Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-02-06
Gen. GRANT, U. s. a. -'-' ''-'
GRANTS REPLY To THE PRESIDENTS
LETTER

Z
LETTER.
HEADQ'Rs ARM or THE UErrED STATES
MAsHINGrON, February 3, 1855 !
His Exceliency, Andrew JOhnso ., President OF
Tho United States;
Sir: have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt Of your communication of the
3ist ult., and after q careful reading and
comparison Of it with an article of the
25tb ult,, over the initials j. B. s ," in
the New York World, purpOrting to be
based upon your statements, and of
mem bers of the Cabinet named, hnd it
to be reiteratiOn only that some one
would be appointed in his (my) stead,
who would be opposed to the laws re-
lsting to the restoration of the Southern
States to their proper relations in
the Government, and embarTass the
army in the performance Of its duties,
and especially those imposed upon it by
the reconstruction laws; and that It
was to prevent such an appointment of
Secretary Of War dd interim, and not for
the purpose of enabling you to get rid Of
Stanton, by withholding from him, in
opposition to the law, or not doing go
myself, to surrender to one who, as the
statement and assumption In your com
munication plainly indicates, was sought.
And il was to avoid this danger, rs well
as to relieve you from the personal en-
barrassment in which Mr.. Stanton's re
instatement would place you, that urged
the appointment of Geo. G x, believing
that IL would be agreeable to you and also
to Mr.. Stanton, satisfied as l was that it
wa for the good Of the country.
On the 18Th ult, In the presence of Gen.
Sherman, 1 stated 10 you that I thought
Mr.. Stanton would resign, but did not
say that 1 would advise him to do 50.
On the 18th did agree with Gen. Sher-
man TO go and advise him to that course,
aud on the l9th had an interview alone
with Mr.. Stanton, which led me to the
conclusion that any advice would be use
less, and so 1 informed Gen. Sherman.
Before consented to advise Mr. Stanton
to resign 1 understood him in a conver-
satiOn on the subject Immediately after
bis reinstatement, that it was his opinion
that the act of Congress entitled I" an act
temporarily to supply vacancies in the
Executive Department in certain cases" "
February 20, 1858, was
by subsequent legislation,
which materially Influenced my action,
as previous 70 this time [ had no doubt
but that the law Of 1868 was still Ia force,
and Notwithstanding my action, an ex-
animation Of the law leaves it q question
in my miad, whether or not 1t is re-
pealed. This being the case, I could not
now advise his resignation lest the dan
ger 1 apprehended on his first removal
might follow. TIE course that you
would have it understood that 1 agre e
70 pursue, wss in violation of law and
order from you, while the course I did
pursue, and which / never doubted but
what you fully understood, was in ac-
cordanoe with the law and not in disobe-
dience Of any order Of my superior And
now, Mr. President, when my honor as
soldier, aud my integrity as a man has
been so violently sssailed, pardon me for
saying that / can but regard this whole
matter, from beginning to end, as an
attempt to involve NE in resistance of
the laws and for which you hesitate to
assume the responsibility, in order thus
to destroy my character before the eOun-
try. | am in measure confirmed in this
coneluaion by your recent orders, direct
ing me to disobey the orders of the Sec
ret2Ty Of War, my superior and your
without having counter
manded his authority to command.
With the assurance, Mr.. President,
that nothing less than vindieation of
my personal honor aud character could
have induced this correspondence on my
part, have the honor TO be,
Very respectfully,
Your o5sdient servant.
y. =. GRANT,
al