The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-22

cause and effect to seek for a measure of incompetency and impotency in the body of society in the north to deal with the situation. The negroes, the women, the clubs and reform organizations ev- anywhere in that section loaded the desks of senators and representatives with reso- lutions and petitions to reduce the south ern people in humiliation until race dis | tinetions among them should be elimi- nate1 from the churches the parlor and in all respects be lost to sight. Mean time there seemed to be no disposition to respect the constituted authorities.
 United States District Judge Spragus, holding court in Massachusetts, in the case of Amy Warwick, held that the idea of conquest of the southern states by the federal government as a legal result from suppression by force of their rebellion, lis an error, Q grave and dangerous err TOT = Under our government the right of sovereignty over any portion of a state is given and limited by the con- atitusion, and will be the same after the war as it was before."
 James Egan of South Carolina was imprisoned by order of General Sckles commanding that military district, Or by order of a military commission set up by, General Sickles. He made application for the prit of Ina beas corpus before Jus tice Nelson of the federal supreme court. The court held in this case that The constitutional laws of the union were thereby enjoyed and obeyed"-that is, by the state government, made In 1865 in South Carolina as in Alabama, and these laws were as authoritative and binding over the people of the state as in any other portion of the country" Every line. syllable and letter of the reconstruction acts of March and the supplementary act of July 19, 1867, set these solemn court decisions aside as dross.
 The courts having been disposed of by the revolutionary party, we come to the memorable collision of Secretary Stanton with his superior officer, the President. When these several acts of mill tary nature were put into operation the President found the Secretary of War with views ana practices widely at vari- ance with his own in regard to methods. He thereupon addressed to him the fol- lowing order of dismissal. General Jack sons cabinet had been dismissed or com pelled to resign twice:
 Executive Mansion"
 washington, August 5, 1867. Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of
 War:
 sir: Public consideration of high character constrain me to say that your resignation as Secretary of War will be accepted" In quick reply the Secretary
 
 public considerations of high character oonstrain me not to resign this office of Secretary of War until Congress meets. The next week the President ordered Stanton to turn the office over to Gen eral Grant and he yielded Ito force,' he said
 Grant soon took the side of Stanton and redelivered the keys of the office to him and not to the President Stanton re- stunned possession. The President. In order to place the dispute before the courts, ap- pointed Gen. Lorenzo Thomas Secretary of War ad Interim. who was then the adju- tant general of the army. Stanton pad no attention to General Thomas orders to oust him. and virtually ceased to rec ognize the President Congress now passed an act that "all orders and instructions relating to military operations issued by the President CD or Secretary of War shall be issued through the general of the army.'etc
 This act was a fragrant attempt to qualify and set aside the proviso of the constitution which expressly makes the President commander in chief of the army and navy" Not only was the act here quoted passed, but the substance of 1t was incorporated in an appropria- tion act rider.
 The act reducing the military authority of the commander in chief to the will of ilt ktHtfdf ol tilt dfn1l WAS pdeStu III tilt middle of March, in the interval of the reconstruction acts.
 The movement to impeach the President and put him out of office or put him to death was next started with intense fanat- icism
 In his speech at St. Louis September 8. 1866. the President employed the fercest invective toward members of Congress in- dividually by name and the organized body Concluding. he apostrophized: Let me say to you that what I have said I intended to say. was not provoked into this. and care not for their taunts, their menaces and their jeers. I care not for threats I do not intend to be pulled by my enemies nor overawed by my friends. But. God willing, with your help, will veto their measures whenever any Of them come to me-.
 Impeachment proceedings began in the House of Representatives November 25 1867, while the constitutional convention composed of carpetbaggers, scalawags and negroes sat at Montgomery. The resolu- ton passed the House. l2s to IT. Three House managers were appointed of whom E. F. Butler Of Massachusetts. criminal lawyer of extraordinary ability. was leader.
 The trial was carried to the Senate. sitting as judge. with Chief Justice Chase presiding. It was long drawn out. But Ter made his opening argument March 90.