Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-01-02
THE DEFUNCT STANTON.
Ex-Secretary stanton Pre-
pairing His Defense for tine
senate--AdditiOnal Rea-
sons for His Suspen.
sion from Office.

Ex-Secretary Stanton has returned to
this city, and is busy, it is said, pre-
pairing his defense before the Senate
What line he will adopt is unknown to
outside barbarians, as since his retire
ment from cilce he has practiced the ut
most reticeuce and secresy, refusing to
be INTERCEPTED by correspondents, and
declining TO inform even his friends
what he is about. The general impress
sion now seems to be that he has q poor
case, and that he cannot muster cor.
porals guard of supporters in the Sen.
ate. In this connection il may be stated
that the causes assigned in the Presi-
dents message for the removal OF
Mr.. Stanton are by no means
the only ones which led TO that
result There we're others which,
in the mind of the President, fur
nished strong grounds for the decapi-
tation of the Secretary. Among these
were charges Of divulging Cabinet pro-
ceedings and of conniving at the circu-
lation Of ISLANDERS against the President.
As an illustration ] may mention that 1t
was charged against Mr.. johnson that
he had spoliated Booths diary by tear
ing out.of it a number of leaves contain.
ing positive evidence of completely in
the assassination of President hincoln.
These leaves, it is said, were hidden
away somewhere in the War Department,
under the control of Mr.. Stanton and
Judge Advocate Holt. Whether such
leaves existed or not it was deemed
by President johnson to be the
duty Of the Secretary of War to
make the facts known. II the
story of the existence of evidence OF the
kind mentioned was true, Stanton ought
to have had the parties implicated by the
evidence, brought to justice and con-
victed, even though one of them hap.
pened to be the President of the United
States. That, the President believed,
was duty the Secretary Of War owed to
the people. If it were not true, then, as
a Cabinet officer, as confidential adj
wiser of the President, it was his duty to
clear away such black cloud from the
fame of his superior. Mr. Stanton did
neither the one thing nor the other,
though he knew all along that the
story of President Johnsons COM
pliClty III lut CliiuO WOO ussSh'y W.
founded. This alone, in the Presidents
opinion, was sufficient ground for
Stanton's removal. At the summer
meeting of Congress General Schenck
Introduced a resolution calling specifi-
cally for the President to furnish to
Congress copy of the Cabinet proceed
ings on unfinished and incomplete dis
cussions relative to instructions to the
FIVE military commanders. 1t is charged
that Stanton penned that resolution, and !
must have informed Schenck of the |
character of that part Of the Cabinet |
proceedings not given officially to
the public. The President, as will |
be remembered, refused to accommodate |
General Schenck and Congress en- the |
subject until such time as, in the opinion |
of the Executive, it would rebound TO the |
public benefit to do so. Notwithstanding /
this decision of the President. NJ stan
ton, it is charged, furnished the parsicz-
lars of the Cabinet diseussi0as. scGgni
for by Schenck, to the c1-rsspc1tanE al
a Western paper, thus vicazrlr'E she Grc,t
faith deemed essential II an h1n.rIsls
Cabinet officer. The pa-sStuEE-x the
President considers, LEAKED cEi Gcn No
other quarter Wesks@gssE Cdr- N r. \
Herald.