The national Republican., 1867-08-29
GEN. GRANT, AND THE PREsI.
DENT.

GEN. GRANTiAND THE PRESI
DENT.
Many rumors have been in circulation
within the last twenty-four hours respect
ing the disagreement and almost quarrel
between the President and Gen. GRASr
Without attempting to take sides in the
controversy which may have sprung ur
between the General OF the army and the
constitutional Commander.in-C Chief of the
army and navy forces Of the United States
VIC may be permitted to state briefly the
precise relation Of the existing differences
between the General and the President.
The Presidents order to Gen. Han.
COCK is somewhat different from the order
given to Gen. TnoNAs by Gen. GRANT, in
aSmuch as it confers upon HANCOCK the
power to modify or change the orders
promulgated by Gen. SHERIDAN. To this
formula Of the President Gen. GRANT OBJ.
jects, because he understands that the law
of Congress, known as the supplemental
bill, empowers the General Of the army to
issue all regulations for the government
of the districts, and Gen. GRANT UNDER
stands that oil these orders must be pro.
mulged through himself, and not by the
President. The law is as follows:
SECTION 3. And be IL further enacted
That the headquarters OF the General Of
the Army Of the United States shall be al
the City Of Washington, and all orders
and instructions relating to military oper,
ations, issued by the President or Secre.
tary of War, shall be issued through the
General Of the army, and in case Of his in.
ability, through the next in rank. The
General Of the army shall not be removed
suspended or relieved from command, or
assigned to duty elsewhere than at said
headquarters, except at his own request,
without the previous approval Of the Sen
ate; and any orders or instructions re-
lating to military operations issued con-
trary to the requirements Of this section
shall be null and void, and any officer who
shall issue orders or instructions contrary
10 the provisions Of this section, shall be
deemed guilty Of misdemeanor in office;
and any officer Of the army who shall
transmit, convey, or obey any orders O
Instructions SO issued, contrary to the pro
visions Of this section, knowing that suci
Oruers were 50 bbutut bnhh DC uhblt u
imprisonment for not less than two no
more than twenty years, upon conviction
thereof in any court Of competent juriI
diction.
1t is understood that General GRANT ha
written letter TO the President affirming
his right to promulgate these orders in &C
cordance with the law. This is doubles
true, that such letter has been written b.
General GRANT; but it is not true, as ha
has been stated in certain quarters, tina
General GRANT denies the right Of tn
President to interfere in any one of tn
five military districts created by Congress
asserting that the entire control Of tn
Departments rests by the supplements
reconstruction act in the General of th
armies Of the United States, and tina
therefore, he is not at liberty, and will NJ
transfer it to another"
This is stating 1t too strong. Gei
GRANT cannot have denied the right
the President to remove any militar
commander from the post he occupies an
transfer him to any other post. We thir
the Washington correspondent Of the Ne
York Times, in that paper of yesterda
gives the true view Of this question as
now exists between the President and Il
General. That correspondent says, spea
ing Of the letter:
"This letter not being ready for tran
mission until to-day, did not reach Ii
President until after the Cabinet meetin
this afternoon, and he has not yet reptile,
Gen. Grant regards the last order OF th
President as entirely superseding Gener;
Order No. II, including his instructions
Gen. Thomas; and there is little doub
that serious difiercnce-not to say COZ
hlct OF ylews-has occurred between tn
President and Gen. Grant regarding tn
powers Of the latter under the reconstruC
tion acts, and the purpose Of his letter t
the President to-day is believed to hay
been to present to him certain further SUI
gestions and points for his consideration
not touching the propriety Of Sheridan
removal, on which argument has cease
but the more important question as
whether the order Of the President is n,
SO framed as to conflict directly with h
powers granted to the General-in- Chief /
the acts of Congress"
This is the gist Of the whole matter, or
we are induced to present it TO OF
readers as it stands, because we woul
correct very general misapprehensic
which prevailed yesterday, and becau,
we would state, as public journalist, Il
real position Of both the President an
General GRANT
M. De WELKREs, the chief gambler