The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-09-19
zen. Grant and the War Department.
From tho Chicago Tribune Correspondence

zen. Grant and the War Departmsnt
From tho Chicago Tribune Corre,poudence.1
WASHINGTON, Sept. II.
met prominent Republican Congress
man last evening, who had just come from
On interview with Gen. Grant. He said tc
me That their conversation had strongly i'm.
pressed him with the TACT that Grant Is much
IKE Lincoln in one important particular, viz:
IN ms respect for the will Of the people,
lie profoundly feels, the Congressman re-
marked, what be said % the Pres;dent Il
the Sheridan letter, this is Republic, a
land 81 ! ~ a =
asked il Grant seemed in hearty synpa.
Wy Win The Congressional plan Of recon.
He answered, aYes-and no.,
asked him what he meant. by suci: an
answer. 'g
lie responded that 10 his view Grant wss
IN hearty sympathy. with the purpose of Con-
gress, but thought the END might have been
reached by rather more direct means. Itdid
not seem to him thatit was snch q difficult
thing to put intentions into words-:f Conf
gress really meant that the military arm Of
The Government should be supreme in the
work OF reconstruction, 1t was easy enough
70 make your law to carry out that spirit.
lie knew, however, that Congress had found
difficulties on all sides, and. on the whole, 1t
WAS to be commended for doing its work with
sagaciiy and patriotism, and it probably did
not become him to even seem to criticise its
course. They had endeavored to carry out
the popular desire.
Travelling through the country from Illinois
to Massachusetts, during the exciting month
of August, found, among Republicans, a
general feeling of anxiety growing out of the
fact that General Grant had taken Mr.. Stan,
tons place in the Cabinet. Some men were
angry. and some were filed with doubt and
dlstrust. "Grant is Johnson man, after
ALL said few. lis he johnson man, af.
ter all?i asked the many.
The idea of displacing Stanton with Grant
was preached by the President long before he
gave it effect. His drift and tendencies we're
discussed by the General and the recretary
more than once in the private office Of the
latter The two men substantially agreed,
hear of one memorable occasion when the
talk was two hours long and an intimate
friend OF both parties was present. Mr..
Stanton said he knew the ring WIS howl>
ing for his head-urg,ng the President by
every consideration they could think of to
remove him. He knew, too, that a great
many persons were wondering why he didn't
resign. Some said it was NOS delicste or de.
cent for him r. stay after he had received
such unmise sble hints that he Want
wanted, and others didn't see how he could
stay after what had been said II d,dn't
come here in the first place to consult nv.
own ease or comfort said he; 81 did my
best to serve the country in her dark hour,
aud ] shall not spare myself to serve her in
this darker hour General Grant quite con-
rod in ftat Jao hat thof ell
ening. He said he had been mofs anxious
and worried more for the last Eve or six
months than when he was lying before
Richmond. Nobody could tell what the Pres
ident would do. He had bad advisers about
him-"some very bad men, Grant added.
Mr.sStanton ssidihe should mol quit the Cab,
met till he was forced out; he thought the
situation was such that the people who put
down the rebellion would justify him in dis
regarding both hints snd invitations. Gen.
eral Grant and the third party both thought
so, too. Suppose you are invited in hcre?''
queried the friend, of General Grant II
shall respectfully dechns the invitation
Suppose you are ordered?' II think it
never will come 10 tlat' "But suppose it
does?" There are complications enoash
now without troubling ourselves abou, that.
This gentleman said to me he believed Stan.
ton would dojnst as he said stay tril he was
put out by force, and that Genaral Grant
would back him up to the lass. He added
that both we're very apprehebsive of the fu>
turc, and both thought Congress should pro-.
vide for assembling, il nesd be, sesrtS Id DC.
tober
When the President. first proposed to Gen.
erai Grant that he take Mr.. Stanton's place,
the General, true to his word, respectfully
declined. When be insisted,s the General
protested in writing. This letter was marked
private" General Grant is perfectly will
ing it should be published, but the President
refuses to give it out, and raves like mad.
man when the correspondents ask him for IT, 4
! suppose it can't be got into print till Con. /
gress meets and calls for all the corresponds 1
ence.
Was It absolutely necessary for put to /
take the War Department? Mr.. Stanton |
strongly advised him to do so-it wasnlain
that some Presidential tool would beirut in
if Stanton went ont. unless the General &C,
eepted. The Secretary denied the fres- 1
dent r'ghfto remove or suspend hi.H but 1
II Grant was to be his successor he would file
his protest and let Congress, or rather the
Senate, settle the question at issue.
The Presidents letter to Grant il very
adtoity worded. Is il m; order or not?
Jhe Washington Conservatives, flsttering
themselves that Grant could be used by the
President at will. said ii was not an order,
aud that Grants action Was proof of his
sympathy with the President. The General
SAID from the first that he was compelled to
obey. Colonel Moore, of the White House,
took the document over to army headquarters.
When the General read Il 10 ain, =" Well,
don't see how can help myself-here is the
Presidents ORDER He holds that it would
no. Besides, saying Eyes he saved the
complication that might have arisen had he
forced Mr.. Stanton to the last issue with tie
Presidedt. Had this been msds, and had
the Executive been successful, We should
have had as subseryient a tool in the war of.
fee as Buckley. ..~ss.-.sss.s
Coming here aud looking over the feld, /
am sure no good man can doubt the wisdom
of General Grant course in takfrlk3he ar
Department. The infauy and nsdness of
Andrew johnson cannot be fully eesn from