The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-02-18

Executive any order or instructions linn
iting orimparing his authority to issue
orders to the army, as has heretofore
been his practice under the law and GUS
toms of the department.. bile this an
thority to the War Department is net
countermanded, it will be satisfactory esi.
dence to me that any orders issued from
the War Department by direction of the
President, are authoaized by the Exeeu.
tive. gais s1s Is m tiiBaa 81 III
I have the honor to be, ~ s91sg
org 9iiNery respectfully, bai,
! qtsgs aTT Your obedient servant,
saTe. a9sai us. GRANT, General.
The Presidents Response.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Jan. 81, 1868.
! GENERAL have received your COM
munication of the 18th inst, renewing
your request of the 24th, that l should
repeat in written form my verbal in
structions Of the 10Th inst, viz: that yon
obey no order from the Hon. E. NJ. Stan
| ton, as Secretary of War, unless you have
| information that it was issued by the
| Presidents direction. In. submitting
this request, with which / complied on
the 18th instant, you take occasion 20
allude to recent publications in referren-
ce to circumstances connected with the
vacation by yourself of the Office of Sec
retary of War ad interina. With a view
to correcting the statements, which you
term gross Misrepresentation, you give
at length your own recollection, of the
facts under which without the sanction
of the President, from whom you had
received and accepted the appointment,
you yielded the Department of War to
the present incumbent. As stated in
your communication, some time after you
had assumed the duties of Secretary of
War dd interim, We iDterchanged views
respecting the course that should be pur-
sued in the eventof the non, concurrence
BY the Senate, in the suspension of Mr..
Stanton. sought that interview, calling
tHzsssa q ssaF sas B Bspsstasn. Ny
would be your own action sbonld
tempt be made for his Testor ala e a.
War Department. That object was ac-
complished, for thesinteryiew terminated
with the distinct understanding that; if,
upon reelection, you should prefer not to
become a party TO the controversy, or
i should conclude it would be. your duty
to surrender the Department to Mr..
Stanton, upon action IN bis favor BY the
Senate. you we're to return the office to
me prior to decision blythe Senate, in
order that, if ] desired to doso, / might
designate some one to succeed you. 1t
must have been apparent to you that had
not this understanding been reached, il
was my purpose to reiieveyou from fur
ther discharge Of duties as Secretary oi
War ad interim, and to appoint some
iother personi in that capacity % las S
/ Other conversations upon the subject
lensued. all having, onimy part, the same
object and leading toethe same conclusion
as the first. 1t is not necessary, however
i ltereferto any Of them excepting that sol
the 11th inst, mentioned in your com.
| lmunieation. As it was then known the
Senate had proceededin the case OF Mr..
IStanton, was anxious to learn your dc.
| termination. After protracted inter
view. during which the provisions of thu
i Tenure of Office Bill were fully discussed
tyou said that as it had been agreed upon
iuour first conference, you would ethel
! return the Office to my possession, II
time to enable me to appoint successo
! before final action by the Senate upol
II Mr.. Stanton's suspension, or would re
q main atits head, awaiting decision b.
q judicial proceedings. bsFse ~ sl:s
4 Itwas then understood there would b
further conference on Monday, by whiel
time | supposed you would be prepare
to inform me Of your final decision Yoi
failed, however, to fulfill the engage
] ment, and, on Tuesday, notified me, i
/ writing, Of the receipt oe an official no
, / tifcation of the action of the Senate i
reference to Mr.. Stanton, and, at the sam
/ time informed me that, according to th
!, act regulating the tenure of eertain'ciyl
.. Offices, your functions of Secretary z
Il War ad interim ceased from the me
, ment of the receipt Of the notice $3.50
You thus, in disregard of the under
+ standing between US, vacated the soffc'
without having given notice. your 10
i Itent to do so.a It is but just to say shor
/. lever, stha. ains your Communication 80
+ claim you did inform5m of your pnrpos
= and thus fulfilled the promise made ]
o3i our last preceding conversation. on th
subject. The fact that such a. promis
/ existed is evidence Of an arrangement Q
. the kind / have mentioned You ha
found, incur FIRST conference, that th
President was desirous OF keeping III
Stanton tof Office, whether sustaine
in the suspension or not. You kne
4 twhat reasons had inducedlth the Presiael
to ask from you promise. You all
81 knew, that, in case your views OF du
Il did not accord with his own conviction
!, it was his purpose to fill your place
Il another appointment y laag '.pi gifs
s. Even ignoring the existence of a pos
E tive understanding between US, the ecs
= clusions were plainly odeduci5le from o.
= various conversations. 1t is certai
{ however, that even under these eircur
/ stances, you did not offer to return Il
t. place to my possession, but, according