Natchitoches spectator., 1868-02-20
The PRESIDENT and Gen. Grant.

nIv to Cen. Grant opens: "The extraor-
dinary character of your letter of the 3d
would seem to preclude reply but the
manner in which publicity Is given to
the correspondence whereof that letter
forms part, and grave questions are
involved. induces this mode OF glvlng
proper seauel to the communications
which have passed between us. The
statements of five members of the cabl
net who were present during the conver-
sation on the 14th, and copies of their
letters to me are enclosed" quoting
from Grants letter. the President says:
ssWhen controversy upon a mauCer Oh
fact reaches the point to which tais mas
been brou ght, further assertion or denlaI
between the immediate parties snouiu
cease, especially when on the other SIDE
it loses the character of respectful dis
cussion, which is required by the rela-
tions in which the parties stand to each
other" After quoting Grant again, the
President says: 1.-THE point is, that be-
fore YOU changed your views, you had
secretly determined to do the very thlng
which you at last did-surrender the
Office to Mr.. Stanton. You may not
have changed your views as 10 tne law,
but did certainly change your views as
to the course you had marked out for
Yourself from the beginning" The Pre-
sident argues at some length the legality
of his order to Grant to disregard Stan
toms order, making the point that Grant
will not obey his direct orders, but VIII
obey his indirect orders. The president
concludes: "Without further comment
upon the insubordinate attitude winch
YOU have assumed. am at loss 10
know how YOU can relieve yourself from
obedience to the order OF the Presl'fent,
who is made by the Constitution the
i lcommander-in chief of the army and ma
i Wv, and is, therefore, the official superior
as well of the general of the army as OF
l the Seer etary of War" Following is
the Presidents letter to the Secretaries
present at the 14th OF January conven-
tion. In reply to the request OF the
President for statement of what was
said on that occasion, Secretary Weiles
saws: "My recollection of the conversa-
ton corresponds with yonr statement oi
, it i'm your letter of the 31st January
The three points specified in that letter
7 giving your recollections of the conver
sation arc correctly stated" Secretary
> McCulloch saws: s'I cannot undertake
to state the precise language used, bu
) have no hesitancy in saying that your
account of that conversation, as glvei
' in yonr letter to Gen. Grant of the 31st
is substantially correct, and IN all I'm
portant particulars accordS with my re
collection of it.' Secretary Randall
!, saws: "I have not read carefully th
) correspondence in question, and partic
I ularly the letter of the President to Gen
Grant Of the 31st. The following ex
n tract from that letter is according to M.
!. recollection, and think a correct state
!. ment of the conversation that took plac
,, between the President and Gen. Gran
at the cabinet meeting on the 14th jar
; uary." Secretary Randall then quote
IT.
d ter is quite long, giving detailed az
q count of his impression of what occur
d red. Quoting the substance of whs
D. the President said, Secretary Sewar
4 says: ''I did not understand Gen. Graz
n as denying, nor as explicitly admittin:
% these ststememts in the form and fn
" extent to which You made them. ID
Or admission of them was rather indire'
t. aud circumstantial, though did M
of understand it to be an evasive one
After further details, Seward continue
"Certainly General Grant did not
any time in the cabinet meeting nsl
lie that he had in the Saturdays convers
VS. ton, either distinctly or finally advise
d, YOU of his determination to retire 1ro
er the charges of the War Departne
ol. otherwise that under your own SUBS
ef, ouent direction. He acquiesced IN yo
statement, that the Saturdays &C
u VerSation ended with an e&pecldI'
k, that there would be supseque
nd conference on the subject, which he,
in we'll as yourself, supposed could reasc
nd ably take place on Monday. Gt
Grant admitted that it was his exp'
,e7 tation or purpose to call on you
W Monday Gen. Grant assigned reasc
for the OMISSION Secretary Sewar
n; letter caused shouts of alternate derisi
Tn and incredulity from the Republicans
itn his courteous narrative proceeded.
nd cretary Br0wning's letters is also gu
long and mainly q repetition.
a Grant has already written in rer
IAN opening: L have the honor to ackno
a edge the receipt of your communicat
to of the 10th inst, accompanied by
he statement of five cabinet officers OF tt
md recollection of what occurred i'll the ca
net meeting on the 14th OF Janus
Without admitting anything contain
an in these statements where they di
Zee from anything heretofore standing
lief me, 1 propose to notice only that port
ars of your communication wherein 1
Don CHARGED with insubordination. Gr
ded then proceeds to argue the point
~ soma Ipntrfh and elnSaS nv diSclaim