Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-02-14
NO. AZ.

/ ti0ns, and until they are received vii
suspend action on your verbal ones
I am compelled to ask these instruo
tions in writing in consequence Of tht
many gross Misrepresentation effect.
ing my personal honor circulated
through the press for the last fort.
I night, pUrpOrting TO come from the
| President, of q conversation which oO-
cured either with the President pri,
VatelY In his Office, or In Cabinet meet
/ ing. What is written admits of nc
misunderstanding In view Of the
misrepr ntation referred to, il viii
| be we'll to state the facts in the case
Sore time after / assumed the duties
of S..-stary of War Gd interim. the
| President asked my views as to the
course Mr.. Stanton would pursue, il
/ case the Senate should concur in his
suspension, to obtain possession of his
Office. Ny reply was in substance that
Mr.. Stanton would have TO appeal ca
the Courts to- reinstate him, illustra
ting my position by citing ehe grounds
l had taken in the chse of the Balti-
more Police Commissioners. In that
case i did not doubt the technical
right Of Gov. Swami to remove the old
Commissioners and appoint their sue
cessors. As the old Commissioners
refused to give up, however, con
tended that 40 resource was left but
60 appeal to the Courts, Finding that
the President was desirous of keeping
Mr.. ksStantOn out of office, whether
sustained In the suspension or not,
stated / had not looked particularly
into the Ienure-Of-O Office bill, but that
what had stated was on general prin-
oiples, and if I should change my
mind in this particular case, would in
form him Of the fact.
Subsequently, on reading the Ten
ure of Otice bill closely, / found
could not, without violation Of law,
refuse to vaCate the Office of Seen etary
of War the moment Mr.. Stanton was
reinstated by the Senate, even though
the President ordered me to retain IL
which he never did. Taking this view
Of the subject, and learning on Satur-
day, the llth inst, that the Senate
had taken up the subject of Mr. Stan
tons suspension, after some converse
ton with Lieutenant General Sher-
man and some members of my staff,
in which I stated that the law left me
no discretion as to my action, should
Mr.. Stanton be reinstated, and I iu-
tended so to inform the President. I
went to the President for the sole pur-
pose of making this decision known,
and did make it so known. In this /
fulfilled the promise made in our last
preceding conversation ON the subject.
The President, however, instead of
accepting my view of the requirements
of the Tenure of Office bill, conteuded
hn hn1 ovrgvrwl1I 70
under authority given by the Consti-
tuition, and that the same authority
did not preclude him from reporting
as an act Of courtesy, his reasons for
the suspension to the Senate. That
having been appointed under authOri-
ty given by the Constitution, and not
under an act of Congress, could not
be governed by the act
/ stated that the law was binding on
me, Constitutional or not, until set
aside by the proper tribunal. An
hour was consumed, each reiterating
his views upon this subject, until. If
getting late, the President said he
would see me again. I did not agree
to call again on Monday, nor at any
other definite time, nor was sent for
by the President until the following
Tuesday.
From the 11th inst. to the Cabinet
meeting on the 18th inst, a doubt
never entered my mind about the
President fully understanding my po-
sition, namely, that if the Senate re-
fused to concur in the suspension of
Mr. Stanton, my powers as Secretary
of War dd interim would cease, and
Mr. Stanton's right to resume at once
the functions of his Office would, un-
der the law, be indisputable, and I
acted accordingly.
With Mr.. Stanton, had no COM
direct or indirect, on the
subject Of his reinstatement. During
his suspension, I knew it had been
to the President to send
in the name Of General Cox, of Ohio, /
for Secretary of War, and thus save
all embarrassment, a proposition that 1
sincerely hoped he would entertain /
Tavorably, General Sherman seeing the |
President, an my particular request,
10 urge this, on the 18th.
On Tuesday Mr.. Stanton re.entered Il
the Office of the Secretary Of War;
General ComstOck, who had carried
nv official letter, announcing that bv
Mr.. StantOn's reinstatement by the
Senate, I had ceased to be Secretary of
War dd interim, and who saw the
open and read the communi-
,ation, brought back to me from the
a message that he wanted to
lee me that day at the Cabinet meet
ng, after had made known the fact
hat was no longer Secretary Of War
gd Interim.
At this meeting, after opening It as /
hough I were a member of the Cabi- /
let, when reminded of the notification /
.lready given him that 1 was no longer /
Of War Gd interim, the Pres
dent gave a version of the conversa-
ion alluded to already in this state
1ent. It was asserted that in both /
I had agreed to hold on |
O the Office of Secretary of War until /
displaced by the Courts, or resign, so
s to place the President where he
you'd have been had I never accepted /
he Office. After hearing the Presi-
lent through, stated our conversa-
ion substantially, as given in this let
er.
1 will add that my conversation be-
ore the Cabinet embraced other mat
ers not pertinet here, and is therefore
eft out. in noWise admitted the
orrectness of the Presidents state
lent of our conversation, though to
often the evident contradiction Of my /
/ said, alluding TO our first J
on the subject, the Presi- Z
ent might have understood me the
ray he said-namely, that l had prom :
ed to resign If did not resist the re-
/ made no such state 8
lent.
have the honor TO be, very respect e
lilly, your obedient servant,
u. S. GRANT, General
ENERAL GRANT TO THE PRESIDENT. y
EADo'Rs ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES
WASHINGTON, January "a, 1865 J
Us ErceIIency, -Andret1 johnson,
President Of tbe United States y
SIR I have the honor very respect
lily to request TO have In writing the :
rder which the President gave me a
srbally on Sunday the 18th inst, to i
isregard the orders of the Hon. E g
l. Stanton as Secretary of War, until 6
knew from the President himself {
Al L