Presidential Order Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order—General Orders: 25

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Wednesday, June 3, 1868

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1 min read (276 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 Andrew Johnson on 1868-06-03, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "—General Orders: 25." 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

▪ As a mark of respect for his memory, it is ordered that the Executive Departments be immediately placed in mourning and all business be suspended on the day of the funeral.

▪ It is further ordered that the War and Navy Departments cause suitable military and naval honors to be paid on this occasion to the memory of the illustrious dead.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners 🏛️ Foreign Nations & International Entities

Total Words

276

1,572 characters

Estimated Read Time

1 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

10.3

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order, "Executive Order—General Orders: 25," Andrew Johnson (Jun 3, 1868). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-general-orders-25.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE I. The following order of the President has been received from the War Department: WASHINGTON, June 2, 1868. The President with deep regret announces to the people of the United States the decease, at Wheatland, Pa., on the 1st instant, of his honored predecessor James Buchanan. This event will occasion mourning in the nation for the loss of an eminent citizen and honored public servant. As a mark of respect for his memory, it is ordered that the Executive Departments be immediately placed in mourning and all business be suspended on the day of the funeral. It is further ordered that the War and Navy Departments cause suitable military and naval honors to be paid on this occasion to the memory of the illustrious dead. ANDREW JOHNSON. II. In compliance with the instructions of the President and of the Secretary of War, on the day after the receipt of this order at each military post the troops will be paraded at 10 o'clock a. m. and the order read to them, after which all labors for the day will cease. The national flag will be displayed at half-staff. At dawn of day thirteen guns will be fired, and afterwards, at intervals of thirty minutes between the rising and setting sun, a single gun, and at the close of the day a national salute of thirty-seven guns. The officers of the Army will wear crape on the left arm and on their swords and the colors of the several regiments will be put in mourning for the period of six months. By command of General Grant: E.D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General .