Middletown transcript., 1868-02-29
.ersss. ON. sps. rrsuslss ). xv..A.ar.o..

The views of the leading papers of IL
country in regard to the removal of Seer,
tary Santon and the proposed impeachmel
OF the President, are of interest at th
particular juncture of affairs, That po
ton of the press which Is regarded as
all rational, twill be seen, takes soun
and safe views, On the subject. We ther.
fore make the following extractsfrom 10 joul,
mails Of different parties, excluding ultr
views on either side:
50 fSomtas Nssc Fork Journal Of Commerce. y
! Al good citizens must regret suchg
controversy between two departments I
/ the government; but if the breach canno
be healed, and we IRE to have no peac
until the contest is decided, perhaps it
as well that the parties should measur
their strength at once, and bring about tn
result as quickly as possible. %
-Gilt must be evident, TO every candid OBJ
server,i that the congressional party ha
made q great mistake in forcing the ,issu
upon the particular point now most prom
inent, in dispute, It. is altogether til,
weakest part VT their whole case, and til,
President has shown NO little shrewdnes,
in selecting Mr.. Stanton as the object o
| attack. ~ iln7 the first place the general pub
lic feel: no personal sympathy for Mr.. Stan.
tonad INSCRIPTIONS, overbearing, double.
faced, and greedily selfish, even the radi.
| Gals dislike and mistrust him. Nor have
those who defend the tenure-of-office ac,
any strong ground to stand upon in its
support Its constitutionality is, to say
the least, very doubtful, and hence they
are afraid to submit it to the courts All
other considerations are alike against it.
Every one must confess that it seems "a great
hardship to insist that the President may
not select his own Cabinet, nor change
those OF his constitutional advisers whose
opinions are directly adverse to the prin-
ciples he is endeavoring to establish and
maintain. Especially will the people SYM
pathize with hun in this struggle to free
himself from an obnoxious adviser. when
1T rs remembered that the secretary he
would displace was not of his own appoint
ment, but came to him as a legacy from a
former incumbent of the office to which he
has succeeded. .,
No manwho had any proper selfrespect,
or decent regard for public opinion, would
hold the office to which Stanton clings thus
desperately moment longer than was ac-
oeptable to his Immediate superior. If
Mr.. Stanton We're the best man in the Uni
ted States for that office, and DIr. johnson
evidently disposed to evil if unrestrained,
the principle would not be changed. The
end, however desirable, does not Justify
improper means. Every right-nlinded
man feels that the attempt to force this
cabinet officer into the Presidents coun-
sels, when the latter has signifed his un-
Willingness to- continue him in that rela-
tion, is an outrage to which no one could
be expected to submit patiently. 1t is be-
cause such an intrusion is an outrage and
an indignity toward the one who is hated
that thelradicals have sought to enforce it,
The plea that the safety of the nation
requires it is known to be a subterfuge. 1t
is designed to huiniliate the President, and
to punish him for his opposition to the ex-
treme measures of the dominant party, al
though it may be coupled with the hope
that the Secretary can DO useful in secu-
ring further lease Of power for those who
support him. In making these remarks
we are not indorsing President Johnson's
views upon any subject involving national
interests. If Frederick Douglass were
elected President, or In any way fell heir
10 this office, we would claim for him tn
right to select his own cabinet, and to
;hangc the members thereof at his discre-
lion. F''h i a
i,-ita From the New York Times, rep.
The Presidents removal of Mr.. Stanton,
and his appointment of Gen. Thomas, were
m distinct and unmistakable defiance of
law. Ut is also clear that this violation of
The law has been Intentional ON the Presi-
dents part--not with view, as the heated |
sealots OF Congress assume, of usurping |
power and ovorthrowing the institutions Of |
me country, but for the purpose of testtnq
Ne iconstattionaiity Of tie ta.e, and of pro-
curing judicial definition of the limits
md prerogatives of the executive DEPART
nent of the government, under the con-
'titution of the United States. 1t would
be going too far to say that the President
mas right thus to violate and disregard
aw by his own official acts, for the pur-
pose of testing its validity, for it is the
'olemn and imperative duty of the Presi-
lent, as of every other officer and citizen.
o obey the laws. But if he takes the risk
# disobedience, he is entitled also to the
,hance of being sustained in the opinion
IN which his action is based. In this case
he President believes that the constitution
gives him the right Of removing civil Of
lcers OF the government in such fullWnd
EXPLICIT manner that Congress cannot, by
aw, deprive him of it. He claims, there
ore, to have removed Mr.. Stanton by yir-
ue of an authority higher than that Of the
aw. and he demands and expects that this