Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-02-21
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WARRINGTON. Feb, q. 1888.

before the President had entered the
Council Chamber, General Grant, ON Gem
ing in. said,tO me that he was not in at
tendance as member Of the Cabinet but
upon invitation, and I replied by the in
ouiry whether there was q change in the
War Department. After the President
had taken his seat business went On in the
usual way of hearing matters submitted
by the several Secretaries When the
time came for the Secretary Of War. Gen
eral Grant said that he was there not az
Secretary of War, but upon the Presi
dents invitation that he had retired from
the War Department. A slight difference
then appeared about the supposed invita-
ton, General Grant saying that the officers
who had borne his letter to the President
that morning, announcing his retirement
from the War Department, had told him
that the President desired to see him al
the Cabinet, to which the President an.
sWered that when General Grants commu.
nication was delivered to him the Presi.
dent simply replied that he supposed
General Grant would be very soon at
the Cabinet meeting. | regarded the
conversation thus begun as incidental
It went on quite informally, and
consisted of a statement on your part OF
your views in regard to your understand
ing of the tenure upon which General
Grant had assented TO hold the War De-
partment adj interim, and of his replies by
way of answer and explanation. 1t was
respectful and courteous on both sides.
Being in this conversational FORM the de
tails could only have been presented by q
gerbatino report. So far as know, no such
report was made at the time. | can give
only the general effect of the converse
ton. Certainly you stated that although
you had reported the reasons for Mr.. Stan
tons suspension to the Senate, you never
theless held that he would not be entitled to
resume the Office of Secretary OF War even
if the Senate should disapprove of his
suspension, and that you had proposed to
have the question tested by judicial pro-
cess, to be applied to the person who
should be the incumbent of the depart
ment, under your designation, of the Sec
rotary of War dd interim in the place of
Mr.. Stanton. You contended that this
was well understood between yourself and
General Grant; that when he entered the
Department as Secretary cd interim, he
expressed his concurrence in belief that
the question of Mr.. Stanton's restoration
would be a question for the courts; that in
a subsequent conversation with the Gen
eral you had adverted to the understand.
ing thus had, and that General Grant ex-
pressed his concurrence in it; that at the
same conversation which had been pre-
viously held, General Grant said he still
adhered to the same construction of the law,
but said if he should change his opinion he
would give, reasonable notice of it, so that
you could in any case be placed in the
same position in regard to the War De-
partment that you were while General
Grant held it. I did not understand Gen
eral Grant as denying, nor as explicitly
admitting, these statements in the form
and to the full extent in which you made
them. His admission of them was rather
indirect and circumstantial, though l did
not understand it to be an evasive one.
He said that, reasoning from what oc-
CURED in the case of the police in Mary
land, which he regarded as parallel one,
he was of the opinion, and so assured you.
that it would be his right and duty, under
your Instructions, to hold the war office
after the Senate should disapprove of MIR.
Stanton's suspension, until the question
should be decided by the courts; that he
remained till very recently of that opin-
ion, and that on the Saturday before the
Cabinet meeting conversation was held
between yourself and him, in which the
subject was generally discussed. General
Grants statement was that in the CONVEX
sation he had stated to you the legal diff
culties which might arise, involving fine
and imprisonment, under the Civil Tenure
bin, and that he did not care to subject
himself to these penalties; that you re-
piled to this remark that you regarded the
Civil Tenure bill as unconstitutional, and
did not think any penalties were to be
feared, or that you would voluntarily as
sumo them, and you insisted that General
Grant should either retain the office till
relieved by yourself, according to what
you claimed was the original under
standing between yourself and him, or
by seasonable notice of change Of pur-
pose on his part, put you in the same stu
alton which you would be in if he adhered.
You claimed that General Grant finally
said in that Saturdays conversation that
you understood his views, and his pro-
ceedings thereafter would be consistent
with what had been so understood. Cen
eral Grant did not controvert, nor can |
say that he admitted, his last statement.
Certainly General Grant did not at any
time in the Cabinet meeting insist that he
had, in the Saturday Is conversation, either
distinctly or finally advised you of his de-
termination to retire from the charge OF
the War Department; otherwise that un-
der your own subsequent direction he
acquiesced in your statement that the Sat-
urday conversation ended with an expecta-
ton that there would be~a subsequent
conference on the subject, which he, as
well as yourself, supposed could seasonably
take place on Monday. You then alluded
to the fact that General Grant did not call
upon you on Monday, as you had expected
from the conversation. General Grant
admitted that it was his expectation OF
purpose to call upon you Monday. Gen
eral Grant assigned reasons for the omis
sion. He said he was in conference with
General Sherman that there were many
little matters to be attended to. He had
conversed upon the matter of the encum
bering Of the War Department with
General Sherman, and expected that Gen
eral Sherman would call upon you on
Monday. My own mind suggested fur
Their explanation, hut l do not remember
whether it was mentioned or not, namely
1t was not supposed by General Grant, on
Monday, that the Senate would decide the
question 30 promptly as to anticipate 8
further explanation between yourself and
him if delayed beyond that day. Genera
Grant made another explanation that he
was engaged on Sunday with Genera
Sherman, and think also on Monday, in
regard to the War Department, with hope
though he did not cay so, in an effort tt
procure an amicable settlement of the affail
of Mr.. Stanton, and he still hoped it would
be brought about sais. - t
I have the honor to be, with great re-