Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-03-25

Il HOMAb w lLLiAhot
JAMES f. WILSON,
Managers on the part of the House.
How then can fair face be put on thi'
matter Of impeachment when Stanton
was never appointed by Johnson, anC
only too long suffered the nuisance o.
the presence of such Judas and spy in
his household That he could not be
impeached for such thing was virtually
avowed in the debate on the passage o.
the bill, and not denied, and the fact
enters into the construction Of the inten
ton of the Legislature if the law is at al
doubtful on its face, which to say the
least, is evident. Two of the. members
of the Committee on Conference to all
intents and purposes SO declared in ex-
planning the report made by them, and
which was finally agreed to. The Chair
man, Williams, of Oregon, on intro
ducing the report, said:
1t will be remembered that the House
put the heads of departments on the
same footing with other civil officers, and
provided that they should not at any time
be removed without the advice and con-
sent of the Senate. Objection was made
to that because, it was said, that when a
new President came into Office he might
be compelled to have<a Cabinet not of
his own selection. This amendment
provides that when the term of office Of
the President expires the Offices of the
memberslof the Cabinet shall also expire,
with provision that they may continue
in Office for one month, so as to enable
the incoming President to arrange his
new Cabinet.
He utterly repudiated the idea of the
President being bound by the bill in the
present case as to his Cabinet, and there
fore expressly treated the objection as of
no importance, thus:
/ will add that have from the begin
ming Of this controversy regarded this as
quite an immaterial matter, notwith-
standing the fact that the two Houses
have been very tenacious in the respec-
tive positions they have taken, for have
no doubt that any Cabinet minister who
has a particle of self-respect-and we
can hardly suppose that any man would
occupy so responsible an office without
having that feeling-would decline to re-
main in the Cabinet after the President
had signifed to him that his presence was
no longer needed. As matter Of course
the effect of this provision will amount
to very little, one way or the other; for
/ presume that whenever the President
sees proper to rid himself of an offensive
or disagreeable Cabinet minister, he will
only have to signify that desire and the
minister will retire, and new appoint
ment be made but it was considered by
the Committee of Conference that this
report was in accordance with the spirit
of the bill, and the only one upon which
we could agree.
Sherman, of Ohio, another member of
the Committee, went still further. He
said it was the design and spirit of our
government that cabinet officers should
hold their offices at the will of the Presi.
dent, who was responsible for the dis
charge of their several functions, he
denied the possibility that any cabinet
minister could so debase himself as to
hold an Office against the pleasure Of
his chief, and said he would make q refu.
sal to resign itself cause of removal. Yet
Mr.. johnson is now impeached with the
advice and consent of this very Sherman
for removing minister Sherman said
year ago deserved to be removed, and
that he would remove himself He said:
| agree to the report of the Conference
Committee with good dealof reluctance.
The Senate had by two deliberate votes
declared its purpose not to make the du-
ration of the Cabinet officers fixed by
any time, but that they should hold their
offices at the pleasure of the President;
and that was the original design in the
creation OF their Offices; but the general
purpose Of this bill is so very important,
it establishes so salutary a reform, that |
thought it ought not to be endangered by
ulbpuAt ou COtlhNcIci QucollOu. NC
House conferees and the House by two
votes were very tenacious upon
the subject, and there seemed to be a
probability that the bill would be
lost upon a question that was collateral
and unimportant. take it that no case
can arise, OF. is likely to arise, where a
Cabinet minister is likely to hold on TO
his Office after his chief desires his re-
moval. | can scarcely conceive Of such
a case. think that no gentleman, no
man with any sense Of honor, would held
a position as Cabinet officer after his
chief desired bis removal, and, therefore. :
the slightest intimation on the part Of
the President would always secure the
resignation Of a Cabinet officer For
this reason do not wish to jeopardize
this bill by an snimportant and collateral
question.
That this provision does not apply TO
the present case is shown By the fact that
its language is so framed az not 70 apply
to the present President The Senator
showed that himself, aud argues truly
that il would not prevent the present
President from removing the Secretary
OF War, the Secretary Of the Navy, and
the Secretary Of State. And II I sup
posed that either Of these gentlemen vas
SO wanting 10 manhood, in horor, as 10
hold his place after the politest intima-
lion hy the President Of the United States
that bis services we're no longer needed,