Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-02-28
respondent resi- e to read the following letter 70
3Z2 X STREET w ,er,r,-

respondent to read the following letter .
him from General Sherman - ie'Ver 10
322 STREET, WAsErvo,ro,,
! Jan. l8-satnrJat'N'
| L neglected this morning to s"r ,utaay.
agreed to go down to Annapolis to snc trS' mad
Win Admlral Porter. General Grant IL SUNDAY
| for Richmond on Monday morning a. t@s 70 leave
AZ conversation with the General ,fta ln "A, a. Nj.
terVieW, wherein offered to 90 with him ON MIN IN
6%y ini TIS TO mr. stanton and ray that il was
our Jolnt OPINION he should resign + Has - WAS was
Impossible by reason Of his going n H. IoIE9
ana my gong to Annapolis. The Gen. I l
ana En- tis course lie will call on you to-noro
.! the service and Of the country he oI,ht e bVod
eiSn. Inns on Sunday. On Monday vii W re-
GSi Oh YOU and if you think necessary v dn
~ eau on MIR. Stanton and tell him Wv w.
should resign II he will not then i r rei nun he
TO contrlVe Interior measures In Nv ~ t DC timc
cipitating matters. eAlsts Tor pre-
Yours truly.
W. L. SIBERIAN, Lieutenant General.
The President then continued CAT.
waiting q reasonable time he tbonobt mo
per to-day to order the removal of NJ,
Stanton and to appoint General Thomaa
Secretary of War ad Interim. This is the
whole story
Correspondent 'Was this step discussed
in the Cabinet Counsel, Mr.. President?"
The President No, sir; not precisely
A general policy was agreed upon some
time ago, and the removal to-day is in ac-
cordance Herewith. L have just received =
copy Of the resolution adopted by the Sen
ate tonight in executive session." The
President here read the resolution printed
elsewhere.
| Correspondent-"W What will the Senate
do, Mr.. President, under that resolution, if
you still insist upon having Ger. Thomas
act as Secretary Q0 interiU1?"
The President don't sec that tbry
can do anything The resolution itself IS
the end of the matter as far as the Senate
| Is concerned, unless the House presents ar
ticles of impeachment and the Senate nm
deTtakes to try the Executive and resolves
itself into high court OF impeachment"
CorrespOndent-"Do you think Congress
really will attempt Impeachment. Mr..
| PRESIDENT"
The Prcsident-"I don't know, indeed
nor do l care. 1t would make very little
difference to me-"
Your correspondent here asked what the
President would do in the event Of the
passage Of Mr.. Edmunds' bill Of suspen-
sion, to which the President answered, sub
stantlally, "Sir, | would not obey tho law
II they attempted to suspend me. The law
IS clearly unconstitutional. There is
point against it which you gentlemen of the
press seem to have altogether overlooked.
The bill of Senator Edmunds to suspend
! trial would undoubtedly be an &c post fact2
law so far rs my case would be concerned.
| Such Il law is declared unconstitutional 10y
the very language of tho constitution it.
self. My offence, VIC will suppose is the
removal Of MIR. Stanton. That is an ac-
compllshcd fact. Any law prescribing Il
penalty for that act would be e.. post ffcL0,
and therefore unconstitutional How, there
fore, can Congress legally pasaabilof such
q character.
Your correspondent remarked that Ger
tain radicals might argue that persistence
in keeping Mr.. Stanton out of office, after
the Senate declaring his removal contrary
to law, and after the proposed passage Of
Mr.. Edmunds' suspension bill, would be
! bringing the question out Of the operation
of an &C post fttci0 law
Tho President replied that that could not
alter the case, rs the offence charged would
still be the removal of Mr.. Stanton-an act
performed before the passage of the pro-
posed law
In reply to All inquiry as to whether the
President had seen General Thomas since
the interview o. the latter with Mr. Stan
ton the President said yes, and proceeded
to state what, according TO his information,
had occurred at that interview. "Gener-
al Thomas" he said, "waitcd upon Mr.
Stanton, and showed to him the prcsi-
dent's order removing Mr.. Stanton and
appointing him General Thomas) as Sec
rotary Of War I'D interim. Mr.. Stanton
read the order, and asked Thomas whether
he would be obliged to vacate the Office
forthwith. Thomas said his instructions
were to assume control Immediately. Stan
ton then said he would like TO have time
to arrange and take away his papers and
Documents; to which Thomas replied that
a considerable time would be allowed for
such purpose. No time, however, was fixed
for Mr.. Stanton to finish his arrange
ments."
Your correspondent had some further
conversation with the President, but the
chief points have been given. The Presi
dent repeatedly expressed his utter indif-
ference as to what course Congress might
adopt on the impeachment question; and
in answer to a parting remark Of your cor
respondent that the President might sleep
soundly in spite of the threatened impeach-
ment no said, laughing, 81 don't think my
slumbers will be much disturbed by that
affair. [ shall sleep soundIy ana awake re-
freshed."