Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
This executive order, signed by President Grover Cleveland on 1887-06-16, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Executive Order." It is a direct, concise executive instruction delivering focused administrative or military commands to department leadership.
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
🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities
🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants
Total Words
170
992 characters
Estimated Read Time
1 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
16.3
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.02
Framers' Alignment index
📜
Scholarly & Legal Citations
Exec. Order, "Executive Order," Grover Cleveland (Jun 16, 1887). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-264.
Official Document Text
Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)
The SECRETARY OF WAR: I have to-day considered with more care than when the subject was orally presented me the action of your Department directing letters to be addressed to the governors of all the States offering to return, if desired, to the loyal States the Union flags captured in the War of the Rebellion by the Confederate forces and afterwards recovered by Government troops, and to the Confederate States the flags captured by the Union forces, all of which for many years have been packed in boxes and stored in the cellar and attic of the War Department. I am of the opinion that the return of these flags in the manner thus contemplated is not authorized by existing law nor justified as an executive act. I request, therefore, that no further steps be taken in the matter except to examine and inventory these flags and adopt proper measures for their preservation. Any direction as to the final disposition of them should originate with Congress. Yours, truly, GROVER CLEVELAND
