The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-08-28

tratiOn. .4t 10.
New YORK, August &c, 1867.
The following is the correspondence
between General Grant and the Presi-
dent:
! HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE U. s.,
WASHINGTON, August II, 1867. !
His Ercellency ARdreT johnson, President
of the -Un,ted States: g. r0.T
SrR-I am i'll receipt Of your order of
this date, directing me to appoint Cen
eral G.. III. Thomas to the command OF
the Fifth Military District, General
Sheridan to the Department of Mis-
souri, General Hancock to the Depart
ment CT the Cumberland, and also, your
note of this date enclosing the instruc-
tions to carry into effect the enclosed
order saying ~ would be pleased to hear
any suggestion you may deem necessary
respecting the assignments to which.
the order refers" am pleased to avail
myself of this invitation to urge, earn
estly urge, in the name of patriotic
people who have sacrificed hundreds of
thousands of. lives, and thousands of
millions of treasure, to preserve the in
tegrity and union of this country, that
the order be not insisted upon. 1t is
Enthusiastically the expressed wish of the
country that General Sheridan should
not be removed from his present COM
mand. This is Republic where the
will Of the people is the law of the land.
/ beg that their voice may be heard.
General Sheridan has performed his civil
duties faithfully and intelligently. His
removal will only be regarded as an
effort to defeat the law of Congress. 1t
will be interpreted by the uncoustitu-
tional element in the South, those who
did all they could to break up this gov
ernment by arms and now wish to be
the only element consulted as to the
method of restoring order, as a triumph.
It will embolden to renewed opposition
to the will of the loyal masses, believ-
ing that they have the Executive with
them. ...-.--
The services of General Thomas in
battling for the Union entitle him te
some consideration, He has repeatedly
entered his protest against being as
signed to either of the five Military Dis
tricts, especially to being assigned to
relieveiGeneralS Sheridan. General Han
cock ought not to be relieved from where
he is. His Department isp complicated
one, which will take u new commander
some time to become acquainted with.
There are military reasons, pecuniary
reasons, and above all patriotic reas-
ons, why this order should not be in
sisted on. l beg to refer to letter
marked private" which wrote to the
President when first consulted on the
subject of change in the War Depart
meDt. H. bears upon the subject of this
removal, and had hoped would have
prevented it
have the honor to be, with great re
spect, your obedient servant,
u. S. GRANT,
Gen. L. S. A, and Sec'y ofWar, ,dd interim.
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY.
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Aug. -, 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 would be pleased
to hear any suggestions you might deem
necessary upOn the subject, 1t was not
my intention to ask from you q formal
report, but rather invite verbal state
ment of any reasons affecting the public
interests which, i'll your opinion, would
render the order ineXpedient. lnasmuch,
however, as it is written communica-
ton, it is proper that l should make
some reply. You earnestly urge
that the order be not insisted on, re-
marking that. it is Enthusiastically the ex-
pressed wish of the country, that Cen
eral Sheridan should not be removed
from his present command. While am
cogDizant of the efforts that have been
made to relieve General Sheridan in
command of the Fifth Military District,
| am not aware that the question has
ever been submitted to the people them-
selves for determination. 1t would cert
tainly be unjust to the army to assume
that in the opinion of the nation he
alone is capable -Of commanding
the States of Louisiana and Texas,
and that were he for any cause removed,
no other General in the military ser
vice of the United States would be COM
petent to fill his place. General Thorn
as, whom / have designated as his sue
cessor, is well known to the country,
having won high and honorable dis
tinction in the field. He since in the
execution of the responsible duties OF
q Department Commander exhibited
great ability, sound discretion and ster-
ling patriotism. He has not failed UNI
der the most trying circumstances toI
preserve peace and order, to encourage
the restoration of civil authority, and to
promote as far as possible spirit of re-
Cancellation. The administration of
the Department of the Cumberland will
certainly compare most favorably with
that of General Sheridan in his Military
District. There affairs appear to be in
disturbed condition, and bitter
spirit of antagonism has resulted from
General Sheridan's management. He has
rendered himself exceedingly obnoxious
by the manner in which he has exer-
cised even the powers conferred by Con-
gress, and still more so by resort to
authority not granted by law, nor nec-
essary to his faithful and efficient exer-
ten. His rule has in fact been one of
absolute tyranny, without reference to
the principles of our Government or ma
ture of our free institutions. The state
of affairs that has resulted from the
course he has pursued has seriously in
terfered with harmonious and salts
factory and speedy execution of the acts
of Congress, and is alone sufficient to
Justify change. His remoy al, there
fore, cannot be regarded as an effort to
defeat the laws of Congress, for the OBJ
ieet is to facilitate their execution
Through an officer who has never failed
to obey the law, and to exact without
his jurisdiction like obedience from
others. 1t cannot be interpreted by the
unreconstructed element of the South,
those who did all they could to break
up this government BY arms, and who
wish to be the only element consulted
as to the method Of restoring order, as
triumph, for as intelligent men they
must know that the mere change OF
military commanders cannot alter
the law, and that General Thorn
as will be as mach bound by
its requirements as General Sheridan.
1t cannot embolden them, to renewed
fonnosition to the will of the loyal mass