Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-01-13


ate-The Minority Report-The DEBATE
i'm secret Standardization of Sen1t tor
Ross-What the President will Do-Im-
portant Action of the Cabinet i'm Regard
TO the Alabama CIaims-The Johusoa-
sherman Surreuder-New DE velo pme nts.
Especial Dispatch to the S,ar.l
NEw YORK, Jan. l3.-The HeraLi of this
morning has the following in its Washington
dispatches
WASHINGTON, Jan. I2.-After a careful can
vass of the feeling of a majority of the m m
bers of the Senate in referehce to the case of
Secretary Stanton, l have come to the conCiu-
sion that the vote, if taken Tomorrow, will re-
suit ia favor of Stanton. and, of course, An ..r-
POSITION 10 the objections furnished by t,
President for his continuance In the Cabi-
net Dno-half of the Radical members ex-
pressed themselves as having made up their
minds, and expressed themselves unhesitatinrIy
IN favor of Stanton, the other half was made up
OF those who Were anxious TO hear further upon
the subject of those who opposed the principle
OF the Tenure OF Office bill, yet nothing To
justify the President in suspending Stanton at
the eleventh hour. when his principal reason
for said suspension would have been equally
valid year ago, and OF those who, with no
particular love for Stanton, and rather preiu-
diced against hIm than otherwise, Were yet
more or less determined TO endorse the preya-
lent expression of their party for the sake OF
harmony at least. All were, however ready
10 express the opinion thar Howard's majority
report would be approved in the main. and tS
the Radical element OF the Senate is in over
whelming preponderance, tins seems ineyi-
table.
Senator Doolttle's minority report is said 10
be very short covering only four or five pages
in pamphlet form. The greater part is taken
up with extracts from the speeches OF Senators
and members made on the Tenure of Office bill
previous To its passagr, the object being To show
that Al that time the measure not intended
Ia have the effect of forcing upon the President
"a Cabinet minister who Lee. ohm a IL,
him. II then takes up the dispatch of General
Baird III relation To- the riots at New Orleans.
and argues against the charges contained III tn
majority report, that the President had inter-
polated two words in the copy submitted To
congress thai We're not IN the copy furnished
TO him by Secretary Stanton and Wer,. not ia
the dispatch as General Baird sent il.
Senator Bnckalew, among other things in his
speech yesterday, charged the horrors Of An
dersonville TO Stantons account.
Tomorrow, Senator Dixon proceeds with his
address in favor of the minority rrport. and
viii no doubt nrgc other charges eq ually un-
palatable against the discharged war minister.
He il to be followed by Senator Hendricks on
ia, same side, and II is thought the greater por-
ton of the day will be occupied in the discus
sion of the subject.
The naIne OF Senator Ross is mentioned as one
of the Republican members who cannot be in
fiue need To Join in the vote for Stanton REIN
statement, Some persons attribute this To q per-
sonal pigoce of the Senators against the Secre-
tary, but II Is also surlnlsed that he IL in
scicntlous antagonism to the desi ign of hls party
IN this matter. and believes the welfare OF the
country can be better advanced by leaving
with the President the privilege of rejecting or
retaining any member of his Cabinet as guar
antced To him by the trainers Of thu Constitu-
tion.
Whist will the President do in the event of
the Senate sustaining Stanton and endeav voring
10 force this obnoxious Secretary upon his
Cabinet To this que. ton il IL impossIbIr AZ
present to give any salts factory answer. i do
not think the President himself has come 10
any settled determination on the subject: his
action must b" dependent in a great measure
upon circumstances. Grant may or may not
Nacaie the War Office and turn over the KEYS TO
Stanton upon "A II solution of reinstatement be-
ing adopted 10y the Senate. Should he not va
cate, the President would probably take no
acuon whatever but simply allow Grant
TO coptiaue to administer the office, and
thus compel Stanton 10 resort to "A ,aaa,n-
mus or some other legal proceeding to estab-
lIsh his right TO the position. In taking this
course the President would assume TO be
acting under his broad constitutional power TO
suspend q subordinate for an indefinite period,
thus disregarding altogether the provisions OF
tue Tenure OF Office act. The Pres idenI. il
must be remembered. contends that his power
10 remove Cabinet officer is derived from the
Constitution, and has not been changed by
mere act of Congress. Should Grant, however,
Nacate the War office at the bid of the Senate,
then the aspect of affairs would be very much
altered and II IL difficult 10 assert what line OF
policy the President would pursue. Stanton,
IN getting possess ION, might reverse the position
OF parties, and compel the President become
plaintiff and institute legal proceedings 10 oust
the contumacious Secretary The President
on the other hand, might proceed TO the ex-
tTemity OF removing stanton out and out. and
thus anew reopen the whole ease for argument
and contest ! have reason to know that the
President rs yet discussing all these points. and
has not Vet arrived at any satisfactory conclu-
sion up To the present writing. He will act
cautiously and after thorough deliberation.
taking no stand from which he may be con-
strained hereafter to rrcede. !
Another subject that is now occupying
much OF the attention of the President
IL thai of the Alabama claims and the
rights of naturalized citIzens am reliably in
formed that an important State paper n now
In course OF preparation which will place the
President IN favorable light on both of these
matters- and force the rad Icais to the dilema of
sustaining him or of opposing the popular will
ON these grave questions OF material interest
lhis paper Is being prepared by Mr.. Seward,
ana II the Information furnished me b. correct,
viii be one firm IN tone. decided i'm sp;rit and
uneqHlyCC;U in meaning
Ii VIII be remembered that At the time the
terms agreed upon between Generals Sherman
and Joe Johnston. in 1865, suspending hostili-
ties between the contending armies, and ar
ranging a ttsls of peace, there was a good deal
OF excitement created all over tn, country. bnt
particularly here in Washington A Cabinet
council was convened, and after a short de-
Liberation II WAS decided to disapprove of the
terms offered by General Sherman and that
Iehtr'u Grant should proceed immediately TO
sherman 5 headquarters, and explain what
were the wishes Of the Presid and his Cabi-
net MS, L am "a. sured, was all that
agreed upon at the Cabinet council. The next
day, however, Stanton laid before the country
the order adopted by the Cabinet, and also
long communication giving nine reasons why
She rmah action VA, not approved of. These
nine reasons were published over Mr. Stanton's
signature, and Were given in such an authorl-
tiiiNe way as To create the impression that they
were the I'a>ons of the President and all his
Cabinet. why Sherman's agreement with Joe
Johnston had been disapproved. l have good
authority for stating that the first knowl-
edge the President had that he or his
Cabinet had been actuated or infiu-
enced by any such reasons, was con-
veyed To him by this unauthorized publication
OF Stanton. No such reasOns Were ever before
the Cabinet council of Mr. Johnson either be-
fore or alter the issuance OF the order of disap.
proNal. This point of assumption OF right TO
speak for the whole Cabinet has been brought
b the attention of the President again of late,
and IL Is not improbable may be among those
that will be urged against Stanton should any
new causes be deemed necessary to assign for
his suspension or removal. l should add that
at The time alluded TO Stanton was heard TO say
that he had killed another General by the COM
tIk.s<. .s.s.