The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-27

AFFAR-sTA1EMENTs OF TIE PRECEDENT AND
|'as soEpiNsEr OFFICERS As TO THE CONDUCT AND
PROMISES OF GENERAL GRANT.
Washington Correspondence Of tho N. Y. World.l
-wAsHMGroS, January 22.-T'he question
of; .veracity that has been raised. between
President johnson and: General Grant in
certain journals. compels your correspon-
dent to make known the ,RonOminU S.cta- which
confirm his original statement 10 the Worlo,
aiid whioL not only tho Presiden5 himself but
four of the, most prominent members Of bis
Cabinet, will positively vouoh tor -
Just after the formal nesting of the Cabinet
on January II, the article from the National
Inteligenoer Of the 18th was read in presence
of the President, and the before re-mentioned
members, Of the: Cabinet. tfe statements
made in that article, which were substantially
those telegraphed after an interview with Mr.
johnson by the correspondent of the World,
we're agreed to by the President and all the
Secretaries present; but the objection was
made that they fell short of what actually oc-
CURED during the meeting Of the Cabinet on
Tuesday, the 18th instant. Tho first Secretary
or member of the Cabinet present at the meet
ing on January 18th, referred to-, observed
that General rantaaelmowIsdged that he
General Grant) had promised either to retain
the Office ur to tender his resignation in time
to enable the President to appoint successor.
he General Grant) said his opinion at the
time was that the 'ins' must stay In until the
souts' corld gettin by due course OF fIaw."
Il make full record of what occurred here
on tuesday,
The second Secretary said: "The Secretary's
record, then, agrees with this newspaper state
ment excepting that it ls more full" -
Whereupon the first Secretary said: eyes, it
gives much more detailed account of-what
occurred here. Speaking Of his withdrawal
fronthe War Department., Grtnt said that he
bolted one door of the SecretGy's Office on the
inside, looked the other, and delivered the key
to the Adjutant-G General. he did not profess
to know what trans pired afterwards"
The second Secretary added: "It ID not at all
surprising that he (Grant) did not recollect
He was evidently too much confused to remem-
Der much"
Then the third Secretary remarked: sHe
(Grant) said that the discussion in the papers
had caused him to look over the law, and he
had found trouble in the second and first sec
tions. he (Grantl remarked that he did not
when the President replied: why. told you,
General, that would take all the imprisonment
and pay all the fines that might be imposed
upon you" ,-.;...g.-
The first Secretary continued "He I"
(meaning Grant) admitted all, and made q
stammering excuse that had in it no inteligi-
bility. He admitted that when the interview
terminated Saturday, he was to have seen the
President on Monday upon the subject"
The second Secretary now observed: she
(Grant) admitted that if he changed his
views the President was to bs notified in sea-
son to enable the President to put the Office
in the same position as it was when he
(Grant) was appointed Secretary ad interim. I"
The third Secretary then proceeded to say:
'sThel President said to General Grant: i e1-
pected to see1 you Monday. Why did you not
call p Grant replied that he was too much
occupied by General Sherman and by many
little matters" sE-
The second Secretary amended as follows:
'I think he was engaged III the preparations
The fourth member Of the Cabinet present
declared "And the fact was developed that
General Sherman was here on Monday"
The President now pertinently said son
Saturday, when he (Grant) referred to the ten
ure-of-ofice act, told him that world take
all the imprisonment and pay all the t1ne that
might be imposed upon him under its provis-
ions. When he arose to leave the room, re-
peated the remark, for I wanted to know
whether or not he intended to bold on to the
Office, designing to relieve him il it was his
purpose to yield it,.
The fourth member Of the Cabinet went on
to say to the President: "on Tuesday you told
him that was the object Of your conversation
with him on Saturday"
/
to Grant) did what I expected he would do"
The fourth Cabinet member continued after
the Secretary: II did not suppose man oc-
cupying his position would so prevaricate."
[Your correspondent deems it best to omit
the str onger terms employed by the speaker to
denote his evident disgust at what he conceiv-
ed to be the bad faith OF General Grant,
The third Secretary said: "My idea is that
he supposed the Senate would act ON Saturday,
and he intended to CARR over the President
until Monday. The Semitic not having acted
then, he did not come tc see the President on
Monday, not wishing to see him until the
whole thing had been colsummated.
The President fnishe1 the conversation IS
follows: 81 desired to know what he Genera
Grant) would do, ands,hd not think that he
could have 80 misunderstood the agreement.
Your correspondent having communicated,
not merely in substance. but literally, the dia
logue upon this subjec; which took place a
the White House on Friday last between tht
Chief Executive and his Cabinet advisers, hal
merely to observe, in conclusion, that the sig
natures Of all who rendered the testimon,
would doubtless be affixed to it, if it should bI
officially denied. j. B. s.