Mr. Johnson has mustered - up courage to dismiss, or rather
to suspend, his 'Secretary at War. We have 'described the affair elsewhere, but may here notice the excuse which the President's friends have invented. A military -tribunal sentenced Mrs. Surratt to death for her share in the murder of President Lincoln, very harshly, as we think, the poor woman having in English phrase acted " under the influence" of her son. It appears the tribunal added to their sentence a recom- mendation to mercy, written on a separate sheet of paper, and Mr.
Johnson now says he never saw it, and that it was kept back by Mr. Stanton. Mr. Stanton says it was not kept back, and as the matter is reduced to a simple question of the personal veracity of the two men, the public must decide. Mr. Johnson does not bring forward this story in his letter ordering Mr. Stanton to resign. He simply pleads " reasons of State," and Mr. Stanton, who is protected by the Tenure of Office Bill, refuses to resign, also for reasons of State. It is a mere struggle for power between the people and Mr. Andrew Johnson, in which the people will win.
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