Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-02-18
President Johnson and Gen. Grant.

fTeS1Qe1C Johnson anu Ueu 0IdA
We published last week an abstract of the
correspondence between President johnson and
Gen'l Grant which was called for by Congress
and submitted before the ink was dry upon
Genl Grants letter of Feb. 3rd-the object be-
ing to get the correspondence before Congress
and the country before the President could re-
ply to Gen'l Grants most important letter. =
This was scurvy trick, and SO transparent that
the people cannot fail to see it. AS sure as
there is virtue in the great mass of the people,
it will have the effect to inure Grant instead OF
the President Grant has reason to exclaim
''Save me from my friends!" The Radicals
have effectualy entrapped Grant. No man OF
prominence ever before occupied more en-
barrassing position.
Since our last issue, the reply OF the Presl-
dent to Grants letter of the Bird inst, has been
published, together with the letters of the five
members of the Cabinet who were present at
the interview between Gen'l Grant and Presi-
dent johnson on the 14th ult., all of whom
sustain the statements of the President. As
the New York World says, sit is not easy to
conceive of a position in which man who val
ues the good opinion of the world could be
placed, more notifying to his pride of charac-
ter than that in which General Grant is placed
by this correspondence. In the first place, he
was charged with violating an understanding
existing between himself and his superior off
Ger. That this charge touched him to the quick
is proved by his emphatic, resentful denial,
made in form which conceded that he was in
excusably culpable if the charge were we'll
founded
In the next place, after General Grants con-
fession that he acted dishonorably if the al
legged facts were true, and after denying the
facts in such way as to stake his veracity,
their truth is established by a concurring body
of overwhelming testimony proving his own adj
mission of them. Probably no man was ever
before placed in so unenviable position. He
is self condemned on the point Of honor, and
selfcondemned on the point of veracity. He
stands exposed to the country, first, as admit
ting that he had acted dishonorably if the facts
were true, and then, as proved to have admit
ted, in the presence of the Cabinet, the facts
which he had the effrontery to deny in the cor
respondenee. The question Of honor being too
plain for controversy, nothing remained but the
question of fact and in sending his yeracity to
the rescue of his honor, he parted with both.
On his side there is nothing but his unsup-
ported statement, contradicted by intrinsic
probabilities, contradicted by admissions made
in his own letters, and crushingly contradicted
by the testimony of six gentleman as high in
position as himself Such are the humiliating
penalties General Grant has incurred by walk
ing in the crooked ways of politics and prevar-
ication President Johnson's last letter is a
document which General Grants reputation
can i'll afford to have pass into history
We publish below the crushing reply of the
President, and regret that we have not the
space to publish the letters Of the FIVE members
of the Cabinet who were present at the Cabi-
net meeting on the 18th ult., at which the con
versation between the President and Grant &C.
Cured, about which they are at positive and
direct issue of veracity. AS the Intcl2igencer
says: -Four out of the five who were there
sustain the statements of the President, point
by point, and word for word; the fifth (Sew-
ard) confirms all the Presidents statements
but with officious kindness feeby attempts to
suggest some sort of excuse for the probable OF
possible misrepresentation Of the situation on
the part of General Grant. The official and
social position of the writer of these letters are
amply sufficient to render either one of them a
credible witness against General Grant Their
accumulated testimony justified the President
in dismissing the question of veracity with the
simple presentation Of this overwhelming evi-
dence. They fully sustain the President, and
leave General Grant convicted of the basest
misrepresentation.
The letter of the President, however, pro-
ceeds to expose, in scathing and unanswerable
manner, the arrant duplicity and inexcusable
insubordination of General Grant Out of his
own mouth he is condemned.
The INSTRUMENTATION of General Grant is
plainly and strongly put by the President =
There is no escape from this charge. 1t is
thrust home with irresistible force"
The following is the letter in full of the Pres
dent: