The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1868-02-27

Office of Secretary of War al iaterini,
with the view Of correcting the state
ments which you term gross misrep-
resentations, aud give at length your
own reoollections of the facts under
which, without the sanction Of the
President from whom you bad ro-
ceived aud accepted the appointment,
you yielded the Department of War
to the prescut incumbent.
As stated iu your communication,
same time after you had assumed
duties as Secretary OF War od inter
i'm, we intorehanged views respecting
the course that should be pursued in
event of the concurrence by the
Senate in the suspension Of Mr..
Stanton. l sought that interview,
calling myself at the War Depart.
mont. My sole object in then bring
ing the subject to your attention was
TO ascertain what would be your own
action should such an attempt be
made for his restoration 10 the War
Department That object was accom-
plisbed, for the interview terminated
with the distinct understanding, that
if under reflection you should prefer
not to become a party to the contro-
versy, or should conclude 1t would
be your duty to surrender the Depart
ment to Mr. Stanton upon action in
his favor by the Senate, you were to
return the office to me prior to deci-
sion by the Senate, in order that If |
desired to do so, | might designate
some one to succeed you. Ii must
have been apparent to you that had
not this understanding been reached,
it was my purpose to relieve you
from further discharge of duty as
Secretary Of War ad iaterin, aud to
appoint some other person in that
capacity. Other conversations upon
the subject eusued, all having, on my
part, tho same object, and leading To
the same conclusion as the first. 1t
is not necessary, however, to refer to
any of them, excepting that Of the
1lih inst, mentioned in your CON-
muuieation. AS it was then known
that the Senate had proceeded in the
case of Mr.. Stanton, was anxious to
learn your determination. After O
protracted interview, during which
the provisions of the Tenure. of Office
bill were Mlly discussed, you said
that, as it had been agreed upon in
our 6rst conference, you would either
return the Office TO my possession in
time to enable me TO appoint n sue
cessor before the fual action by the
Senate upon Mr.. Stautons suspen.
sion, or woulu remain at its head
awaiting decision by judicial proceed
ings. 1t was then understood there
would be u further conference on
Monday, by which time | supposed
you would be prepared to inform me
Of your fual decision. You failed
a.cweyer, 20 f;;!e,, a!!.,, 10 engagement,
and on Tuesday notified me in writing
Of the receipt Of your official notilica
ton of the action Of the Senate il
reference to Mr.. Stanton, aud at tho
same time informed me that according
to the act regulating the tenure o
certain civil Offices, your functions oI
Secretary of War dd interim ceaseC
FROM the moment. At receipt of no.
tiee, you thus, in disregard Of the un
derstaudiug between US, vacated tn
Office without having given notice o
your intent to do so.
1t is but just to say, however, tha
in your communication you CLAIM
you did inform me of your purpose
and thus fulfilled the promise mad
in our last preceding conversation oil
the subject. The fact that such
promise existed is evidence Of an ar
rangement of the kind | have men
toned. You had found in our frs
conference that the President was de
sirous of keeping Mr., Stanton out o
office, whether sustained in the sus
pension or not. You knew wha
reasons had induced the President t
ask from you promise. You ais
knew that in case your views Of dut
did not accord with his conviction,
J was his purpose to fill your place b
another appointment. Even ignoriD
the existence of a positive understand
ing between us, the conclusions wer
plainly dedueible from our yariou
conversations. tits certain, however
that even under these circumstance
you did not offer to return the plac
to my possession, but, according I
your own statement, placed yourseI
in position where, could | have an
ticipated your action, | would hav
been compelled 10 ask Of you, as
was compelled to ask of your prede
cessor in the War Department, q lei
ter Of resignation, or 10 resort to tn
more disagreeable expedient of sus
pending you by the appointment Of
successor.
As stated in your letter, the nom
inatiou Of Gov. Cox, Of Ohio, 70
Secretary Of War, was suggested /
me. His appointment as Mr.. Stan
ton 5 successor was urged in you
name, and il was said his selectio
would save further embarrassment
| did not think that in the selectio
Of Cabinet officer | should be tram
meled by such considerations.
was prepared to take the responsible
ty of deciding the question in accord
ance with my ideas Of constitutions
duties, and having determined upo
course which l deemed right an
proper, was anxious to learn the step
you wonld take, should the possession
Of the War Department be demande'
by Mr.. Stanton. Had your aetio
been in conformity with the under
standing between us, ] do not beliey
that the embarrassment would hav
attained its present proportions, o
that the probability Of its repetition
, would have been so great. | kuo'
, that, with a view TO any early termin
| - a a A.