Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-02-21
cluded not to be made party in legal pro-

cluded not to be made party in legal pro-
ceedings.
You add 81 am i'll u measure confirmed
/ in this conclusion by your recent orders
directing me to disobey orders from the
Secretary of War, my superior and your
subordinate, withouth having countermanded
his authority to issue the orders am to dis
obey"
On the oath ultimo you addressed a note
to the President requesting IN writing al
order given to you verbally five days before
| to disregard orders from Mr.. Stanton rs
Secretary of War until you 'knew from the
President himself that they were his or
ders."
On the Goth, in compliance with your re-
quest, did give you instructions IN VIII
ting "not to obey any order from the War
Department assumed to be issued by the
direction of th" President unless such Or
der is known by the General commanding
the armies of the United States to have
been authorized by the Executive" There
are some orders which a Secretary OF War
may issue without the authority OF the Pre-
sident. There are others which lie issues
simply as the agent of the President. and
which purport to be ''by direction" OF the
President For such orders the President
| is responsible, and he should therefore
| know ana understand what they are be-
fore giving such g directions MIR. stan
ton states in his letter of the 4th instant,
which accompanies the published CORES
pondence, that he ''has had no corfoSp0n-
dence with the President since the 18th OF
August last, and he further says that since
he resumed the duties Of the office he has
continued to discharge them ''wlthoUt any
| ann M IA
! Tie President" And he adds (" No Or
dcrs have been issued from this Depart
ment in the name of the President with my
| knowledgc, and have received no orders
| from him." 1t thus seems that Mr.. Stan
ton now discharges the duties OF the War
| Department without any reference to the
President, and without using his name.-
My order to you had only reference to OF
dcrs assumed to be issued 10y the . direc-
ton of the PRESIDENT" 1t would appear
| from Mr.. Stant0n's letter that you have re
ceivcd no such orders from him. However,
iii your note TO ''the President, Of the Both
ultl!uo, III which you acknowledge the re-
ccipt of the written order of the 29th,
you say that you have been informed by Mr..
Stanton that he has not received any order
limiting his authority. to Issue orders to the
army according to the practice Of the De
partment and state that "while this 'au
thority to the War Department is not c0un-
| fernandez it will be satisfactory evidence
! to me that any orders issued by the War
Department by direction Of the President
are authorized by the Executive" The
President issues an order to you to obey no
order from the War Department purport-
ing to be made ''by the direction Of the
President until you have referred to him
for his approval. You reply that you have
obey it, but will obey all order purporting
to be given by his direction if it comes
from the War Department. You will not
obey the direct order of the President, but
will obey his indirect order. If, us you
say, there has been practice in the War
Department to issue orders in the name OF
the President without his direction, does
not the precise order you have requested,
and have received, change the practice as to
| the General of the army? Could not the Pre-
sident countermand any such order issued
to you from the War Department? If you
should receive an order from that Depart
ment, issued III the name of the President,
to do special act and an order directly
from the President himself not 10 DO the
act, is there doubt which you are to obey?
You answer the question when you say TO
the President in your letter Of the 3D. III
slant the Secretary Of War is my superior
and your subordinate, " and yet you refuse
obedience to the superior out of Difference
to the subordinate Without further COM
ment on the insubordinate attitude which
you have assumed, [ am at a loss to know
how you can relieve yourself from ODE
dience to the orders OF the President, who
is made by the Constitution the Comman-
der-in- Chief Of the Army and Navy, and is
therefore the official superior as well OF the
General of the Army as of the Secretary Of
War. Respectfully yours,
ANDREW JOHNSON.
General L. s. Grant, commanding Armies
of the United States, Washington, ID. G.
COPY OF LETTER ADDRESSED To EACH OF THE
MEMBERS OF THE CABINET PRESENT AT THE
CONVERSATION BETWEEN TIE PRESIDENT
AND GENERAL GRANT ON THE 14Tu JANUA-
Ky, 1868.
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 5, 1868.
Sir-The Chronicle of this morning con-
tains correspondence between the Presi-
dent and General Grant, reported from the
War Department in answer TO Il resolution
of the House of Representatives. | beg to
call your attention to that correspondence,
and especially to that part of it which re-
fers TO the conversation between the Presi-
dent and General Grant at the Cabinet
meeting Oh Tuesday the 18th of January,
and to request you to state what was said
in that conversation.
Very respectfully yours,
ANDREW JOHNSON.
THE RESPONSES OF TILE SECRETARIES.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 5, 1868.
Sir-Your note of this date was handed