history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第29节

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en　that　these　questions；　or　such　of　them　as　might　necessarily　arise；　should　be　judicially　determined　in　manner　aforesaid；　and　for　no　other　end　or　purpose；　this　respondent。　as　President　of　the　United　States；　on　the　12th　day　of　August；　1867；　seven　days　after　the　reception　of　the　letter　of　the　said　Stanton　of　the　5th　of　August；　hereinbefore　stated；　did　issue　to　the　said　Stanton　the　order　following　namely：

Executive　Mansion；　Washington；　August　12；　1867。

Sir：By　virtue　of　the　power　and　authority　vested　in　me　as　President　by　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　you　are　hereby　suspended　from　office　as　Secretary　of　War；　and　will　cease　to　exercise　any　and　all　functions　pertaining　to　the　same。

You　will　at　once　transfer　to　General　Ulysses　S。　Grant；　who　has　this　day　been　authorized　and　empowered　to　act　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　all　records；　books；　papers；　and　other　public　property　now　in　your　custody　and　charge。　To　Hon。　Edwin　M。　Stanton；　Secretary　of　War。

To　which　said　order　the　said　Stanton　made　the　following　reply：

War　Department；　Washington　City；　August　12；　1867。

Sir：Your　note　of　this　date　has　been　received；　informing　me　that；　by　virtue　of　the　powers　vested　in　you　as　President　by　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　I　am　suspended　from　office　as　Secretary　of　War；　and　will　cease　to　exercise　any　and　all　functions　pertaining　to　the　same；　and　also　directing　me　at　once　to　transfer　to　General　Ulysses　S。　Grant；　who　has　this　day　been　authorized　and　empowered　to　act　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　all　records；　books；　papers；　and　other　public　property　now　in　my　custody　and　charge。　Under　a　sense　of　public　duty　I　am　compelled　to　deny　your　right；　under　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　without　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　senate；　and　without　legal　cause；　to　suspend　me　from　office　as　Secretary　of　War；　or　the　exercise　of　any　or　all　functions　pertaining　to　the　same；　or　without　such　advice　and　consent　to　compel　me　to　transfer　to　any　person　the　records；　books；　papers；　and　public　property　in　my　custody　as　Secretary；　But　inasmuch　as　the　General　commanding　the　Armies　of　the　United　has　been　appointed　ad　interim　and　has　notified　me　that　he　has　accepted　the　appointment；　I　have　no　alternative　but　to　submit；　under　protest；　to　superior　force。

To　the　President。


And　this　respondent；　further　answering；　says；　that　it　is　provided　in　and　by　the　second　section　of　〃An　act　to　regulate　the　tenure　of　certain　civil　offices；〃　that　the　President　may　suspend　an　officer　from　the　performance　of　the　duties　of　the　office　held　by　him；　for　certain　causes　therein　designated；　until　the　next　meeting　of　the　Senate；　and　until　the　case　shall　be　acted　on　by　the　senate；　that　this　respondent；　as　President　of　the　United　States；　was　advised；　and　he　verily　believed　and　still　believes；　that　the　executive　power　of　removal　from　office　confided　to　him　by　the　Constitution　as　aforesaid　includes　the　power　of　suspension　from　office　at　the　pleasure　of　the　President；　and　this　respondent；　by　the　order　aforesaid；　did　suspend　the　said　Stanton　from　office；　not　until　the　next　meeting　of　the　Senate；　or　until　the　Senate　should　have　acted　upon　the　case；　but　by　force　of　the　power　and　authority　vested　in　him　by　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　indefinitely　and　at　the　pleasure　of　the　President；　and　the　order；　in　form　aforesaid；　was　made　known　to　the　Senate　of　the　United　States　on　the　12th　day　of　December；　A。　D。　1867；　as　will　be　more　fully　hereinafter　stated。

And　this　respondent；　further　answering；　says；　that　in　and　by　the　act　of　February　13；　1795；　it　was；　among　other　things；　provided　and　enacted　that；　in　case　of　vacancy　in　the　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　it　shall　be　lawful　for　the　President；　in　case　he　shall　think　it　necessary；　to　authorize　any　person　to　perform　the　duties　of　that　office　until　a　successor　be　appointed　or　such　vacancy　filled；　but　not　exceeding　the　term　of　six　months；　and　this　respondent；　being　advised　and　believing　that　such　law　was　in　full　force　and　not　repealed；　by　an　order　dated　August　12；　1867；　did　authorize　and　empower　Ulysses　S。　Grant；　General　of　the　armies　of　the　United　States；　to　act　as　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War　ad　interim；　in　the　form　in　which　similar　authority　had　theretofore　been　given；　not　until　the　next　meeting　of　the　Senate　and　until　the　Senate　should　act　on　the　case；　but　at　the　pleasure　of　the　President；　subject　only　to　the　limitation　of　six　months　in　the　said　last…mentioned　act　contained；　and　a　copy　of　the　last…named　order　was　made　known　to　the　Senate　of　the　United　States　on　the　12th　day　of　December；　1867；　as　will　be　hereinafter　more　fully　stated：　and　in　pursuance　of　the　design　and　intention　aforesaid；　if　it　should　become　necessary　to　submit　the　said　question　to　a　judicial　determination；　this　respondent；　at　or　near　the　date　of　the　last…mentioned　order；　did　make　known　such　his　purpose　to　obtain　a　judicial　decision　of　the　said　question；　or　such　of　them　as　might　be　necessary。

And　this　respondent；　further　answering；　says；　that　in　further　pursuance　of　his　intention　and　design；　if　possible；　to　perform　what　he　judged　to　be　his　imperative　duty；　to　prevent　the　said　Stanton　from　longer　holding　the　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　and　at　the　same　time　avoiding；　if　possible；　any　question　respecting　the　extent　of　the　power　of　removal　from　executive　office　confided　to　the　President　by　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　and　any　question　respecting　the　construction　and　effect　of　the　first　section　of　the　said　〃act　regulating　the　tenure　of　certain　civil　offices；〃　while　he　should　not；　by　any　act　of　his；　abandon　and　relinquish；　either　a　power　which　he　believed　the　Constitution　had　conferred　on　the　President　of　the　United　States；　to　enable　him　to　perform　the　duties　of　his　office；　or；　a　power　designedly　left　to　him　by　the　first　section　of　the　act　of　Congress　last　aforesaid；　this　respondent　did；　on　the　12th　day　of　December；　1867；　transmit　to　the　senate　of　the　United　States　a　message　a　copy　whereof　is　hereunto　annexed　and　marked　B；　wherein　he　made　known　the　orders　aforesaid　and　the　reasons　which　had　induced　the　same。　so　far　as　this　respondent　then　considered　it　material　and　necessary　that　the　same　should　be　set　forth；　and　reiterated　his　views　concerning　the　constitutional　power　of　removal　vested　in　the　President；　and　also　expressed　his　views　concerning　the　construction　of　the　said　first　section　of　the　last　mentioned　act；　as　respected　the　power　of　the　President　to　remove　the　said　Stanton　from　the　said　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　well　hoping　that　this　respondent　could　thus　perform　what　he　then　believed；　and　still　believes；　to　be　his　imperative　duty　in　reference　to　the　said　Stanton；　without　derogating　from　the　powers　which　this　respondent　believed　were　confided　to　the　President；　by　the　Constitution　and　laws；　and　without　the　necessity　of　raising；　judicially；　any　questions　respecting　the　same。

And　this　respondent；　further　answering；　says；　that　this　hope　not　having　been　realized；　the　President　was　compelled　either　to　allow　the　said　Stanton　to　resume　the　said　office　and　remain　therein　contrary　to　the　settled　convictions　of　the　President；　formed　as　aforesaid　respecting　the　powers　confided　to　him　and　the　duties　required　of　him　by　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　and　contrary　to　the　opinion　formed　as　aforesaid；　that　the　first　section　of　the　last　mentioned　act　did　not　affect　the　case　of　the　said　Stanton；　and　contrary　to　the　fixed　belief　of　the　President　that　he　could　no　longer　advise　with　or　trust　or　be　responsible　for　the　said　Stanton；　for　the　said　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　or　else　he　was　compelled　to　take　such　steps　as　might；　in　the　judgment　of　the　President；　be　lawful　and　necessary　to　raise；　for　a　judicial　decision；　the　questions　affecting　the　lawful　right　of　the　said　Stanton　to　resume　the　said　office；　or　the　power　of　the　said　Stanton　to　persist　in　refusing　to　quit　the　said　office　if　he　should　persist　in　actually　refusing　to　quit　the　same；　and　to　this　end；　and　to　this　end　only；　this　respondent　did；　on　the　21st　day　of　February；　1868　issue　the　order　for　the　removal　of　the　said　Stanton；　in　the　said　first　article　mentioned　and　set　forth；　and　the　order　authorizing　the　said　Lorenzo　F。　Thomas　to　act　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　in　the　said　second　article　set　forth。

And　this　respondent；　proceeding　to　answer　specifically　each　substantial　allegation　in　the　said　first　article；　says：　He　denies　that　the　said　Stanton；　on　the　21st　day　of　February；　1868；　was　lawfully　in　possession　of　the　said　ofce　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War。　He　denies　that　the　said　Stanton；　on　the　day　last　mentioned；　was　lawfully　entitled　to　hold　the　said　office　against　the　will　of　the　President　of　the　United　States。　He　denies　that　the　said　order　for　the　removal　of　the　said　Stanton　was　unlawfully　issued。　He　denies　that　the　said　order　was　issued　with　intent　to　violate　the　act　entitled　〃An　act　to　regulate　the　tenure　of　certain　civil　offices。〃　He　denies　that　the　said　order　was　a　violation　of　the　last　mentioned　act。　He　denies　that　the　said　order　was　a　violation　of　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　or　of　any　law　thereof；　or　of　his　oath　of　office。　He　denies　that　the　said　order