Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-29

the State, of the Treasury, of War, of
the Navy, and of the Interior, the Post
master General, and the Attorney Cen
eral shall hold their offices respectively
for and during the term of the President
By aohons they may have been appointed.
and for one month thereafter, subject to
removal by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate.
[Signed]. GEO. 81. WILLIAMS,
JNo.. SHERMAN,
Managers on the part of the Senate.
RoBT. G. SCHENcK,
THos. WILLIAMS,
JAEEs F. WILSON,
Managers on the part of the House,"
The following debate then took place
in the Senate:
Senator Doolittle said, speaking of the
prcviso
81 suppose it is aimed at the present
head of the Executive Department to
bind him to keep certain members of his
Cabinet; for it openly avowed, in the
discussion of this bill when it was up be-
fore, that it would be intolerable to allow
the present Executive Magistrate to have
the power of removal on certain members
of the Cabinet mentioned by name. Now
this project does not reach those mem
bers at ALL" He quotes the proviso.)
"Now, let us look at the facts. The
Secretary of War was appointed by Mr..
Lincoln during his first term he has
never received any appointment since
Mr.. Lincoln gave him no appointment
during the second term, but he held over.
Mr.. ] ohnson has given him no appoint
ment, but he held over;
but the Secretary of State, the Secretary
of War, and the Secretary of the Navy,
according to the terms of this provision,
may be removed by him tomorrow.
In reply, Senator Sherman, one of the
confreres, said:
ave do not legislate in order to keep
in the Secretary of War, the Secretary
of the Navy, and the Secretary of State"
Mr.. Doolittle-"It was openly stated
by some friends of this restriction on the
Presidents power over the Secretaries,
that it was not to he tolerated; that the
present Chief Magistrate should have the
power to remove the Secretary of War
by name.'
Mr.. Sherman-s.Thatt the Senate had
no such purpose is shown by its vote
twice to make this exception. That this
provision does not apply to the present
case is shown by the fact that its Ian
guage is so framed as not to apply to the
present President. The Senator shows
that himself, and argues truly that it
would not prevent the present President
from remou,ng the Secretary of War.
the Secretary of the Navy and the Sec
retary of State. And if 1 supposed that
either of these gentlemen was so want
ing in manhood, in honor, as to hold his
place after the politest invitation by the
President of the United States that his
services were no longer needed, 1 GER
tainly, as a Senator, would consent to
his removal at any time, and so would
we all."- Cong. Globe, Part III, I'd
Sess., 39M Congress, PIP. 1514-1516.
If Senator Sherman has any con-
science outside of party fealty, how
can he in the face of these declarations,
when he shall be sworn as judge to try
the issue made by this impeachment,
answer that President johnson is guilty
of high misdemeanor for removing Ed
win M. Stanton in violation of the Ten
ure of Office Act? Let him recollect
that the eye of the Searcher of all hearts
is upon him as well as that of the peo-
pie of Ohio, and he cannot evade the
question as political one, which he did
the Executive session of the Senate,
which passed upon the question of Stan
toms suspension. The language of the
law is so plain that this article of i'm
peachment will be clearly out of Court
before the trial commences under the
lash of Thad. Stevens.
Now, what further is said in this de-
bate in the Senate as to the conduct of
Cabinet officer who would sink so low
as Edwin M. Stanton s? Let him read
and look into the following mirror of
himself as reflected by the remarks of
Radical Senators. Mr.. Williams. of
Oregon, says:
90 = have no doubt that
any Cabinet minister who has particle
of self respect-and We can hardly sup
pose that any man would occupy so re-
spOuSlUlt du OulCo WltuOuL udflUS that
feeling-would decline to remain in the
Cabinet after the President had signi-
fled to him, that his services were no
longer needed"
Mr.. Howard says:
81 have no doubt the practical inter-
probation of the bill will be such as the
honorable Senator from Oregon has sug-
gested."
Mr.. Sherman, again:
81 agree to the report of the confer
ence committee with considerable reluc-
tancan at taka II
that no case can arise or is likely to
arisewhere Cabinet Minister will at
tempt to hold on to his office after his
chief has desired his removal. can
scarcely conceive of such case. think
that no gentleman, no man with any
sense of honoc, would hold a posi-
ton of Cabinet officer after his chief de-
sired his removal, and, therefore, the
slightest intimation on the part of the
President would always secure the re-
signation of Cabinet officer"
To all these protestations of Radical
( Senators. how truly has Senator Hen
bricks prediction, made in the same de-
bate, proved true, when he said "a mean
person getting into the Cabinet would
say if the President desired him to