Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-02-23

d. ~. / DDfI NlI-Fuhly anu N4ANAA ANY Al .NA
I the Dssr Msdam. seeing this, and my4HfA
2 ami ter, aged fifteen months, having the we
cour- cough for several ~Taontls- aceomganie
SO1i what the doctors call white canker, Der
/ 5sCrebaFy or NAr and Moderated, aud
other officer to perform the duties'l eass
office"
This substitute was agreed to without
any division. The injunction OF secresy
was removed from il, and copies Of the
resolution ordered to be communicated
to the President, Secretary OF War and
Adjutant-Geners Thomas.
New YORK, February 22-The Wash
ingtOn correspondent OF the Herald had
an interview with President Johnson,
late last night, relative to the removal Of
Secretary Stanton.
The correspondent remarked " that
the country was surprised st his action"
The President smiled, and inquired {:
" Well, what do the people cay ? Isup-
pose they are surprised Sut l have only
done what I had determined upon long
ago"
Correspondent "The removal, then,
is not in pursuance of a recent determi-
nation on your pRTt?"
President: "Not at all, sir. The peO-
pie Of the United States seem 20 have
mistaken my course altogether in this
aux l. = AgFEA AAA oAN 80 o(N[A
| mlnation on the subject, but / have acted
carefully, pTudently and moderately.
Perhaps [ have been too slow about re-
moving Mr.. Stanton, but not because /
feared the bUgbear of impeachment, or
that / dreaded anything that Congress
might do. Nothing that body could az
tempt or carry out would intimidate or
! surprise me. know that they are capR-
Die of doing anything. I delay ed final
action solely to let the country see and
understand the position Of Mr.. Stanton.
We first intimated TO him that we would
like for him to withdraw from our priyy
council. He did not take tie hint. We
then requested him TO resign, to which
he refused. We then suspended him
under the constitutional power, which We
have to suspend or remove 3 member of
the Cabinet. The act OF suspension was
almost in conflict With the tenure Of o.
flee bill, though he did not therefore
recognizs its constitutionsiity, but So q
matter of courtesy we sent b reasons
for eur action to the Senate. That body
pretended not to consider those reasons
sufficient, and assumed to reinstate Mr..
Stanton IN Office. Well, We still waited,
hoping that Mr.. Stanton would see the
pTopriety of resigning. Gems. Sherman
aUQ bAGHk OLACLCA ~ ~ ~ oN@H@SA @AA
advise him TO resign. Here IS a letter
which indicates what they proposed
"WAsHIE61os, January IS Saturday.
4" neglected this morning 10 say that
I had agreed TO 20 down TO Annapolis 20
spend sunday with Admiral Porter.
Gen. Grant has to leave for BichmOnd
Monday morning at six O'Clock. At q
conversation with Gen. Grant after our
interview 1 offered to 60 with him on
Monday morning to Mr.. Stanton, and
said it was our joint opinion he shOgid
resign. 1t was found impossible, BY
reason OF his going TO Richmond and
my going to Annapolis. The General
says he will call OF you tomorrow and
offer to 90 to Ar, Stanton, and say to
him that, for the good OF the country,
he ought to resign. On Monday l Will
call on you, and if you thiuk Il neess-
saTy, l will do the same Call on Mr.. /
Stanton and tell him be should resign.
If he will not, then it will be time
enough to contriVe ulteTioT measures; in
the meantime, it also happens that DO
necessity exists for TecipHaney il the
matter. Yours, truly,
The President then continued after
waiting "a reasonable time:
We thought it proper to-day to order
the removal Of Stanton. o appoint
Gen. Thomas Secretary of War, &C lnts-
rim. This is the whole story"
Correspondent: "Was this step dis
in Cabinet council, Mr.. Presi-
dsnt?"
President No sir, not precisely. 4
general policy was sgreed upon some
time CO. and the removal to-day is in
accordance herewith, ! have just re-
3 copy Of g resolution adopted by
the Senate tonight in Executive ses-
The President here sdded the
resolution printed elsewhere.
Correspondent what will the Sen
ate do, Mr.. President, under that resOlu-
ton, II you stu insist upon having Gen.
Thomas as Secretary OF War, al int
rim p"
President: at don't see that they can
10 anything. The resolution itsslf Il the
end of the matter so far IS the Senate ia
concerned, unless the House presents ar
.ieles of impeachment, and the Senate
undertakes 10 try the Executive, and re-
solves itself into q High Court of I'M
1eachment."
Correspondent ado you think Con-
really will sttempt impeachment %
President: II don't know, indeed
do / care. 1t would make very little
Inference to me-'
The correspondent here asked what
lie President would do in the event of
passage of Dir. Edmonds' bill OF SGs-
TO which the President an
wered, substantially
Sir, 7 you'd not obey the law if they
.ttempted TO Suspend me. The Law is
lesrly unconstitutional. There Is a
,oint against It which you gentlemen Of
he press seem to have altogether over
Ooked. The dill of Senator Ednonds to I
pending the trial, you'd IN ,
.oubtedly be Al eg post fdct0 lay, ss far
: my case would be concerned. Such a ]
NV is declared unconstitutional by the
cry language Of the Constitution itself.
iy o~ffense, we will suppose, is the re-
loval Of Mr.. Stanton. That is an &C
omplished TACT. Any law prescribing a
enalsy for that act would be eJ p0st
1ctO, and therefore unconstitutional.
low, therefore, can Congress legally
ass a bill of such ~charaeteT? >" =
The correspondents then remarked that
ertain Radicals might argue that his I
existence IN keeping Mr.. stanton out i
( office, after the Senate declaring his {
smovaI contrary 10 law, and after the I
IOkGGCd passage Vi MI GAL1OuuE SUE 4 .
bill, would be bringing the cues {
on out OF operation of An ca post Jacto {
W.. The President replied that couldn't /
lteT the case, b the oHense charged ,
-Ould still cause the removal of Mr.. !
tantOn for an act performed before the ]
assage OF the proposed dill. In reply
, an inquiry as TO whether the PresI I
ent bad seen Gen. Thomas since the =
,teryiew of the latter with Stanton, the
said yes and proceeded to
ate what had occurred at that inter I
Isw. Gen. Thomas, be said, Hsited
M. Stanton and showed MIN the
residents order relieving Mr.. stanton, y
Id appointing hun (Gen. 9'homas) .
Secretary vi War sd interim. MIR. 4
anton read the order, and asked c
somxs whether he would be obliged to ,
.cSte the office forth with. TuoSas Z
i'd that his Instructions were to assume Il
Immediately. stanton then :
i'd that ne would IKE TO have time 10
range ano take away his papers ana :
,cuments, to which Thomas replied
a considerable time would be allowed :
r such q purpose. Nc time, however, Z
hGed Tor MIR. Stanton W hHlsh his .
rangements. The Prssident repeat
Iy expressed his utter indifference - \
what curse Congress might aSopt on :
g impeachment QUESTION, and, III an o.
Ier TO 3 pairing remark OF your cor Z
pondent that b president might y
.ep soundly, IN spite OF threatened I'M h
he said, laughing: - d,
ut thiLk my siHm0srs Will be much n
,turDed by that lear. 1 shall slsep =
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