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

initials j. b. s., In the New York !
World Of the 27,h ult, purporting to
he based upon your statement. and
that Of tho members of the Cabinet
thefoiu named. | fud it 70 be but n
reitoratiou, only somewhat more in
detail, Of the many and gross misrep
rosentations contained in these arti.
clcs, aud which my statement OF facts,
set forth in my letter Of the Gath u)t,
was intended to correct; aud herein
reassert tho correctness Of my
statements in that letter, anything
in yours in reply to the contrary not.
withstanding.
confess my surprise that the
Cabinet officers referred to should so
greatly misappreheud tho facts in the
matter Of admission alleged TO have
been made by mo at the Cabinet
meeting on the 18th ult., as to suffer
their names to be made the basis Of
the charges in the newspaper article
referred to, or ogrce to the accuracy,
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, expressed or implied, to the
effect that l would hold on to tho
Office of Secretary Of War dd iHierial,
against the action of the Senate, or
declining to do so, would surrender
it to YOU before such action was had,
or that would see you again at any
fixed time on the subject.
The performance of the promises
alleged to have been made by me,
would have involved a resistance Of
the law, aud an Inconsistency with
the whole history of my connection
with the suspension Of MIR. Stanton.
From our conversations, and my
written protest Of August lst, 1867,
against the removal of Mr.. Stanton,
you mast have known that my great.
est objection to his removal was the
fear that some one would be appoint
ed in his stead, who would, by oppo.
sitiou to the laws relating to the 10
storalion Of tho Southern States to
their proper relations to the Govern.
ment, embarrass the army iu the per.
formanee Of the duties especially i'm
| posed upon it by tho laws, aud that
il was to prevent such an appoint
ment that | accepted the appointment
of Secretary of War al inierim, and
not for the purpose Of enabling you
to get rid of Mr.. Stanton by with
holding it from him in opposition to
law, or, not doing so myself, surren.
der to one who, as the statement aud
assumption in your communication
plainly indicate, was sought And it
was to avoid this danger, as we'll as
to relieve you from the personal en-
bnrrassment in which Mr.. Stauton's 5
reinstatement would place you, that
urged the appointment Of Governor
Cox, believing it would be agreeable
to you and also TO Mr.. Stanton, sat.
isied, as | was, that the good Of the
country and not the Office was what
the latter desired.
On the 18th ult,, in tho presence
of Gen, Sherman, stated to you
that | thought Mr.. Stanton would re.
sign, but did not say l would advise
him to do so, On the 18th l did
agree with Gen. Sherman to 90 aud
, advise him TO that course, aud on thC
10Th l had an interview alone Will
! Mr.. Stanton, which led me to tn,
! conclusion that my advice would b,
: useless, aud so informed Gen. Sher
man. Before consented to advls,
| Mr.. Stanton to resign, | understood
|, from him, in conversation on the sub
ect, Immediately on his reinstate
ment, that it was his opinion that tn,
act Of Congress entitled IAN act TEN
! porarily to supply vacancies in th,
Executive Department in certain
cases, approved Feb. Goth, 1868,
was repealed by subsequent legislation
J which latter Influenced my action
! Previous to this time had no doub
that the law Of 1863 was still il
. force, aud Notwithstanding my &C
$ tions, fuller examination of the la,
leaves a question in my mind whcthe
t it is or is not repealed. This beinj
. the case, / could not now advise hi
resignation, lest the same danger
e apprehonded on this first remova
might follow.
The course you have understood
3 agreed to pursue was IN violation 0
, law, and that under orders from you
= while the course | did pursue, an,
which | never doubted you fully un-
, derstood, was in accordance with law
4 and not in disobedienee to any orders
Of my superior.
Aud now, Mr., President, when my
t honor as a soldier, aud integrity as
: man has been 50 violently assailed
: pardon me for saying that eau bu
3 regard this whole matter from begin
ming to end as an attempt to involve
, me in the resistance of the law fOl
, which you hesitated to assume tn,
responsibility 10 order thus to des-
4 troy my character before the country
, | am in measure confirmed in thii
= conclusion by your recent orders, di-
/ rccting me to disObey orders from th'
Secretary of War, my superior ant
, your subordinate, without hayini
countermanded his authority, whom
| am TO disoboy. With assurance
Mr. President, that nothing less thai
vindication Of my personal homo
and character could have induce
t this correspondence on my part.
} l have the honor TO be, very re
specially, your obedieut servant,
u. s. GRANT General.
Josh Billings on the Model Man.
The model man never disturbed