Year: 1867




Secretary Stanton is published. The
President SAYS in reference 10 Mr..
stanton's determination TO remain IN
the Cabinet under the Tenure of Office
act


Every member Of my Cabinet ad-
yised me that the proposed law was
unconstitutional. They spoke with
out doubt or reservation; but Mr..
Stantons condemnation Of the law
was most elaborate and emphatic
He referred TO the constitutional pro-
visions, debates in Congress, and es-
pecially to the speech of Mr.. Buchan-
an when a Senator, the decisions of
the Supreme Court, and the usage
from the beginning of the Government
through every successive Administra-
tion, all concurring TO establish the
right of removal as vested by the
Constitution in the President. To all
these he added the weight of his own
deliberate Judgment, and advised me
that il was my duty to defend the
power Of the President from usurpa-
ton and veto the law. After all this
! was not prepared for the ground
taken by Mr. Stanton in his note OF
august 18th was net prepared to
end him compelled by a new and
indefinite sense of public duty under
the Constitution, TO assume the vim
dication Of law which, under the
solemn obligations of public duty i'm
posed BY the Constitution itself, he
advised me was violation of that
Constitution.


make great allowance for change
of opinion, but such a change as this
hardly falls within the limits of the
greatest indulgence. was so much
struck with the full mastery of ques-
tions manifested by Mr. Stanton, and
WAS at the time so fully occupied with
the preparation of another veto, that
! requested him to prepare the veto
upon this tenure Of office bill. This
he declined to do on the ground OF
physical disability to undergo at that
time the labor OF writing, bat he sta
ted his readiness to furnish what aid
might be required to the prepar alton
OF the materials for the paper.


1 now pass to another subject.
When, on the 10Th of April, 1865, the
duties of the Presidents office devolv-
ed upon me, found full Cabinet of
seven members, all of them selected
by Mr.. Lincoln. / made no change
on the contrary, shortly afterwards
ratified q change determined upon by
Mr.. Lincoln, but not perfected at his
death, and admitted his appointee,
Mr.. Harlan, in place OF Mr.. Usher,
who was in Office ut the time.


The great duty Of the time was to
re.establish government, law and or
der in the insurrectionary States
Congress was then in recess, and the
sudden overthrow of the rebellion
required speedy action. This grave
subject had engaged the attention Of
Mr.. Lincoln in the late days of his
life, and the plan according TO which
it was to be managed, had been pre-
pared and WAS ready for adoption
A Ieadlng feature of that plan was
that it should be carried out by exec
utive authority, for so far as | have
been informed neither Mr.. Lincoln
nor any member OF his Cabinet doubt
ed his authority to act, or proposed
to call an extra session of Congress tC
do the work.


Tho first business transacted in th c
Cabinet after | became President
was this unfinished business of my
predecessor. A plan orscheme of re.
construction was produced, which had
been prepared for Mr. Lincoln by Mr.
Stanton, his Secretary Of War. 1t was
approved and the earliest moment
practicable was applied, in the form O
proclamation, to the State of North
Carolina, and afterwards became the
basis of action in turn for the other
States.


Upon the examination Of Mr.. Stan
ton before the impeachment Commit
tee, be was asked the following ques
ton: "Did any one of the Ca binet
express a doubt of the power of the
Executive branch Of the Government
10 reorganize State governmentsw which
had been 10 rebellion, without the aid
of Congress 2" He answered, "none
whatever" I had myself entertained
no doubt OF the authority Of the Pres
ident TO take measures tor the organ.
ization OF the rebel States on the plar
propose during the vacation Of Con
gress, and agreed in the plan specified
in the proclamation in case of North
Carolina


There is, perhaps, no act Of my ad
mistration for which l have been more
denounced than this II was not
originated by me, but / shrink from nc
responsibility on that account, for the
plan approved itsefto my judgment,
and | did not hesitate to carry it into
execution. Thus far and upon this
vital policy, there was perfect accord
between the Cabinet and myself, and
saw no necessity for change.


The President states that the great
difference of opinion with Stanton was
on the District of Columbia suffrage
and Reconstruction bills of Marc b,
1867, the vetoes OF which were oppos
ed by the latter, although all the
other Cabinet members supported the
President. ] have now referred to
The general grounds upon which the
withdrawal Of Stanton from my Ad.
ministration seemed to be proper and
necessary, but ! cannot omit TO state
special ground which, if il stood
alone, would vindicate my action.