The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-18
HOW THE PRESIDENT TALKS.

HOW THE FhESAO6NT IALhSs
WHAT BE THINKS OF THE LAST EFFORT AT M
pEAcHAENr-H1s OPINION OF GENERAL GRAN
REMARKS ON THE FINANCES AND THE CON
p1TIoN OF THE CoUNTRY-THE CHANCES o
THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, &C.
"Iack," the clever Washington correspondent
of the Cincinnati Commercial, had anothe
"talk" with the President on the 10th inst.
the substance of which he reports as follows:
IMPEACHMENT.
'sThey're after you again, MIR. President
with an impeachment" said L
$50 hear" he said, "but can't get at tn
point they're trying to make against me thi
time; though, for that matter, 1 haven't takel
much trouble to find out"
I explained to him then what understood
to be the charges under consideration in thu
Reconstruction commi tee: First, his order tt
| General Grant not 10 regard Stanton's orders
unless he knew they came from the Executive
| and second, what was termed conspiracy OF
his part to resist the execution of the Tenure
| of Office act, by arrang ng with General Gran
| that he (Grant) should resign the secretary
shi F., ad Interim Of the War Department in time
| for him (Johnson) to put in some man who
would refuse to relinquish his portfolio OF the
bidding of the Senate, in order to test the va
lidity of the Tenure OF Office act before the
Supreme Court.
us that ali ?" said The President.
eyes, sir; and understand that Bingham
and other Republicans on the committee thinH
it quite enough to turn you out OF office.
"Well. now" said the President, 'as to the
order about Stanton, I didn't suppose there
was man in Congress who is not aware that
have perfect right to do what that order di-
rects, without making any order at oil. Mr.
Stanfon's orders are of no more force than
yours, except upon the presumption that they
come direct from me; and I have perfect
right to communicate with General Grant di-
rect without ayailing myself of Mr.. Stanton,
who in such matters is q mere clerk for the
transmission of orders. AS to the charge o.
conspiracy, it only shows how badly they are
off for something to quarrel about In the trst
bo conspiracy, could have done it without o
conspiracy with Grant or anybody else. could
have removed Grant as Secretary ad anlerino IN
time to have put in some man who would test
the law. And If 7 had taker such course
there would be no crime about it, unless 1t be
crimc to appeal to remedy provided by the
constitution for The settlement OF disputes be-
tween the Legislative and executive departments
OF the government What elso is the Supreme
Court for but to settle such controversies? And
has the executive no rights, and no opinions;
nothing but blind obedience to the legislative
department? If such was the intention OF the
trainers of the government, they wouldn't have
created Supreme Court, for it could be OF no
use. But it was intended as the final arDlter
in all such controversies, and when it deter
mines a question, its decision is binding as
much as the constitution ITSELF"
"Do they seem to be very rabid about I'M
peachment this time-worso than they were
before?" inquired the President.
'sI think the thing is little stronger than it
was, 1 replied. They are getting desperate,
and they want to put you out, 80 as to put Ben
Wade in and get control OF the Federal patron
age for the next Presidential election. Be-
sides, may be they want to disqualify you as
candidate against them, for Boutwell, and
others among them soy you will be their most
formidable opponent in the next canvass"
II don't know about that" said the Presi-
dent laughing. s'But l hope they'll find
somebody formidable enough to beat them. l
don't think they expect to do anything with
the impeachment, unless n few OF them may be
operating in the gold market"
replied that previous experience IN gold
speculation on Impeachment probabilities was
not encouraging. Several gentlemen had gone
into it in the hope of a rise which never came,
and tho result had been rather disastrous than
otherwise. Nothing short OF actual CONVICTION
~ tho Senate wonld create rise enough TO MAKE
it pa to buy on margin. "Well," said the
President, 'let them 60 ahead. When they
briug III tho charges II! try to answer them;
that's all;' and he laughed as if he didn't be-
licvc the charges would ever come.
GENERAL GRANT AS A GAY DECEyER.
Mr.. johnson referred to that part OF General
Grants correspondence in which the General
asks him to reduce to writing the order given
to him verbally to disregard any order received
from Stanton, unless he knew it to emanato
from the Executive 'Here," said he, ''Gener-
al Grant asserts that 1 had given him such
verbal order. never did anything OF the
kind. 1t was he himself who first suggested
that I could take such course as TO reduce
Stanton to a mere clerk; and ii was this sug
gestiou from him, and not any verbal order
from me, that first brought the subject up Ill
that light"
AT tits point the President produced a letter
from General Sherman, dated Saturday even
ing January 18th. Sherman says it was the
intention of himself and Grant to call Oh Stan
ton on the following Monday, to rcqucs him,
for the good OF Lhc country, TO resign the o.
flee OF Secretary Of War; but that he learns
Grant must ru to Richmond, and llc to An
napolis, so that They can't call on Stanton
on Monday, but will do so 1t some other Time,
and insist that he shall resign. Then Sherman
goes OH Ia say that il Stanton wont resign 1t
will b. time enough 10 look TO "ullerior con-
sidcratlons."
Now" sal! the President. "these ulterior
considerations wore nothing else than the sug-
ocstiols OF Grant himself, That Stanton should
be treated az Il mere CLERK, and coniinol strictly
TO the execution Of the duties imposed upon
him by tlc letter OF tho law. And yet, after
having suggested this, anu urged it upon me,
he writes me letter asking me to reduce my
verbal order to writing. 1t was his own yer
bal ordor.' not mine. let he makes it appear
from his letter that tho first intimation came
from me, and that he mover said o word about
it until had spoken of it. That's fair speci-
men of tho way he has been acting all along.
This whole matter is not the first or the only
time he has played that part. It's only one Of
q great many instances in which he has grossly
deceived me-. got dispatch one day from
Georgia, telling me that Meade and jenkins
had becu in consultation, and that il was proba-
lie that Meade would remove Jenkins. sent
for General Grant, and he came over. show
cd him the dispatch, and told him would not
like Jenkins to be removed until I could hear
something more about tue matter. He assur-
ed me that lie would see to 1t that jenkins was
not removed. l thought this was enough; but
Judge of my surprise when the next day learn
ed that jenkins was removed. don t believe
Grant interfcred at all, though he distinctly
promised me he would. That's the kind OF
game he has boon playing all along"
GENERAL GRANT ON 'wHTTE MANS GOVERN
MENT."
Just here n Little question Of veracity oc-
Cured 10 MY mind, which thought it we'll