.
On their return they found the Senate
in Executive Session, and Mr.. Sherman
making speech and rcpudiating the pre-
tense of the law which the President had
set up No question was before the Sen
ate except the point as to the power Of
the President to remove Secretary Stan
ton. All the Republicans were clear in
their views that he had not the power
and were anxious to get some action to
day, but the Democrats were equally anx-
ious to secure delay, and INDUCED in
long arguments in defense of the Presi
dent, and the Republicans accordingly
took up the gauntlet; and now, at half
past eight, the debate still goes on.
Messrs. Howard, Fessendeu, Edmunds,
Conkling, Thayer, Yates and Others have
made bold, clear and powerful speeches,
arraigniDg Mr.. johnson for his defiance
of law, and for his evident determination
to plunge the country into another civil
war, sooner than be baffled in his at.
tempts to turn over the government to the
very men who opposed its salvation dur.
ing the late long aud bloody Rebellion
There are two propositions now under
consideration among the Republicans
One beiug to merely return the notice of
the removal of Mr.. Stanton with their
disapproval, aud another to state that it
was returned hac,usa ha b,1 ,o...o...l