Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-02-06
rHE PRESTDRNr Ann GRANT,

be Of little service to him as against
Rollins.
THE PRESIDENT AND GRANT.
The Stanton affair is looming into col
lossal proportions. 1t goes to the kernel
Of the great controversy Of the times.
The correspondence spread before the
country yesterday is remarkable one.
II is more 1t is a deplorable one. II
shows a sharp and clearly defined ques-
ton Of veracity between the Executive
head of the government and the General
of the army. The latter says fatty he
did not say and DO certain things, and
the former asserts explicitly that he did,
and corroborates his statement by the
testimony of four or FIVE of the first eiti-
zens in the government, who were IN
position 10 be cognUant Of the facts The
country is thus called to Judge which Of
these two high officials has falsihed, toT
there can be no escape from this dilem-
ma There is no room for misconcep-
ton Such might have been the case
in the early interviews of the
President and Grant, but in regard
to the admissions at the Cabinet meeting
on the l4th ult, Grant either did or did
not admit the truth Of the President !
version. II is clear chat the weight Of
evidence in numbers is against him. The
witnesses are as high in official rank, and
personally as trustworthy as he 80 fal
as veracity is concerned, he has the worst
of it. II is painful to contemplate the
spectacle, and all political antipathy aside
for the houer Of the nation, it is to be re
GREETED that such an exposure has beer
made.
But there is more serious aspect t.
the question. General Grant, in his not'
of January Goth, in response to the writ
ten instructions to look to the President
only for orders in the discharge O
his duties as General Of the army
declines to obey them, and announces
his purpose to accept the orders of thu
Presidents subordinate The Com
mandersin~Chief is defed by his inferior
in rank. Not only that, but in his mott
Of the Sd of February, General Gran
grossly insults the President, and il
terms, accuses him of endeayOring Il
make him (Grant) tool for the resist
ance of the law. This conduct is extra
ordinary, and is without palliatiOn oI
justification 1t involves General Gran
criminally as a contemner of authority
and to many minds, win 60 far to sub
stantiate the charge that he deliberately
broke personal faith with the President
and to prove that he has consented t.
become the instrument of the revolution
lists. The tone of his portion of the cor
respoudence, and his action in the prem
ises, shows that he was in a conspiracy
TO thwart the Executive in his Just pre-
negatives, and that having been exposed
he seeks the support of those who 70
mented the plot in which he has weakly
borne So ignOble part.
What the President may determine to
do in the matter Of the official contumacy
remains to be seen. He is surrounded
by powerful and unscrupnlons combi
nation. One thing is certain, however
He is right before the country thus far
and there is vein Of manliness, of dig
nifty, and of conscious rectitude pervadinf
his portion Of the correspondence, il
strong contrast to the prevarieating ex'
plantations Of Gen Grant, which wear 81
strongly the appearance Of having beer
written by an attorney in his interest
Grants reioinder is published in am
other column, and, as will be readily per
ceiyed, it is but tissue Of unsustained
assertions, and wholly insufficient to re
but the reply Of the President to his fire.
note