The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-03-06
The Presidents View of the situa.
finn

ter the state dinner and found hin
not stricken with fear or trembling ,bu
smiling and radiant, in better humo
and spirits than for many months. The
President received your correspondent
after the usual hour for visitors, ant
granted him half an hours inter
view. After the customary salutation,
your correspondent remarked that tho
country was somewhat taken by sur.
prise by the sudden relnoval Of Stanton
and the appointment Of Thomas Us Sec.
rotary al interim.
The President smiled and inquired,
"Wcll, what do the people say? / sup.
pose they are surprised but have only
done what l had determined upon long
ago"
Correspondent-The removal, then, is
not in pursuance Of a recent determine
ion on your part, Mr.. President? 2"
The Pre>ihent-"Not at all sir. The
people seem to have mistaken my
course altogether in this matter. l nev-
cr had but one determination on tn,
subject, but have acted carefully, pru.
dentiy and moderately. Perhaps
have been too slow about removing Mr.
Stanton, but not because | feared tn,
bugbear Of impeachment, or that |
dreaded anything that Congress might
do. Nothing that body could attempt
or carry out would intimidate or sur
prise me. ! know they are capable OF
doing anything. delayed final action
solely to let the country see and un-
derstand the position Of Mr.. Stanton.
We first minated to him that we
would like him to withdraw from our
priVy council. lie did not take the
hint. We then requested him to resign.
He refused. We then suspended him,
under the constitutional power which
we have TO suspend or remove mem
ber of our Cabinet. The act Of suspen.
sion was also not in conflict with the
Tenure of Office bill, though we did not
therefore rvcognizeits constitutiOnality.
As matter of courtesy we sent reasons
for our action to the Senate. That body
pretended not to consider those reasons
sufficient, and assumed to reiustate Mr..
stanton in Office. Well, we still wait
cd, hoping Mr.. Stanton would see the
propriety of resigning, himself. General
sherman and General Grant offered to
20 to stanton and advise him TO resign.
Here is IL letter which indicates what
they proposed:
The President here allowed your cor
respondent to read the following letter
10 him from General Sherman -
392 X STREET, WAsuGNGroN,
Jan. lS-oaturdlty. j
| neglected this morning to say tha,
/ | had agreed to 90 down to Annapolis
! to spend Sunday with Admiral Porter
| Genera! Grant has o leave for Rich
mond on Monday morning, at six a. NJ
/ At Il conversation with the General al
/ ter our interview, wherein | offered t,
60 with him on Monday morning to Mr.
/ stanton and say that it was our john
/ opinion he should resign, it was iouno
impossible by reason of his going II
Richmond and my going to Annapolis
The General proposed this course I'll,
Will call on you Tomorrow and offer Il
go 10 Mr.. Stanton to LAY for the good o
the service and ofthe country he ought
to resign. This on Sunday. On Mon
day ! will again call ON you, and If you
think it necessary | will do the same
call ON Mr.. stanton and tell him h,
should resign. If he will not, then ii
viii he Time to vontrive Interior mea-
sures. In the meantime it SO happens
that no necessity exists for precipitatng
matters,
Yours truly,
w, T. SHERMAN, Lieutenant General
The President then continued. "Altel
waiting a reasonable time we thought
proper to-day to order the removal o
Mr.. Stanton and to appoint Genera
Thomas Secretary Of War dd interim
This is the whole story"
spondcnt-"Was this step dis
cusscd in the Cabinet Counsel, Mr.
President ~
The Prcsidcnt-"No,s sir; not precise
Is. y general policy was agreed upol
some time ago, and the removal to-day
is in accordance Herewith. | have
just received II copy of the resolution
adopted by the Senate tonight in exc
vutiVc session. The President here
read the resolution printed elsewhere.
Correspondents" -"What will the Senat,
| do Mr.. President, under that resolution
if you still insist upon having Genera
Thomas act rs Secretary dd Mterim.
The Prcsidcnt-"l don't see that they
can do anything. The resolution it
self is the end Of the matter,so laras tn
7 senate is concerned, unless the lIous
/ presents articles of impeachment an,
/ the Senate undertakes to try the Exc
cutive and resolves itself into a hig
/ court Of impeachment"
Corrcspondcnt.-"DO you think Con
/ grc-s really will attempt impeachment
/ Mr., President ?'
The Prc.idcnt--"I don't know, in
deed nor do care. 1t would max
very little difference TO me-"
Yonr correspondent here asked wha
the President would do in the even
of the passage Of Mr.. Edmunds' bill c
suspension, to which the President an
swered, substantially, "Sir, would nc
obey the law ifthey attempted to su,
pend me. The law is clearly unconst
tutional. There is II point against
which you gentlemen of the press seel
to huvealtogcthcr overlooked. The hi
Ex-senator Edmunds to suspend pendin
trial would undoubtedly he an et po
JdctO law so TAR rs my case would /
concerned. Such Il law is declared III
constitutional by the very language
the constitution itself. Ny offence, "
will suppose, is the removal of NJ
stanton. That is an accomp li,hC
fact Any law prescribing a ponalt
, tor that act would be er post .Jdcto, an
therefore unconstitutional. How, ther
fore, can Congress legally pass bill
= such character?
Your correspondent remarked TN