The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1868-02-22

had they risen. that they i%mmagined
they could make it a penal offence tor
the President to differ from them and to
exercise his constitutional powers in
derogation of their measures, without
preterring an impeachment against him
according to the provisions of the organ
ie law. They attempted to thrust into
his council a person whom he had dis
missed from his service, and ITO com
pei him to recognize and cooperate with
a man who was and avowed enemy of
the President and a spy upon his &C
tons.
Tile President has at last assumed
tile ofensire, and Congress yields to him,
instead of him yielding to Congress.
The steps he has taken to recover the
power he seemed to have ~rel:aquished,
are these:
LIST. He has directed Gen. Grant,
not the Secretary: of War-to assign
Gen. W. Il. Sherman to the command
of a new: department. to be called the
Department of the Atlantic, which is to
include the present Departments OF
Washington, the East and the Lakes,
with his headquarters at Washington
2d He has nominated Gen. Sherman
to the Senate, as Brevet General of the
Armies of the United States.
Sd. He has ordered Major-General 10
7euzo Thomas, Adjutant General of the
Army Of the United States, to resume
the duties of that office, which for some
years have been performed by Briga-
der General f. D. Townsend, Assistant
Adiutant General, while General Thorn
as was absent on inspection duty in va
rlous parts of the country.
The significance Of these orders Of
the President, it is scarcely necessary
to point out. First, Gen. Grants obedi-
ence to a direct and positive order of
the President, not coming through the
Secretary of War is fully tested by Gen.
Sherman's ASST gnment to command. The
President must be satisfied of Gen. Sller-
mans opposition to Radical measures of
Congress and his fidelity as an officer
subject to his orders, else he would not
bring him into contact with Grant.
Secondly, In nominating Gen. Sherman
to the Senate as Brevet General of the
army he tests the disposition of that
body to pay a deserved honor to the
officer next in rank to Grant, who did
the work Of the battles, for which
the latter has the credit. If they con
sent to the distiction thus conferred, good
and well-if not, Gen. Sherman and the
country will See that it is purely from
partisan motives, they refuse a mark Of
respect so richly his due. Thirdly, In
ordering Gen. Thomas to- resume his
duties as Adjutant General of the army,
he places an officer distinguished by his
freedom from political partisanship and
by his dignified personal character, in a
position which has been filled for some
time by a man of bitter radical predi-
lections, who has made himselfthe too, Of
| Stanton and his faction. We do not
know what the political opinions of Gen.
Thomas are, if he has any, but We do
know that he is an officer of a stamp far
above the miserable crew with whom he
has been associated. He left WASH
ington during the war and ever since has
been on inspection duty, experimenting
the establishment of army cemeteries
and caring for the remains of deceased
soldiers, The Adjutant Generals office
is the office through which the President
ordinarily communicates with the armY|
OH purely military matters. and to
extent Gen. Thomas is superior to
Grant, and perhaps in future tire
dents orders to the latter will
through Gen. Thomas. at AZ
such would be the ordinary
transmission If these orders.
was the individual through 4
Grant delivered the key
tary of Wars room to st
These are the preliq
taken by the Presidenl
righttul authority, an
impeachment projea
thereof.
As those of ous
familiar with d
even yet fYl