The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-02-20

| - " '"i'N Vayabls IN ADVANCE 500
JOSEPH 4, ERLLY, Fdiisr.
ing to the practice of the Department
and state that "while this authority TO
the Department is not couutcrmanded.
it will be satisfactory evidence to mo
that any ordors issued from the War
Department by direction of tho Presi-
dent, arc authorized by the Executive"
The President issued an order TO Won
to obey no order from tho War Depart
mcht, purporting to bo made by direc-
ton OF the President, until You have
referred 1t TO him for hls approval
You reply that you have received tho
Presidents order aud will not obov II.
but Will obey an order purporting TO
be given by his direction, If it comes
from the War Department. You will
obey no direct order of the President.
but will-obey his indirect order. Ifas
| you say, there mas bocn q practice in
tho War Department to issue orders in
tho name Of the President without his
direction, docs not tho precise order
you have requested and have received
change the practice as 10 tho General
of the army2 Could not tho President
countormand any such order issued in
tho name of the President, to DO a
special act and issuo an ordef directly
from the President himself not TO do
the net 2 Is there doubt which YOU
arc to obey2 You answer the question
whom you say to tho President, in your
letter OF tho Sd inst, "tho Secretary of
War is my superior and your subor-
Innate ! and yet you refuse obedience
TO the superior out Of Difference to the
subordinate.
without further comment on tho in
subordinate attitude which you have
assumed, / am at loss to know how
You can relieve yourself from the or
doris OF the President, who is made, by
the Constitution, the Commander-in-
Chiefofthe Army and Navy, and is,
therefore, the Official superior, as we'll
of the General oftho Army, as of tho
Secretary Of War. .....- g..
Respectfully yours,
ANDREW JOHNSON
Gon. L. s. Grapt, Commanding tho
Armies Of the U. s., Washington,
ID. @. ..l. t..... -
subsequently the President trans~
mitted to the House the following com
munication, which ho had just receiv.
cd from General GRANT. 1t is q piua-
bic reply:
GENERAL GRANT TO TIE PRESIDENT.
HEADQUARTERS ARgY OF THE UNITED
SrATEs, WAsniNGroN, DC, Feb, II,
1868. ''' -'' '-l''.
HIS hccelieacy Andre,C johnson, PreSI-
dent ofthe United States.
SIR | have the honor to acknowI-
edge tho receipt of your communica-
ton OF :ho 10th INST, ACCOMPANIED by
the statements of fivo Cabinet Minis
ters Of their recollection Of wha. occur
red in tho Cabinet meeting on the lith
Of January. Without admitting any
thing contained in these statements,
when they differ from anything here
toforc stated by me, propose to notics
only the portion Of your communica.
ton wherein | am charged with lnsub-
ordination. .tf ..t.-r.
! thinks it will DO plain TO the reader
If my lotter of tho Both Of January.
hat l did not propose 20 dlsobey any
ogal order of the President distinctly
gwen, but only gave an Interpretation
't what would be regarded as satisrac.
.ory evidence of the Presidents sane
ion to orders communicated by ths
Secretary of War. / will say hero
hat yoGr letter, of tho 10th instant,
contains the first intimatlon / have
mad that you did not accept my inter
pretation.
Now for tho reason for giving that
IL was clear to me- be-
iorc my letter of Janeary 80 was writ
.en that /, the perseu having moro
public business TO transact with the
Secretary of War than any otker Of the
Presidents subordinates, was tho only
ono who had been instructed to DIS
'egard the authority of Mr.. Stanton,
where his authority was derived rs
agent of the President On the 9th
Of January received letter IRON tho
Secretary Of War Copy herewlth) di-
recting mo 10 furnish an escort to tho
public treasure from tho Rio Grande TO
New Orleans, &c, at tho request ofthe
Secretary Of the Treasury to him. 1
also send two ootherlnclosuros showing
/ recognition Of Mr.. Stanton as Seere.
airy of the Treasury and tho Postnas.
er General, III 0l! oiwhich cases the
Of War had TO call upon me
o make the orders requested, or give
he Information desired, and where his
TO do so Is derived in my
yiew as agent of the President, with
IN order SO clearly analogous MS that of
he Presidents hero referred to, it was
ny duty to INFORM the President of
ny Interpretation oft, and TO abide by
hat Interpretation until received 9TH
II orders. rl sll
Disclaiming any intention, now or
heretofore, OF dlsobeying any legal Or
ler of tho President DISTINCTLY onmuu