American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-09-04
Grant and the President.
Removal of District Commanders
Grant Earnestly Urges that il
be not Insisted Upon.
The President Reminded that the viii
OF the Peopleis the Law cfthe Land.
Grant Says there are Military Pecu-
mary and Patriotic Reasons
Why the Order Should
not be Insisted on.
New YORK, August 20, 1867.

The following is the correspondence be.
tween General Grant and the President
HEAnouARTEks ARMIES or rHE U. ST.
Washington, August Il, 1867.
H,s Erced'eacy Aadrew johnson, Prcsi-
dent United ytates
SIR-I am in receipt of your order of
this date, directing me to appoint Gen.
eraI G. II. Thomas to the command OF
the Fifth Military District, General Sher-
idan to the Department of Missouri, Gen.
eral Hancock to the Department of the
Cumberland, and also, your note of this
date enclosing the instructions to carry
into effect the enclosed order saying II
would be pleased to hear any suggestion
you may deem necessary respecting the
assignments, to which the order refers
[ am pleased to avail myself o? this in
vitatlon to urge, earnestly urge, in the
name of patriotic people who have sace
rfced hundreds Of thousands of lives,
ahd thousands of millions of treasure, to
preserve the integrity aud union Of this
country, that the order be not insisted
upoa. II is unmistakably the expressed
wish of the country that General Sheri-
dan should not be removed from lis pres.
ent command. This is Republic where
the will OF the people is the law of the
land. | beg that THEN voice may be heard
General Sheridan has performed his civil
duties faithfu ly and intellgeutly His
removal will only be regarded as an effort
to defeat the law OF Congress. 1t will
be Interpreted by the unconstitutional ell
cment in the South, those who did all
they could to break no thisgovernmcut by
arms and now wish to be the only element
consulted as to the method of restoring
order, as a triumph 1t will cmboldcn 10
renewed opposition to the will OF the Iny>
al masses, believing that they have the
Executive with them.
The services Of Il u. Thomas in bat
ding for the Union cnritle him to sene
consideration. Tie has repeatedly enter
ed hts protest against being assigned to
either OF The five Military Districts, es-
petlalIy to beng assigned I'll rei We Gen
Sheridan. Gen. Hancock ought not to
be removed from where he is. His De
rartment is a complicated Que. which will
take new comma. der some time to be,
come acquainted vita.
There are military reasons, pecuniary
reasons, and above all patriotic reasons.
why this order should not Ue INSISTED on
beg to refer to letter marked "pri.
vate, which | wrote t6 the President
when first consulted on the subject f
changes in'the War Department.. 1t bears
upon the subject of this removal, aud |
hal hoped would have prevented it.
have the honor to be, with great respect
Jour obedient servant,
U. S. GRANT,
Gen. U. S. A., and Sec'y of War, I'D interim,
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, u. o.,(
August l9 1867.
General-I have received your COM
munication of the 18th inst, and thank
you for the promptness with which you
have submitted your views respecting the
assignments directed in my order of that
date. When | stated in my official note
of the 18th, that l would be pleased to
hear any suggestions you might deem
Necessary upon the subject, it was not my
intention to ask from you formal re-
port, but rather invite averbal statement
of any reasons affecting the public inter>
ests which, in your opinion, would rem
der the order inexpedient Inasmuch,
however, as it is written communion
tion, it is proper that | should make some
reply. You earnestly urge that the or
der be not insisted on, remdrking that it
is unmistakably the expressed wish OF
the country, that General Sheridan should
not be removed from his present COM
mand. While | an cognizsnt of the ef-
forts thot have been mode to relieve Gen.
Sheridan in command of the Fifth Mill.
tary District, am not aware that be