Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-02-21

DOnd6nC OF the C1nClnQdbl COHtHSTCtttt, Atiu
another IS talk y with the President on the
10th instant, and as it is exceedingly inter
esting and comes from one who is under
stood to be an accepted visitor at the White
House. and withal a correct and impartial
reporter, we give it to the exclusion of 9th
er matter, as follows: ......
| IMPEACHMENT.
"Theyre after You again, Mr. President,
with an impeachment, said /.
$50 [ hear" he said, "but l can't get
at the point they're trying to make against
me this time though, for that matter,
haven't taken much trouble to ind out.
I explained to him then what l under
stood to be the charges under consldera-
ton in the Reconstruction committee
First, his order to General Grant not 10
regard Stanton's orders unless he knew
they came from the Executive; and second,
what was termet. conspiracy on his part
to resist the execution OF the Tenure OF
Office act, by arranging with General Grant
that he Grant should resign the Secreta-
ryship ad interim of the War Department
in time for him (Johnson) to put in some
man who would refuse to rellnqu1sh his
portfolio at the bidding Of the Senate, III
order to test the validity of tie Tenure Of
Office act before the Supreme Court
! is that all ?' said the President
eyes, sir; and 1 understand that Blng-
ham and other Republicans on the com
mittee think it quite enough to turn you
out of Office"
"Well, now," said the President, Gas to
the order about Stanton, [ didn't suppose
there was man in Congress who is not
aware that I have perfect right to do what
| that order directs, without making any or
der at all. Mr.. Stanton's orders are Of no
more force than yours, except upon the
presumption that they come from me; and
I have a perfect right to communicate with
General Grant direct, without availing my
self of Mr.. Stanton, who in such matters is
[ a mere clerk for the transmission of orders.
As to the charge of conspiracy, 1t only
shows how badly they are off for something
to quarrel about. In the first place if |
wanted to do what they make out to be
conspiracy, could have done it without a
conspiracy with Grant as Secretary al i>tte
rim in time to have put in some man who
would test the law. And If | had taken
such course there would be no crime
about it, unless it be crime TO appeal to a
remedy provided by the constitution for
the settlement of disputes between the le-
gislative and executive departments OF the
government. What else is the Supreme
Court for but the settlement of cOntrover
sizes And has the executive no rights.
and no opinions; nothing but blind obedi-
ence to the legislative department ? If
such was the intention Of the trainers of
the government, they wouldn't have crea-
ted Supreme Court, for it could be Of no
USE But it was intended as the final ar
bitter in all such controversies, and when it
determines a question, its decision is bind
ing as much as the constitution itself"
"Do they seem to be very rabid about
impeachment this time-wOrse than they
were before ?" inquired the President.
q think the thing is little stronger
than it was replied. "They are getting
desperate, and they want to put you out,
so as to put Ben Wade in and get control
of the Federal patronage for the next Pre-
sidential election. Besides, may be they
want to disqualify you rs candidate
against them, for Boutwell, and others
among them say you will be their most for
midable opponent in the next canvass.
81 don't know about that, said the
President, laughing. But hope they'll
find somebody formidable enough to beat
them. [ don't think they expect to do
anything with impeachment, unless a few
of them may be operating i'll the gold
market"
I replied that previous experience in
gold speculation on impeachment proba-
biities was not encouraging. Several gen
tlemen had gone into it in tho hope OF /;
riGe which never came, and the result had
been rather disastrous than otherwise
Nothing short of actual conviction by the
Senate would create rise enough to make
it pay to buy on margin. WE'LL" said
the President, let them go ahead. When
they bring in the charges I'll try to answer
them that's all )" and he laughed as if he
didn't believe the charges would ever
come.
GENERAL GRANT AS \ GAY DECEITER.
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 disre-
gard any order received from Stanton, IN
less he knew it to emanate from the Execu-
tive. Here" said he, General Grant
asserts that [ had given him such a verbal
order. [ never did anything of the kind
It was he himself who first suggested that
[ could take such a course as to reduce
Stanton to mere clerk and it was this
suggestion from him, and not any verbal
order from me, that first brought the sub |
ject up in that light.
At this point the President produced
letter from General Sherman, dated Satur
udy evening, obituary 1OGu OneTl1au says
it was the intention of himself and Grant |
to call on Stanton on the following Mon
day, to request him, for the good of the |
country, to resign the office of Secretary of
War but that he learns Grant must go to |
Richmond, and he to Annapolis, SO that
they can't call on Stanton on Monday, but |
will do so at some other time and insist |
that he shall resign. Then Sherman goes
on to say that if Stanton won't resign it
will be time enough to look to ''ulterior
considerations.
'Now,' said the President, ''these I'LL
terror considerations were nothing else than
the suggestions of Grant himself, that
Stanton should be treated as a mere clerk,
and confined strictly to the execution of
the duties imposed upon him by the letter
of the law. And yet, after having sug-
gested this, and urged it upon me, he writes
me letter asking me to reduce my verbal
order to writing. 1t was his own verbal
ORDER not mine. Yet he makes it appear
from his letter that the first intimation
came from me, and that he never said
word about it until I had spoken of it
That's fair specimen of the way he has
been acting all along. This whole matter