The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-02-06

lieutenant General Sherman, and
some members of my staff. in which
| stated that the law left me 20 dis
cretion as to my action should Mr.
Stanton be reinstated, and that [ in
tended to inform the President. [
went to the President for the sole
purpose of making this decision
known, and did make it SO known.
In this I fulfilled the promise
made in our last preceding converse
ton on the subject. The President,
however, instead of accepting my
view Of the requirements of the Ten
ure- Of Office bill. contended he had
suspended Mr. Stanto o under authority
given by the Constitution, and that the
same authority did not preclude him
from reporting, as an act of courtesy,
his reasons for the suspension to the
Senate; that having been appointed
under authority given by the Consti-
tuition. and not under the act of Con-
gress, | could not be governed by the
act.
: l stated that that law was binding
on me. Cons stitutional or not. until
set aside by the proper tribunal.
= An hour was consumed each re-
iteratfng his views on this subject, un-
til, getting slate. the President said he
would see ne again. E did not agree
to call again on Monday nor at any
other definite time, nor was | sent for
! by the Prcsiaentuntil the following
Tuesday
From the 1lth inst. to the Cabi-
net meeting ON the 4thinst., doubt
never entered my mind about the
President fully understanding my po-
sition, namely. that If the Senate re :
fused to concur in the suspension of
Mr. Stanton my powers as Secretary
of War al interim would cease, and
Mr. Stanton's right to resume at once
the functions. Of his office would, un-
DER the law, be indisputable; and |
acted accordingly.
With Mr.. StantonI had no COM
munication direct or indirect, on the
subject of his reins tatement, during
his suspension. | knew that it had
been Recommended to the President
to send in the name Of General Cox,
of Ohio, for Secretary of War, and
thus save all embarrassm sment- a
proposition that 1ssincefely hoped he
| would entertain lfavorably, General
| Sherman seing the President tiny
! particular requestlto urge this, on the
! 18th, @ ,.s.1.. 5l,r 'i.s-s. 5ei, Se-
= 's0n Tuesday, Mr. Stauto9 re-en-
tered the office of. Secretary'of War.
General Comstock, who had carried
my official letter announcing that, by
.MY. Stantou's reinstatement by. the
Senate, L had. ceased to be Secretary
/ of War al Interim, and who's the
f President open and read the eommu-
nieation brought back to me from the
Presiaentg a message that lie wan ed
to sec me that day at the Cabinet
meeting, after | had made. known the
fack thai rIgyas, no longer Seefetary q
| War dd Interim. At this meeting,
after opening it as thought were a
member OF his Cabihet, 'wisensremind-
ed Of the notification already given
/ him that VAS no Tiouger Secretary
of War al Interim, the Presfd eBt gave
version of the conversation alluded
TO already In this statement it was
asserted that, In both conversations,
/ | had agreed to hold on to the office
Of Secretary of War until displaced
by the Courts, ,,or resign, SO as tc place
the President where he would have
been had | never accepted the Office
| After hearing the President through,
[ stated our conversation suEstan tial-
ly as given ia this letter. L. will add
that my conver alton before the Cabi
net embraced other matter not sperti-
nent here, and is, therefore, left out.
/ [ In no wise admitted the correctness
| of the Presidents statement of our
conversation, though to soften the
Jetident 5contradictiou of nng state
ment, | said, aliuding to our first con-
versation on the, subject, that the
1 President NIGH IL have understood me
the way he said, namely. that | haG
4 promised to oTesign.if .Ldidnot resist
the reinstatement [ made no such
statement | have the honor to BE-
Very respectfully y
Your Ob't serv't.
~ -g,g s. GRANI, General.
ANOTHER REQUEST FOR ORDERS II
WRITING.
''H'poRs ARMY or TILE u SIT<b STATES,
:" WASHINGTON, January "A, 1868.
ITO His Excelency Andrew Johnson
President ol the United states;
SIR have the honor, very re
spectfully, to request % have, in writ
ing, the order which the Presiden
gave me, verbally, on Sunday, the 19tl
inst, to disregard the orders Of the
Hon r. Nj. Stanton, as Secretary o
War, until knew from the Presiden
himself that they were his orders.
have the honor to- be, very respectful
II, your obedient servant,
= .}iT1U. S. GRANT, General"
THE PRESIDENTS ENDORSEMENT.
The following is the indorsemen
lson the above note:
+ " As requested in this communica
ton, General Grant is instructed i