Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-19

"a L0T
vrsss on the 10th, the President sent the follown
correspondence to that body on tho afternoon Of th
18th instant
EXECUTIVE MAEEIOg, Feb. 10.
GEEERAL: The extraordinary character Of youi
letter Of the Sd instant would seem to preclude any
reply on nv part, but the manner IN which public
Nv 6ss been given 20 the correspondence OF which
that letter forms & part and the grave questions
which are involved Of injustice 10 me, take this
mode Of giving proper sequel TO the c0mmunica-
lions which have passed between Us. Statements
Of Eve of the members Of the Cabinet who were
uressnt on the occasion Of your conversation the
iIth ult with copies Of the letters which they have
addressed 70 me upon the subject, arc accordingly
herewith enclosed. Yeu speak Of my letter Of the
lst ult as reiterativs that many and gross mSrcp-
ressntations we're contained In certain newspaper
articles and resssert the correctness Of the state
nents contained In your communication Of the 2stb,
adding, land l here give your own words -" any
thing in your reply to the contrary notwithstand-
ing
When a controversy upon matters Of fact reaches
point b. which this has been brought, further as
fociAtion or denial between the immediate parties
should close especially when upon either side il
lo0sss the character Of respectful discussion which
is required By tho parties 20 stand 10 each other
and degenerates in tone and temper. In such g
case II there s nothing 10 rely upon but opposing
statements, the conclusion must be drawn from
those statements alone, and from whichever intrin-
sic probabilities they afford in favor Of or against
and either party should not shrink from this con-
troverBy. But fortunately il is not left TO this test
alone There we're five Cabinet officers present du.
ring that conversation, details Of which in my let
ter Of the 2sth you allow yourself TO say contains
many and gross misrepresentation. These gentle
men heard that conversation and read my state
meht and they speak for themselves and I leave
the proof, without one word or comment / desire
II proper before concluding this communication TO
oil al Cd in
You say the performance Of promises alledged 70
have been made by you 10 the Presidens would
have involved resistance TO law and inconsistencies
with The whole history Of my condition with the
suspension Of Mr.. Stanton. You then state that
you had fears lat the President would soon remove
Mr.. Stanton, and appoint some ono in his place who
would embarrass the army in carrying out the re-
construction acts What did, was 20 prevent such
appointment You say; accepted the Office Of
Secretary Of War aa interim, but not for the pur
poses Of enabling you 10 get rid of Mr.. Stanton by
my Withholding IL from him IN opposition 10 law,
or not doing so myself suTrendering 4 90 one who
would" As the statements and assumptions in
your coMmunichtoh pihihig indioato you sought
INT, al that you here sdmit from the very begin
ning Of what you term the whole history Of your
connection with Btsntons suspension. You intended
20 oircumVent the President It was 10 carry out
that intention that you accepted the appointment
This was In your mind at the time OF your accept
Rnce. IL was not then in obedience 70 the order Of
you assumed the duties Of the Office. You knew Il
was the Presidents purpose &c prevent Mr.. Stanton
from assuming the Office Of Secretary OF War and
you intendyd so defeat that purpose You accepted
the oos not in the interest Of the President but Of
Ar. Stanton. If this purpose, so entertained by
you bad been confined 10 yourself-if, when accept
ing the office, you bad done so with a mental reser-
walton 10 rustrnte the President it would have been
deception. In the ethics Of some persons each
course might be allowable, but you can not stand
even upon that questionable ground. The history
Of your connection with this transaction written
by yourself places you in q sufficient predicsment,
and shows that you not only concealed your design
from the President but induced him 90 suppose that
you would carry out his purposes TO keep Mr.. Stan
ton out Of the oface by retaining il yourself sfter
his attempted restoration by the Senate 80 IS tOTe
guire Mr. Stanton 10 establish his right BY judicial
decision. now give thst part OF this story ss
written by yourself in your letter of the 2sth ulti-
mo; Some time after / assumed the duties Of Sec
retary Of War Gd iatcrin the President asked my
views as TO the course Mr.. Stanton would pursue in
case The Senate should not concur in his suspension
10 obtain possession Of the Office Ny reply in sub
stance was that Mr. Stanton would have 70 appesl
70 the courts to renstste him. illustrating my po-
ntion BY citing the ground bad taken in the case
OF The Baltimore police toward the Commissioners
now a. that time as you Rdmitin your letter Of the
3D. you held The Office for the very object of defeat
lhg me appeal to the courts In that letter you saw
10 accepting the Office one move was 10 prevent the
PRESIDENT from appointing some other person who
would retain possession aud thus make judicial pro-
ceedings necessary. You know the President was
unwilling 20 trust the Office with anv one who con
noi By holding il, compel Mr. Stanton 20 resort 10
the courts You perfectly understood in this inter
view some time after you accepted the Office, that
the President was not c0ntented with your silence
and desired an expression of your views, and YOU
answered him that Mr.. Stanton would have TO sp
peal 70 the courts. II the President bad repOseC
confidence before he knew your views, and tha
confidence had been violated, It might have beer
said be made mistake but in violation Of the con
hdenco reposed, after that conversation It n,
mistake o! bis nor OF yOars This fact only need
70 DO sisted with the date Of his conversation Yor
1ld not lbtend 70 hold the Office with the purpose
lorclng Mr. Stanton into the courts but did hold L
men, And had accepted il 20 prevent that COURSE
rom oelnS carried out In other words, you said
10 ths fresideAt that Is the proper course and you
saia 70 y9e55eii have accepted this Office and now
aoid ~ 10 defeat thst course The excuse you make
m subsequent paragraph Of that letter eli the 2sh
1'1 silerward, that you had changed your views a.
70 what would be The proper course has nothing "a
40 Win the point now under consideration. The
f''i.' T" zs'oss 5ca changed your views you had re
IIos'y SSs,;p''ss3 TO do the very thing which nt
St you did-sCrTender the Office to Mr. Stanton
Gu may have changed your views As 10 the law
~ a.. ecu certainly did not change your views as e
no Course You had marked out Tor yourself from tht
UeElHhing viii only notice one more statement
- 49, 4g''sIi which Is that the lust Performance o
t5 't.Iso LH Sn'on It Is alleged was made bv ycg
, wOl.a nave involved you IN resistance 20 law.
~" AZ ssa'use mai would have been violated had
20 e-L5leu ouI your promises in good faith and
rendered your resignation when Won eonolDas3 no,
70 &c MADE party IN any legal Proceedings. Yor
-; au IN manner confirmed In this Coaclu
soh BY your recent orders 70 discbev or3srs g.
Sle secretary Of War; my superior and vour s1bo-.
.lNs1 1 Without having ooUntsrmsnded his sutbori
y e issue the orders / am TO dlEobev.0
Vi sIe 18th Inst, you addressed 4 note d, tb,
La@el1 requesting In writing an order given 4
- 'oLOAly Eve days before, disregRrding order
In I'm mf, stanton as Secretary Of War, until yor
Ht lrom the President himself that these y1cr,
- "a the Zsth In compliance with vour
tiS oid give Instructions in v.ritine, NOT =,
=, y OIScfa from the War Depsrtppnf M assume,
oo is--oa ny direction Of the President ,,.les
eI VIIo' was known by the General com ms ,8ir,
sIe Slhies o. The United States 10 bsy, 80 !. !,
IDofi1ea cy the Executive. There are 80, l-5er
VINCE oecaet&rS OF War nav isspe ,~i.t,rt ~
H1Ihoriy u the President There sro - III ii
&c eses 1aply ~ an agent Of the Pre.5Sa,, an
Sulcl purpose 70 be by direction Of the P,csiden,
ol slca orders the President il Responsible "a y
Sa,u thefeiore know snd understand wbsf The
II ~ n.lHI' giving such direction Mr. stanton 4
r-,h1st ol the 9Th instant which occor,,.sris5 th
The I2,b 80 'pondence with he President sinc
the duties ~ ~ ~. lI-@ says that since he resume
them v,i,. - MS Office, he coptinpss =, -,
.t without any formal a., a .4es 70 oischarg
bsy. - We frosldent ana .5Ss 02tI ~ uhic'
"a - 1o issued from this Der.-s- NO order
ef 'e-'Usht with my kr'o,y1 es-' -' ~ the nam
foSeiEed no orders from him b ''''ke' and hav
'hus seems that Ar. Stanton nan AZ,