News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-01-10
THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
A Little Story of General Thomas and his
Efforts to Hold the Position by Order of
the President.

In his war anecdotes, General Town
send relates the story of General Thorn
ass appointment by President johnson
as Secretary of War al interim.
General Townsend's connection with
the Adjutant- Generals office continued
long after the suppression of the rebel
| lion, but his "reminiscences relating to
the subsequent period are naturally less
interesting than those associated with
the civil war. One of them, however, is
worth quoting. We refer to the account
of the interview between General l..
Thomas and Mr.. Stanton.
On February 22d, 1868, when the for
mer undertook to obtain possession of
the War Department, to which he had
been appointed adj interim by President
johnson, the author was an ear witness
of the colloquy that ensued.
Gam" said General Thomas, "Secre-
fairy of War Gd interim, and am ordered
by the President of the United States to
take charge of this Office"
81 order you, " rejoined Mr.. Stanton,
''to repair to your room and exercise
your Office as Adjutant- General"
81 am" repeated General Thomas,
Secretary of War ad interim, and [
shall not obey your orders; but I shall
obey the order of the President to take
charge of this Office
Gas Secretary of War;" said Mr.. STAN
ton second time, 81 order you to repair
to your office as Adjutant- General"
81 shall not do So" returned General
Thomas.
''Then," pursued Mr. Stanton, 'you
may stand there if you please, but you
attempt to act as Secretary of War at
your peril"
To which General Thomas replied, 'T
shall act as Secretary of War;" and there
the official interview ended
Presently, however, General Thomas
crossed the hall to General Schriver's
room, and Mr.. Stanton, followed only
by the stenographer, came In after him.
Resuming the colloquy, Mr.. Stanton
said IN laughing tone to General
Thomas:
$50 you claim to be here as Secretary
of War, and refuse to obey my orders,
do you ?"
General Thomas replied seriously:
81 do so claim. / shall require the
mails of the War Department to be de-
livered to me, and shall transact all the
business of the department"
Seeing that the General looked as il
he had had no rest the night before, Mr..
Stanton, playfully running his fingers
up through the Generals hair as he
YEARLY leaned back in his chair, said:
"Well, old fellow, have you had any
breakfast this morning?'
"No," said Thomas, good naturally.
"Then you are as badly off as 1 am
for have had ncne."
Mr. Stanton then sent out for some
refreshments, and while the two were
sharing the rejection they engaged in
very pleasant conversation, in the course
of which, however, Mr.. Stanton, sud
denly and with seeming carelessness, i'll
quired when General Thomas was going
to give him the report of an inspection
of the national cemeteries which he had
lately made. Mr.. Stanton said if it was
not soon rendered it would be too late
for the printers, and he was anxious tc
have it go forth as a creditable work Of
the department. The question had ap.
parently no especial point, and Genera
Thomas evidently saw none, for he an,
swered, pleasantly, that he would work
at the report that night and give it tC
the Secretary. "This struck me-" said
! Neu6ral lOWnSeuu, as d lawyer fuSe
to make Thomas acknowledge Stanton
authority as Secretary of War, and thai
Thomas was caught by it. L some time
after asked Mr.. Stanton if that was his
design. He made no reply, but looked
at ME with a mock expression of sur
prise at my conceiving such thing.
We are further told that, before Genera
Thomas left the department that morn
ing, Mr.. Stanton handed him lettel
forbidding him to give any orders as
Secretary of War. The General read
and endorsed it as received on that date
signing the endorsement as Secretary
ad interim, which, Mr.. Stanton seeing
he remarked, laughing: +'Here you
have committed another offence" To
this the General assented, and soon afte1
went away for the day. The incidents
here related unquestionably indicate, a!
General Townsend surmised, that all the
steps taken by Mr.. Stanton were in
tended to place the whole matter in {
form suitable for testing before the
highest tribunal, the constitutionality O.
the tenure of office act