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Presidential Order Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant
•
Tuesday, March 16, 1869
•
1 min read (286 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on 1869-03-16, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Executive Order." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ Formal executive instruction issued by the President establishing official administrative policy on Executive Order.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants
Total Words
286
1,817 characters
Estimated Read Time
1 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
11.4
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.02
Framers' Alignment index
📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations 

Exec. Order, "Executive Order," Ulysses S. Grant (Mar 16, 1869). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-378.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →
GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 18 HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE By direction of the President of the United States, the following changes are made in military divisions and department commands: I. Lieutenant-General P. H. Sheridan is assigned to command the Military Division of the Missouri. II. Major-General H. W. Halleek is assigned to the command of the Military Division of the South, to be composed of the Departments of the South and Louisiana, of the Fourth Military District, and of the States composing the present Department of the Cumberland; headquarters, Louisville, Ky. Major-General Halleek will proceed to his new command as soon as relieved by Major-General Thomas. III. Major-General G. H. Thomas is assigned to command the Military Division of the Pacific. IV. Major-General J. M. Schofield is assigned to command the Department of the Missouri. The State of Illinois and post of Fort Smith, Ark., are transferred to this department. V. Brigadier and Brevet Major General O. O. Howard is assigned to command the Department of Louisiana. Until his arrival the senior officer, Brevet Major-General J. A. Mower, will command, according to his brevet of major-general. VI. The Department of Washington will be discontinued and merged in the Department of the East. The records will be sent to the Adjutant-General of the Army. VII. The First Military District will be added to the Military Division of the Atlantic. VIII. As soon as Major-General Thomas is ready to relinquish command of the Department of the Cumberland, the department will discontinued, and the States composing it will be added to other departments, to be hereafter designated. The records will be forwarded to the Adjutant-General of the Army. By command of General Sherman: E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General.