Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-12
WHEApeuAKTERs AKMY U. S.

WAsHIEGToN, D. c., Feb. 3, 1868.
"To HIS ErosLLchcy hsdrsy Johnson President G
! the United States
"SIE: have the honor 10 acknowledge the re
ceipt Of your communication Of the 3lst ult, in IN
| swer 10 mine of the 9th alt
'After careful reading snd comparison of tn
article in the National LlteLligeHcef of the 5tl
ultimo and the article over the initials j. r. S.
in the New York World Of the 9th ult, purport
ing TO be based upon your statement and that o
the members of the Cabinet therein named, I inC
them TO be but a reiteration only somewhat mor'
IL DETAIL of the many and gross Misrepresentation
confined 10 those articles, and which my statement
Of facts set forth in my letter of the l4th ult,
intended TO correct and herein l resssert the cor
rectness Of my statements in that letter, anything
in yours in reply TO the contrary notwithstanding
confess my surprise that the Cabinet officers re-
ferred TO should greatly misapprehend the facts
of the admission alleged TO have been made by me
of the Cabinet meeting the l4th ult, to suffer
their names 10 be made the basis Of charges in the
newspaper article referred TO- or agree to the accu-
racy as you affirm they do of your account of what
occurred at that meeting. You know we parted on
the llth ult without any promise on my part ex-
pressed or implied, 20 the effect that would hold
on to the Office OF Secretary Of War ad interim,
against the action of the Senate Or declining TO do
go, would surrender TO you before such action was
bad, or that / would see you again at any fixed
time on the subject. The performance Of the pro-
misses alleged 10 have been made by me would have
involved resistance ITO the law and en- incoDsis-
tency with the whole history of my connection
with the suspension of MIR. Stanton. From our
conversation and my written protest of August Ist,
1867, against the removal of Mr.. Stanton YOU must
have known that my,greatest objection TO his Temo-
val was the fear that son he appointad
in bis stead who would, by application TO the laws
relating 10 the restoration of the Southern States
TO their proper relations TO the Government, en'
baFrsss the army In the performance Of tho duties
aapsaiAaly imposed upon IL by law, and that it
70 pFevAnt such an appointment that accepted the
appointment of Secretary of War G9 t5ltcTl'7 and
not isT she purpose Of enabling you to get rid OF
Mr Stanton or -vilhholdinn fhs sfseo FROM hiul in
opposition TO the law, or, not doing myself, 10
surrender it TO one who, as the statements and as
sumptions in your communication plainly indicate
was sought, and it TO avoid this danger, we'll
as TO relieve you from tho personal embarrassment
which Mr. Stsnton's reinstatement would place you
in that | urged the appointment Of Gov. Cox, be-
sying it would be agreeable to you and also to Mr..
Stanton. Satisfied as l was that the good Of the
country and not the Office was the latter desired on
the 18th ult., in the presence Of Gen. Sherman, !
stated to you that thought Mr.. Stanton would re-
sign, but did not say would advise MIN 10 do So.
On the 18th did agree with Gen. Sherman TO 90
and advise him TO that course. On the 18th l had
an interview alone with Mr.. Stanton which led me
to the conclusion that any advice would be useless
and so informed General Sherman. Before | con-
ssnted 10 advise Mr.. Stanton TO resgH under
stood from him, in q conversation on The subject
Immediately on his reinstatement, that it was his
opinion that the act of Congress entitled an act
temporarily to supply vacancies in the Executive
Department in certain cases, approved February
10th, 1862 repealed by subsequent legislation,
which materially Influenced my action. Previous
to this time had no doubt that the law Of 1863
was still in force and notwithstanding the ami
nation of The law, it leaves question in my mind
whether it is or not repealed this being the cas- e.
could not low advise his resignation lest the same
danger sppEehended on his first removal might fol-
low
"The course you have II understood that 1 agreed
20 pursue was in violation of law while the
! did pursue, and which l never doubted you fully
understood, was in accordance with orders Of my
superior.
''Now, Mr.. President, when nay honor as a SOL
dier, and integrity as a man has been SO violently
sssailed, pardon me for saying that ! can but re-
gard this whole matter, from beginning to end, as
an attempt to involve me in resistance TO the law,
for which you hesitated to assume the responsible
ty in order thus to destroy my character beforethe
country. ] am, in measure confirmed in this
conclusion by your recent orders directing me to
disobey orders from the Secretary of War, my su-
perior and your subordinate, without having couns
demanded this authority / am to dsobey.
a "XVith the assurance Mr. President that nothing
less than vndication of my personal honor and
character could have induced this correspondence
on my part have the honor 20 be, very respect
fully, your obedent servant
"U. S. GRANT, Gen eral.