The Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1865-1870, 1868-01-18
THE PLOT THICKENS.

to bring matters to climax in Wash
ington. King Andrew is reported a:
having made up his mind to direct the
affairs of the army with bis own hand,
jast as if there were no such thing as
the War Department; and, following
the footsteps of his illustrious master,
Secretary of the Treasury McCulioch is
said to have promulgated an order
among his subordinates, instituting a
positive and profound ignorance of the
existence of such q character as Sec
rotary" Stanton. We suppose that if,
BY An extension of this remarkable state
of affairs, the President were to remove
his entire Cabinet in violation of the
Tenure of Office Act, and they should
be all reinstated by Congress, Mr.. John
son would undertake to run the whole
government machine himself, and direct
tie business of the State, Navy,
Treasury, Postofice, Attorney Generals
and Interior Departments after the die
tates Of his sovereign pleasure. Why
not? If he can dispense with the SER
vices OF the Secretary of War just
when and how he pleases, why might
he not adopt o similar course of action
with regard to the other Ministerial de-
partments To be sure, the President
is, under the Constitution, the Com
mander .in-Chief of the Army and Navy
and, to a certain extent, has the direc-
tion aud control Of them but that
position carries with it 70 right to per-
form an illegal act, such as his reported
contemplated action toward Stanton
would be. A perversion of powers is
as much q "high crime and misdemean-
or" As anything that can be conceived
of.
When an officer violates the Rules
and Articles of War, he is amenable to
Court Martial. Those Rules and
Articles-enacted by Congress-specify
the channels through which the bust
ness of the army is to be transacted.
Certain descriptions of business are
directed to be done by communication
with the Secretary of War. This can
not be evaded, excepting through dis
regard of law. If the President, acting
as Commander-in-Ch of the Army,
law, they may, by observing the re-
quirements of strict military discipline,
do as he directs, and find palliation for
so doing by throwing the responsibility
upon him, their superior officer. When
Porter's Corps failed to obey Pope's
order to move upon the enemy, no sub
ordinate officer, CIR man, was respon-
sible for the act, but their commander
ira, responsible and being SO held, was
tried for the offence and cashiered the
service. It strikes US that when even the
constitutional head of the army deli
berately violates the Rules and Articles
Of War, he may be punished-not by
Court Martial-but by the Senate of the
United States, sitting as high Court of
Impeachment.
The War Department is maintained as
q part of the machinery of the Govern
ment. 1t cannot be ignored without
serious detriment to the service and ..
The country. Our foreign affairs are
conducted through the State Depart !
meut our fnancia, operations through c
the Treasury and so on yet, if the |
Executive can, BY virtue of his Office, .
set aside, Mt will, the operations of any
cue of these Departments, why may be
not, we repeat, treat them all with like 6
contempt, and bring the Government to :
\ stand still, or reduce it to a state of P
Chaos?
Truly this Government is being sub a
nitted 10 unprecedented and unlocked f
or trials. Let us hope that its struc-
ure will prove strong and substantial
enough to withstand the shocks which Il
I, oo,,o m p,opv cidao b