The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-02-13
GRANT VS.. JOHNSON.
Highly Important Cores
pondence.
The Presidential Attempt to De-
strOy Grants Chara cter before
the Country.

A"o ErebtuehtiQl Attempt TO De-
strOy Grants Chara cter before
the Country.
Indignantly Repelled by tho
General.
On Tuesday the 4th instant, a
communication was laid before the
Housc of Representatives at Wash
ington, by Speaker CoLrAx, inclos.
ing the correspondence printed be.
low. TWAS produced in answer to q
call by the House for the documents
bearing on the dispute between the
President and General Grant as to
an alleged agreement in reference
to the reinstatement Of Stanton in
the War Department.
"WAR DEPAR rMENT, Feb. 4, 1868
"Sir-In answer to the resolu.
tion Of tho House Of Representa-.
tives, ofthe 3D., l transmit here
with copies furnished me by Gen
eral Grant, Of the correspondence
between him and the President,
relating to the Secretary Of
War, which he reports to
DO all The correspondence he
has had with the President on the
subject. l have had no correspon-
dcnce with the President since the
18th of August last.
"After the action Of the Senate
on his alleged reasons for my sus-
pension from the Office of Secre
tary of War, l have resumed tho
duties of that oficc, as required by
the acts of Congress, and have
continued to discharge them with. g.
out any personal or written com.
mnnication with the President.
No orders have been issued from
this department in the name of
the President, with my knowledge,
and lhave received no orders from
him.
Tho correspondence sent here
with embraces all the corrcspon-
dcnce known 10 me on tho subject
referred to in the resolution OF the
House of Representatives.
Il have the honor to be, sir,
with great respect, your obedient
servant,
EDWIN NJ. STANTON,
Sec'y Of War.
"Hon. Schuyler Colfax, Speak.
or of the House of Representa-.
tives."
GENERAL GRANT TO rHE PRESIDENT.
"HEADoRs ARMY OF THE us, !
WASHINGTON, D. G, Jan. %, 1868. !
'"His Excellcncy, Andrew John.
son, President of the United States.
"Sir-On the Oath instant, l re.
qucstcd you to give me in writing
instructions which You had pro
viously given me verbally, not TO
obey any order from Hon. Il. NJ.
Stanton, Secretary of War, unless
| knew it came from you rsclf. To
this written request l received u
message that has left doubt in my
mind Of your intention. 10 pro.
vent any possible misunderstand.
ing, therefore, l renew the request,
that you will give me written in.
structions, and, until they are re.
ceived will suspend action on your
verbal ones.
81 am compelled to ask these in.
structions in writing, in conse.
quence of the many gross misrep-
resentations, affecting my personal
honor, circulated through the press
for the last fortnight, purporling
to come from the President, of con.
vcrsations WHICH occurred either
with the President privately, in
his Office, or in Cabinet meeting.
What is written admits of no mis-.
understanding.
"1n view Of these misrepresen.
tations referred to, it will be well
to state the facts in the case. Some
time after | assumed the duties of
Secretary of War dd interim, the
President asked my views as TO the
course Mr.. Stanton would have to
pursue (in case the Senate should
not concur in his suspension) TO
obtain possession of his Office.
"My reply was in substance that
Mr.. Stanton would have to appeal
to the Courts TO rcinstate him, il.
Illustrating my position by citing
the grounds l had taken in tho
case of the Baltimore Police Com
In that case / did
not doubt the technical right of
Governor Swami to remove the
old commissioners and appoint
their successors. AS the old com.
missioners refused to give up, how.
ever, | contended that no resource
was left but to appeal to the Courts.
Finding that the President was de.
sirous Of keeping Mr.. Stanton out
Of Office whether sustained in the
suspension or not, l stated that l
had not looked particularly into
tho Tenure. of.office Bill, but that
what l bad stated was the general
principle, and if 1 should change
my mind in this particular case, |
would inform him of the fact.
subsequently, On reading the
Tenure.of Office bill, closely, found
| could not, without violation of
law, refuse to vacate the Office of
Secretary of War, the moment Mr..
Stanton was reinstated by tho SEN
ate, even though the President or.
dered mo to retain it, which no new
er did.
"Taking this viow Of the subject,