Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1868-02-13

ton of the 31st ult., in answer to
mine of the 2Sth ult. After careful
reading and comparison of it with
the article in the Intelligencer of the
18th ult., and the article over the in
itials of. B. S., in the N. Y. World OF
the eth ult., purporting to be based
upon your statement, and that OF the
members of the Cabinet therein named
l find it to be but a reiteration, only
somewhat more in detail, of the many
and gross misrepresentation contaiheo
in these articles, and which my state
ment of facts, set forth in my letter OF
the 94th ult., was intended to correct;
and herein reassert the correctness of
nv statements in that letter, anything
in yours in reply to the contrary not
withstanding.
Iconfess my surprise that the Cabi-
net officers referred to should SO great
ly misapprehend the facts in the matter
of admissions alleged to have been
made by me at the Cabinet meeting on
the 14th ult., as to suffer their names
to be made the basis of the charges IN
the newspaper article referred 70. or
agree to the accuracy, as you aihrm
they do; of your account OF what oc-
Cured at that meeting.
You know we parted on the llth
ult.. without any promise, on my part,
expressed or implied, to the affect that
l would hold on to the cfice of Secreta-
nv of War ad interim, against the action
Of the Senate, or declining to do SO,
would surrender it to you before such
action was had, or that l would see you
again at any fixed time on the subject.
The performance of the promise al
legged to have been made by me, would
have involved a resistance of the law,
and an inconsistency with the whole
history of my connection with the sus-
pension of Mr.. Stanton. From our
conversation, and my written protest OF
August /, 1867, against the removal OF
Mr.. Stanton, you must have known
that my greatest objection to his re-
moval was the fear that some one would
be appointed in his stead, who would
by opposition to the laws relating to
the restoration of the Southern States
to their proper relation to the Govern
ment, embarrass the army in the per-
formance of the duties especially i'm
posed upon it by the laws, and that it
was to prevent such an appointment
that l accepted the appointment OF
Secretary of War ad interim, and not
for the purpose of enabling you to get
rid of Mr.. Stanton by holding it
from him in opposition to law, or, not
doing so myself, surrender to one who,
as the statement and assumption in
your communication plainly indicates,
was sought. And it was to avoid this
danger, as well as to relieve you from
tre personal embarrassment in which
Mr.. Stanton's reinstatement would
place you, that l urged the appointment
of Gen. Cox, believing it would be
agreeable to you and also to Mr.. Stan
ton, satisfied, as l was, that the good
of the country and not the Office was
what the latter desired.
On the 18th ult, in the presence OF
Gen Sherman, l stated to you that l
thought Mr. Stanton would resign, but
did not say l would advise him to do
so. On the 18th / did agree with Gen.
Sherman to go and advise him to that
course, and on the 10th l had an inter-
view alone with Mr.. Stanton, which led
me to the conclusion that my advice
would be useless, and so informed Gen
Sherman. Before consented to advise
Mr.. Stanton to resign, l understood
from him, in conversation on the SUBJ
iect, Immediately on his reinstatement
that it was his opinion that the act o
Congress entitled can act temporarily
to supply vacancies in the Executive
Department in certain cases approved
February Goth, 1863" was repealed
by subsequent Legislation, which latter
influenced my. action. Previous tc
this time had no doubt that the law
of 1868 was still in force, and notwith
standing my actions, fuller examina
ton of the law leaves a question in my
mind whether it is or is not repealed
This being the case, I could not advise
his resignation, lest the same danger
apprehended on this first removal nigh
follow.
The course you have understood
agreed to pursue was in violation o
law, and that under orders from you
while the course l did pursue, and
which l never doubted you fully un
derstood, was in accordance with law
and rot in disobedience to any orders
of my superior.
And now, Mr.. President, when my
honor as soldier, and integrity as s
man has been so violently assailed, par
don me for saying that 1 can but re-
gard this whole matter from beginning
to end as an attempt to involve me II
the resistance of the law for which YOU
hesitate to assume the responsibility
in order thus to destroy my characte,
before the country. l am in measur
confirmed in this conclusion by you
recent orders, directing me to disobe,
orders from the Secretary of War, m,
superior and your subordinate, withou
having countermanded his authority
whom l am to disobey. With assu
rance, Mr.. President, that nothing les
than vindication of my personal homo
and character could have induced tn
correspondence on my part.
l have the honor to be, very respect
fully, your obedient servant.
U. S. GRANT, General
49, I'll l:.: L. Al. TT @