Evening star., 1918-02-24
FIFTY YEARS A6 TaE stan

AZ t1ho <3o0o Of the week Of Fo6F1Axy
11RA fssa. washington was soddsniy
thrown into great
Secretary stsnton e.esse.nsnt over .
revival Of the
Sa0so0s johnson Stanton
controversy and . fssumptSon Of the
efforts to fmpsach the President. I'm
parchment proceedings had bean under
taken some weeks previous. but had
been abandoned On the disclosure that
. majority Of the House did not sup
port the move. When on the list Of
February, 1868. ~ Ths Star told in an
extra issus. President johnson removed
Secretary Stanton from once and ap-
pointed Brig. Gen Lorenzo Thomas.
then adjutAnt general Of the Army. -
against the President famed 10 such q
pitch that impeachment proceedings
could not be stayed.
The Stars extra announces the Presi-
dents communication to the Senate,
stating that Secretary Stanton had been
removed. The Senate Immediately went
into executive session and continued 80
for several hours, finally by q vote Of %
to s adopting a resolution declaring the
TSEuOV64 OIL ln0 oeCESL1Ey ana Iuo up
pointment Of Gen. Thomas illegal and
void.
According to The Star, Secretary stan
ton was officially notified Of his dis
mfssA by Gen. Thomas in person, who,
upon receiving the communication from
noon went to Mr.. Stanton's room and
handed him the Presidents letter. Mr
Stanton read 1t and told Gen. Thomas
he would think the matter over and
II. fvak v1<zwy hn
tween Mr.. Stanton and Gen. Thomas
was reported to have been pleasant, the
latter informing the Secretary that he
had accepted the position and imme-
diately on his return to hts own office
writing letter to the President to that
effect.
At 800 that afternoon Secretary STAN
ton took the most unusual step of com
Imunicating directly with the House OF
Representatives, informing it of Gen
Stanton's letter was referred to the
committee on reconstruction.
-
Tho Star Of Saturday, February y,
1868. on which date four extra editions
were issued, tells the
Gen. Thomas story Of great excite
ment In Washington
dI1eSteQ. after a night Of Wild
rumors. The FIRST extra disclosed that
Secretary Stanton proposed to fight He
had the night before sworn out a war
rant for the arrest Of Cen Thomas- 1t
was placed in the hands of Marshal
Gooding, who. with his deputy. Mr.
Phillips and Mr.. Morgan Chandler, pro-
ceeded to the residence OF the adju-
tant general at 10th and H streets at
about o'clock in the morning. Cen
Thomas had not many hours before re-
turned with his family from a carnival
ball at Marinfs Hall-on E street be-
tween 9th and 10th-and The Star says
sit must have been slightly discompos-
ing to the nerves to be disturbed at
breakfast, after q broken nights rest.
by summons OF this sort" But it ap-
pears that he took the matter quite
philosophically, put on his best uniform
coat and proceeded with the marshal
on foot to the city hall. AS the party
passed the telegraph Office a dispatch
was sent to Secretary Stanton-there
were no telephones then-informing
him that the arrest had been made.
Gen Thomas was accused OF having,
by accepting appointment as Secretary
of War, and by attempting to exercise
the duties of that Office. legally occu-
pied by Edwin M. Stanton. been guilty
of a high misdemeanor, under the act
of March 2, 1867, vetoed by President
Johnson and passed over his veto. Pun
ishment for this offense was a fine of
not more than $4,000 or Imprisonment
for not more than five years, or both.
Gen. Thomas was released on $4,000