history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第31章

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with　the　settled　and　uniform　practice　of　each　and　every　President　of　the　United　States；　the　said　Stanton　then　became；　and　so　long　as　he　should　continue　to　hold　the　said　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War　must　continue　to　be；　one　of　the　advisers　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　as　well　as　the　person　intrusted　to　act　for　and　represent　the　President　in　matters　enjoined　upon　him　or　entrusted　to　him　by　the　President　touching　the　department　aforesaid；　and　for　whose　conduct　in　such　capacity；　subordinate　to　the　President；　the　President　is；　by　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　made　responsible。

And　this　respondent；　further　answering；　says　he　succeeded　to　the　office　of　President　of　the　United　States　upon；　and　by　reason　of；　the　death　of　Abraham　Lincoln；　then　President　of　the　United　States；　on　the　13th　day　of　April；　1865；　and　the　said　Stanton　was　then　holding　the　said　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War　under　and　by　reason　of　the　appointment　and　commission　aforesaid；　and；　not　having　been　removed　from　the　said　office　by　this　respondent；　the　said　Stanton　continued　to　hold　the　same　under　the　appointment　and　commission　aforesaid；　at　the　pleasure　of　the　President；　until　the　time　hereinafter　particularly　mentioned：　and　at　no　time　received　any　appointment　or　commission　save　as　above　detailed。

And　this　repondent；　further　answering；　says　that　on　and　prior　to　the　5th　day　of　August；　A。　D。　1867；　this　respondent；　the　President　of　the　United　States。　responsible　for　the　conduct　of　the　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　and　having　the　constitutional　right　to　resort　to　and　rely　upon　the　person　holding　that　office　for　advice　concerning　the　great　and　difficult　public　duties　enjoined　on　the　President　by　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　became　satisfied　that　he　could　not　allow　the　said　Stanton　to　continue　to　hold　the　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War　without　hazard　of　the　public　interest；　that　the　relations　between　the　said　Stanton　and　the　President　no　longer　permitted　the　President　to　resort　to　him　for　advice；　or　to　be；　in　the　judgment　of　the　President；　safely　responsible　for　his　conduct　of　the　affairs　of　the　Department　of　War；　as　by　law　required；　in　accordance　with　the　orders　and　instructions　of　the　President；　and　thereupon；　by　force　of　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　which　devolve　on　the　President　the　power　and　the　duty　to　control　the　conduct　of　the　business　of　that　executive　department　of　the　government；　and　by　reason　of　the　constitutional　duty　of　the　President　to　take　care　that　the　laws　be　faithfully　executed；　this　respondent　did　necessarily　consider　and　did　determine　that　the　said　Stanton　ought　no　longer　to　hold　the　said　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War。　And　this　respondent；　by　virtue　of　the　power　and　authority　vested　in　him　as　President　of　the　United　States　by　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　to　give　effect　to　such　his　decision　and　determination；　did；　on　the　5th　day　of　August；　A。　D。　1867；　address　to　the　said　Stanton　a　note；　of　which　the　following　is　a　true　copy：

Sir：Public　considerations　of　a　high　character　constrain　me　to　say　that　your　resignation　as　Secretary　of　War　will　be　accepted。

To　which　note　the　said　Stanton　made　the　following　reply：

War　Department；　Washington；　August　5；　1867。

Sir：…Your　note　of　this　day　has　been　received；　stating　that　public　considerations　of　a　high　character　constrain　you　〃to　say　that　my　resignation　its　Secretary　of　War　will　be　accepted。〃

In　reply　I　have　the　honor　to　say　that　public　considerations　of　a　high　character；　which　alone　have　induced　me　to　continue　at　the　head　of　this　department；　constrain　me　not　to　resign　the　office　of　Secretary　of　War　before　the　next　meeting　of　Congress。

Very　respectfully　yours。　Edwin　M。　Stanton。


This　respondent；　as　President　of　the　United　States；　was　thereon　of　opinion　that；　having　regard　to　the　necessary　official　relations　and　duties　of　the　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War　to　the　President　of　the　United　States　according　to　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　and　having　regard　to　the　responsibility　of　the　President　for　the　conduct　of　the　said　Secretary；　and　having　regard　to　the　permanent　executive　authority　of　the　office　which　the　respondent　holds　under　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　it　was　impossible；　consistently　with　the　public　interests；　to　allow　the　said　Stanton　to　continue　to　hold　the　said　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　and　it　then　became　the　official　duty　of　the　respondent；　as　President　of　the　United　States；　to　consider　and　decide　what　act　or　acts　should　and　might　lawfully　be　done　by　him；　as　President　of　the　United　States；　to　cause　the　said　Stanton　to　surrender　the　said　office。

This　respondent　was　informed　and　verily　believed　that　it　was　practically　settled　by　the　first　Congress　of　the　United　States；　and　had　been　so　considered　and　uniformly　and　in　great　numbers　of　instances　acted　on　by　each　Congress　and　President　of　the　United　States；　in　succession；　from　President　Washington　to；　and　including　President　Lincoln；　and　from　the　first　Congress　to　the　thirty…ninth　Congress；　that　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　conferred　on　the　President；　as　part　of　the　executive　power　and　as　one　of　the　necessary　means　and　instruments　of　performing　the　executive　duty　expressly　imposed　on　him　by　the　Constitution　of　taking　care　that　the　laws　be　faithfully　executed；　the　power　at　any　and　all　times　of　removing　from　office　all　executive　officers　for　cause　to　be　judged　of　by　the　President　alone。　This　respondent　had；　in　pursuance　of　the　Constitution；　required　the　opinion　of　each　principal　officer　of　the　executive　departments；　upon　this　question　of　constitutional　executive　power　and　duty；　and　had　been　advised　by　each　of　them；　including　the　said　Stanton；　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　that　under　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　this　power　was　lodged　by　the　Constitution　in　the　President　of　the　United　States；　and　that　consequently；　it　could　be　lawfully　exercised　by　him；　and　the　Congress　could　not　deprive　him　thereof；　and　this　respondent；　in　his　capacity　of　President　of　the　United　States；　and　because　in　that　capacity　he　was　both　enabled　and　bound　to　use　his　best　judgment　upon　this　question；　did。　in　good　faith　and　with　an　earnest　desire　to　arrive　at　the　truth；　come　to　the　conclusion　and　opinion；　and　did　make　the　same　known　to　the　honorable　the　Senate　of　the　United　States　by　a　message　dated　on　the　2nd　day　of　March；　1867；　that　the　power　last　mentioned　was　conferred　and　the　duty　of　exercising　it；　in　fit　cases；　was　imposed　on　the　President　by　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　and　that　the　President　could　not　be　deprived　of　this；　power　or　relieved　of　this　duty；　nor　could　the　same　be　vested　by　law　in　the　President　and　the　Senate　jointly；　either　in　part　or　whole。

This　respondent　was　also　then　aware　that　by　the　first　section　of　〃An　act　regulating　the　tenure　of　certain　civil　offices；〃　passed　March　2；　1867；　by　a　constitutional　majority　of　both　houses　of　Congress；　it　was　enacted　as　follows：

〃That　every　person　holding　any　civil　office　to　which　he　has　been　appointed　by　and　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate；　and　every　person　who　shall　hereafter　be　appointed　to　any　such　office；　and　shall　become　duly　qualified　to　act　therein；　is　and　shall　be　entitled　to　hold　such　office　until　a　successor　shall　have　been　in　like　manner　appointed　and　duly　qualified；　except　as　herein　otherwise　provided：　Provided；　That　the　Secretaries　of　State；　of　the　Treasury；　of　War；　of　the　Navy；　and　of　the　Interior；　the　Postmaster　General；　and　the　Attorney　General　shall　hold　their　offices　respectively　for　and　during　the　term　of　the　President　by　whom　they　may　have　been　appointed；　and　one　month　thereafter；　subject　to　removal　by　and　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate。〃

This　respondent　was　also　aware　that　this　act　was　understood　and　intended　to　be　an　expression　of　the　opinion　of　the　Congress　by　which　that　act　was　passed；　that　the　power　to　remove　executive　officers　for　cause　might；　by　law；　be　taken　from　the　President　and　vested　in　him　and　the　Senate　jointly；　and　although　this　respondent　had　arrived　at　and　still　retained　the　opinion　above　expressed；　and　ver