Smyrna times., 1868-02-26
The Excitement at Washington.

The Excitement at Washington.
Again the whole country is thrown into the
widest excitement by the efforts of President
johnson to oust Mr.. Stanton as Secretary of
War, contrary to law, and appoint successor.
The following are the particulars:
At about noon on Friday, Secretary Stanton
received the following letter from the Pres- I
dent through Adjt-Gen Thomas:
SIR BY virtue of the power and authority |
vested in me as President, by the Constitution
and laws of the United States, you are hereby
removed from office as Secretary OF the De-
partment Of War, and your functions as such
upon the receipt of this communication. 4Ou
will transfer to Brevet Major General Lorenzo
Thomas, Adjutant-General of the army, who
has this day been authorized and empowered
to act Secretary Of War, dd interim.
Gen Thomas also presented his order from
the President to take possession Of the De-
paItment Mr.. Stanton asked him Tor copy
Of the order, which was given, and he then in-
formed General Thomas that he would take
time to consider the matter Thomas soon
left :he Department.
Soon after sending these orders to Stanton
and Thomas, the President transmitted to the
Senate communication, announcing the sus-
pension of Mr. Stanton and the appointment
In the meantime, Mr.. Stanton had commu
ncated to the Speaker of the House and to
the President OF the Senate copies Of the
Presidents letter to him, as printed above
The effect in the House was, of course, to
I create good deal of furOre, and the inten-
tion to observe Saturday as a holIla was at
; once reversed, and session for regular busl-
5 ness ordered Impel chment became the
r topic of conversation instantly.
In the Senate the following resolutions were
l agreed to, the vote standing 2G to e.
ReSolreI by tile Senate Of the United States,
! That under the Constitution and laws of the
United States, the President has no power to
/ remove the Secretary of War and desgnate
! any other officer 20 perform the duties Of that
office.
: ResolCed, That the Secretary of the Senate
0 is hereby directed to transmit copy Of this
resolution to the President, the Secretary of
:, War, and Adjt.-Gen. Thomas.
Among the nays on the adoption of the
" retoutions were Messrs. Buckalew, Bayard
;. Dixon, Doolittle and Davis. The discussion
!, was very deliberate, in good temper, and with
out excitement
y On Friday night, Secretary Stanton remain
: ed all night in the War Department, being
q called upon by large number of Republican
+ members of Congress.
a At ! o'clock Oh Saturday morning, the Hon.
:. David r. Carter, Chief Justice Of the Supreme
= Court Of the District OF Columbia, visited the
War Department By o clock Gen. Farms
=. worth, Mr. Judd, Of Illinois, and other Con-
, gressmen arrived, and Mr.. Stanton had quite a
levee, as he discussed the breakfast which had
4, been sent to him from his home. During the
IL night, number Of letters were sent to him
SIS from the capitol urging him to maintain his
position.
ii Secretary Stanton determined to avail him
st self OF the TGnure-of-O lice law, of which the
5, third section reads as follows:
a SEC. 5. That if any person shall, contrary
IL to the provisions of this act. accept any ap
e pointment to or employment in any Office, oil
n shall hold or exercise, or attempt to hold OIL
)y exercise any such office or employment, he
e. shall be deemed, and is hereby declared to be
lie guilty of a high misdemeanor, and upon trla
as and conviction thereof, he shall be punished
therefor by fine not exceeding ten Thousand
ms dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding hvt
years. or both said punishmentS, in the discre
ton of the Court.
- He therefore made affidavit of the facts o
'of General Thomas attempting to exercise the
~ functions of Secretary of War, before Chic
as. Justice Carter, and that official issued war
ch rant for the arrest of Gen. Thomas.
full Gen. Thomas was arrested at his resdenc
er. about s o'clock on Saturday morning. Whe
it, arrested he had not been many hours returne
ms from a masquerade ball held the night before
all and he was at his breakfast.
as Waving q preliminary hearing, Gener;
use Thomas was, at about half past 10, released o
our $4,000 bail, to appear on Wednesday next for
uld f,r,Lor banr;Drr II A Lrlror 81 - ID III
u, " of the District of Columbia, entered sccurit
"a for him in the sum named
"~ General Thomas then had another intervie
~ with the President
re. On Saturday evening, there were present
10 a Secretary StantOn's office, Representative
ear Morehead and Kelley, of Pennsylvania, Va
1T Horn and Van Wyck. of New York, DUdg
, be of Iowa, Ames, of Massachusetts,, Freema
iich Clarke of New York. aud ex member Of Co
rld! gress Delano, Of Ohio.
and About ll:3O, General Lorenzo Thomas pr
ing sented himself at the door, and told Mr.. Sta
oy ton that he would like to see him.
cate ,I Mr.. Stanton requested him to proceed WI
we we anything he had to say.
: ~ General Thomas remarked that he had cor
." " to discharge the duties of Secretary OF War
-. interim, having been ordered to do SO by c
80 President OF the United States.
n"h, Mr. Stanton replied that he could do no su
Won thing, and ordered him to his room to pertol
.ause his duties as Adjutant- General.
= IN, General Thomas replied that he had be
mi i ordered by the President to act as Secretary
man; War, and he intended to do 1t.
4 for Mr.. Stanton again replied that he shol
duty, not, and again ordered him to his own roc
f the and denied the power of the President
labor make any such order.
e the General Thomas said he would not 90 n
roht- he should obey the orders of the Preside
whose and not obey the orders OF Mr.. Stanton.
!, ana MIR. Stanton remarked: "As Secretary
os a,;n n0 War; order you to repair to your own pl
StO" sSO.s as Adjutant-General."
is so Gen. Thomas-"I shall not do so.''
fodv Mr. Skanfnn- &C III, 49,, ,n.,, ,t.., 49,,