The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1868-02-21

accustomed seat at the board. When
he had been reached in the order of
business, the President asked him, as
usual, if lie had anything to present.
In reply the general, after referring to a
note which he had that morning address
Ell to the President, enclosing 20 ~
OF the resolution of the Senate refusino
to concur in the reasons for the suspen-
sion of Mr.. Stanton, proceeded to say
that he regarded his duties as Secretary
of War Qd interim terminated by that
resolution, and that he could not law
fully exercise such duties for a moment
after the adoption Of the resolution
reached him last night, and that this
morning he had gone to the War de-
partment, entered the secretary's room,
bOlted one door on the inside, locked
the other on the outside, deIiv-
cred the key to the adjutant general,
'and proceeded to the headquarters OF
the army and addressed the note above
mentioned to the President, informing
him that he General Grant was no
longer Secretary of War 0d interim.
The President expressed great sur
prise at the course which Gen. Grant
had thought proper to pursue, and, adj
dressing himself to the General, pro-
ceeded to, say in substance, that he had
anticipated such action on the part ofthe
Senate, and being very desirOus to
have the cOnStitutiOnaIity of the ten
ure-Of-Office bill tested, and his right to
suspend or remove member of the
Cabinet decided by tie judicial tribu-
mails of the country, he had, some time
ago, and shortly after Gen. Grants APP
pOintment as Secretary of War Od inter-
i'm, asked the General what his action
would be in the event that the Senate
should refuse to concur in the SuSpen-
sion of Mr.. Stanton, and that the Gen
eral had then agreed either to remain
at the head of the War Department
till decision could be obtained from
the court, or resign the office in the
hands of the President before the case
was acted upon by the Senate, 50 as to
place the President in the same situa-
he occupied at the time Ofhis (Grant's)
appointment.
The President further said that the
conversation was renewed on the pre-
ceding Saturday, at which time he ask
ed the General what he intended to do
if the Senate should undertake to re-
instate Mr.. Stanton, in reply to which
the General referred to their former
conversation upon the same subject,
and said "yOu understand my posi- ion,
and my conduct will he c0ntormahle
to that understanding" that he (the
General) then expressed a repugnance
to being made a party to Judicial pro-
ceeding, saying that he Would expose
himself to fine and imprisonment by
doing SO, as his continuing to discharge
the duties of Secretary of War dd inter-
i'm after the Senate should have refus-
ed to concur in the suspension of Mr..
Stanton would be "a violation of the ten
ure-Of-office bill.
That in reply to this he, the Presi-
dent, informed Gen. Grant he had not
suspended Mr.. Stanton under the ten
ure-Of-Office bill, but by virtue of the
powers conferred on him by the c0nsti-
tuition, and that as to the fine and i'm.
priSOnmUnt he, the president, would
pay whatever fine was imposed, and
submit to whatever imprisonment
might be adjudged against him, the
General. That they continued the con-
VersatiOn for some time, discussing the
law at length, and that they finally
separated without having reached a
definite conclusion, and with the un-
derstanding that the General would
see the President again on Monday.
In reply, Gen. Grant admitted that
the conversation had occurred, and
said that at first conversation he had
given it as his opinion to the President
that in the event OfnOn-c0ncurrence by
the Senate in the action Of the PreSi-
dent in respect to the Secretary of War,
the question would have to be decided
by the court that Mr.. Stanton would
have to appeal to the court to reinstate
him in office; that the ms would re-
main in until they could be displaced
and the outs put in by legal proceed
ings and that he then thought so, and
had agreed that if he should change
his mind he would notify the President
in time To make another appointment;
but that, at the time If the first conver
sation. he had not looked very closely
into the law that it had recently been
discussed by the newspapers, and that
this had induced hini to examine it
more carefully, ana that he had come
to the conclusion that if the Senate
should refuse to concur in the suSpen-
sion Mr.. Stanton would thereby be re-
instated, and that he (Grant( could not
continue to act as Secretary of War at
interim without suhjecting himself to
fine and Imprisonment; and that he
came oyer Gn Saturday IL Inform the
President of the change in his views,
and did SO inform him; that the Pres
ident replied that he had not suspen-
ded Mr., Stanton under the tenure-uf-
office bill, but under the constitution,
and had appointed him-Grant-by
virtue Of the authority derived from
the constitution, &c; that they cOntin-
ued to discuss the matter some time,
and finally he left without any cOnclu-
sion having been reached, expecting to
see the President again on Monday.
He then proceeded to explain why
he had not called on the President on
Monday, saying that he had had long
interview with General Sherman; that
various little matters had occupied his
time till it was late, and that he did
not think the Senate would act SO soon;
ana asked tDid not General Sherman
call on you on Monday" ] do not
know what passed between the Fresi-
dent and General Grant on Saturday
except as learned it from the CONVEX
satiOn between them at the Cabinet
meeting on Tuesday, and the foregoing
is substantially what then occurred,
The precise words used on the Occa-
sion are not, of course, given exactly
in the order which they were spoken,
but the Ideas expressed and the facts
stated are faithfully preserved and pre-
Sented.
have honor to be, sir, with great
Xnnr .,haIiaDt .nrV1nt
O. IL. BROWNING,