The Express.
London, England, 1868-03-04 00:00:00

THIRD EprrroN.

AMERICA.

THE IMPEACHMENT OF THE PRESIDENT.

6MARKABLIC OONVERSATION WITH
THE PRESIDENT•
(aztrva's arms.)
NEW YORK. ns. 22

The Washington correspondent of the New York
Herald gives the following account of a waverer
Lion he had with President Johnson on the subject
of the removal of Mr. Stanton :
Your oorrespondent had an interview with the President
last night after the state dinner, and found him not
stricken with fear or trembling, but smiling and radiant,
in better humour and spirits then for many mouths. The
President received your correspondent after the ussel
boar for visitors, and granted him half-an-hour's inter-
view. After the customary salutations your ocrerespendent
remarked that the country was somewhat taken by sur-
prise by the sudden removal of Stanton and the appoint-
ment of Thorned as secretary ad interim.
The Pa encase smiled sod inquired—Well, what do
the people say? I suppose they ars surprised ; but I have
Only done what I determined upon long ago.
Coassurosmarr—The thrown!, then, is not in pur-
suance of a recent determination on your part, Mr. Pre-
sident
The Priesimirr—Not at all, sir. The people seem to
have mistaken my course altogether in this matter. I
never had but one determination on the subject, but I
have acted oaref ally, prudently, and moderately. Perhaps
I have been too slow about removing Mr. Stanton, but not
because I feared the bugbear of impeachment, or that
I dreaded anything that congress might do. Nothing
that body could attempt or carry out would
intimidate or surprise me. I know they are capable of
doing anything. I delayed final action solely to let the
counter see and understand the position of Mr. Stanton.
We first intimated to him that we would like him to
withdraw from our Privy Council. He did not take the
hint. We then requested him to resign. He refused.
We then suspended him under the oonstatational power
which we have to suspend or remove a member of our
cabinet. The set of suspension was also not in conflict
with the Tenure of Office Bill, though we did not, there-
fore, recognise its constitutionality. As a matter of
courtesy we sent reasons for our action to the Senate.
That body pretended not to consider those reasons suffi-
cient, and assumed to reinstate Mr. Stanton in office.
well, we still waited, hoping Mr. Stanton would see the
propriety of resigning himself. General Sherman and
General Grant offered to go to Stanton and advise him to
trap. Here is a letter which indicates what they pro
Po."
The l'resident here allowed your correspondent to read

the following letter to him from General Sherman :
" 3n, K street, Washington, Jan. 18 (Saturday).
' I neglected this morning to say that I had agreed to
✓ down to Annapolis to spend Sunday with Admiral
Porter. General Grant has to leave for Richmond on
Monday morning at 6 a.m. At a conversation with the
general after our interview, wherein I offered to go with
him on Monday morning to Mr. Stanton, to say that it
was joint opinion he should resign, it was found int-
po.sible, by reason of his going to Richmond and my going
to Annapolis. The general proposed this course : Re will
all on you to-morrow and offer to go to Mr. Stanton to
say. for the good of the service and of the country he ought
to resign. This on Sunday. On Monday I will again call
on you, and if you think it necessary I will do the
sime—mll on Mr. Stanton and tell him should resign.
Übe will not then it will be time to contrive ulterior mea-
..