Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-02-11
EXTRA.
ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE

The Johnson-Grant Difficulty.
ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE.
The President in Reply to General Grant.
The Statements Of Members Of the Cabinet.
/ The following is the additional correspond
ence in relation 10. the reinstatement of Mr
Stanton, which was transmitted to the House
| OF Representatives, to-day, being the reply of
Presioen Mt Johuson TO General Grants let ter OF
February I'd, with the statements OF members OF
the Cabinet aE'#ti
| ExECUTIVR MANSION, Jan. 10, 1sSs.-Ge.eral
The extraordinary character of your letter OF
the Sd instant would seem to preclude any re-
ply on my part; but the manner in which pub
lieity has been given to the correspondence OF
which that letter forms part, and the grave
questions which are involved, induce me To
take this mode Of giving, as proper sequel to
the mmunications which have passed be-
tween us, the statement OF the 1--WE members of
the Cabinet who were present on the occasion
of our conversation on the l4th ultimo Copies
of the letters which they have essed 10 me
upon the subject are accordingly herewith en-
closed. You speak of my lettrrof the 31st ult as
reiferation OF the ssmany gross misrepresenta-
tions" contained in certain newspaper articles,
and reassPrt the correctness of the statements
contained in your communication Of the 2sth
ulto; adding-and here / gi We your own words
"any thing in yours in reply to the contrary,
matter OF fact reaches the point to which This
has been brought, further assertion or denial
between the Immediate parties should cease,
especially where upon either side it
loses the character of respectful dis
cussion, which is required by the re-
lations in which the parties stand to each
other; and degenerates in tone and temper.
In such a case, if there is nothing To rely upon
be drawn from the statements alone, and from
whatever intrinsic probabilities they afford in
favor OF or against either party. 1 should not
shrink from the test in the controversy.
but fortunately it is not left to this test
alone. There were five Cabinet officers
present at the conversation, the detail
You allow yourself TO say, contains many
gross misrepresentation. These gentlemen
heard that conversation, and have read my
statement. They speak for themselves and
have the proof without a word Of comment
deem II proper. before concluding this comm.
nication, To notice some of the statements con-
tanned in your letter. ou say that a perform.
ance OF the promises alleged To have been made
by you to the President sswould ha We invoIv ed
a resistance 10 law, and an inconsistency with
the whole history Of my connection with the
suspension of Mr.. Stanton
You then state that ou had fears the President
would, ON the removal of Mr.. Stanton, appoint
some one in his place who would embarrass
the army in carrying out the reconstruction
acts, and add: at WAS TO pre- vent such an ap-
pointment that accepted the Office of Secre-
tary of War al interim, and not for the purpose
OF enabling yOu TO get rid of Mr.. Stanton by
my Withholding it from him in opposition 10
law, or, not DONG so myself, rendering il TO
one who would, AS the statement and assump.
tons in your communication plainly indicate
was sought"
First OF all you here admit that from the very
beginning of what You term '.the whole histo.
ry'' Of your connection with MIR. StantOn's sus.
pension you intended to circumvent the Presi-
dent. 1t was 10 carry ont that intent that you
accepted the appointment. This was In your
mind at the time OF your acceptance. 1t was
not then in obedience to the order OF your supe.
riOr, AS has, heretofore, been supposed. thai YOU
assumed the duties Of the Office. You knew il
was the Presidents purpose TO prevent Mr.. stan.
ronffrom res inning the Off ce of Secretary of w ar
and you intended to defeat that purpose
You accepted the office; not in the interest Of
the President, but of Mr.. Stanton. If this pur.
pose. so entertained by you had been confined
10 yourself; IL, when accepting this Office You
had have done 50 with q mental reservation to
frnstrate the President; it would have been a
tacit deception. In the ethics OF some persons,
such q course is allowable, but you cannot
stand npon that questionable ground. Tho
..histOry' OF your connection W ith your trausAc.
tion, as written by yourself, places yourself in
different predicament, and shows that you not
only concealed your design from the President
but induced him 10 suppose that you would
carry ont his purpose to keep Mr.. Stanton out
OF Office, by retaining il yourself, after All al.
tempted restoration by the Senate, so as 10 re-.
quire Mr.. Stanton to establish his right by judi.
Cial decision.
/ low give that part OF tins s.history," as
"ritt'n by yourself in your letter Of the 18th
ultime:
reiary OF War al interim, the President asked
me my views as 10 the course Mr.. Stanton
would have TO pursue, in case the Senate shou Ii
not concur in hi suspension, 10 obtain poses.
I'D n IL nj u mi NUa aI.Sf.
thai Mr.. Stanton would have 10 appeal To the
courts 10 reinstate him. illustrating my position
oy citing the ground had taken in toe case Of
the Baltimore Police Commissioner
Now, AT that time, As you admit IN your let
ter OF the I'D instant, you held IN. Office for the
very object OF defeating appeal To the courts
In that letter you say that in accepting the Of
flee ore motive WAS TO prevent tine President
from appointing some other person, who would
feiain possession, and Thus make judicial pro.
cesdings necessary. You knew the President
was unwilling TO trust the office with any one
who would not, by holding il, compel Mr.
Stanton To resort 10 the Courts. You perfectly
understood that IN this interview, ..somefiine''
after YOU accepted the office, the President, not
content with your silence, desired AN express
sion OF your views, and You ans wered hiiu that
Mr.. Stanton would have 10 appeal Io the
couTts." Ii the President had rtposrd conf
dence tstose he knew your views and that con-
hdenCe bad been violated, II might have beu
>aid he made = mistake, but !. violation of con.
fdence repOsed oytsr that con vrrsation was no
Oi Vi IL Ia Ln3' tact
only. hat Ded be stated, that at the. date
of THE conversation you did not intend
10 hold the Orfiee, with the purpose OF forcing
Mr.. S.anIoI. into court; bnt did hold IL then,
and had accepted it TO prevent that course from
being carried ont. In other " ords, YOU said TO
the President "shaf il the proper course" and
You said yourself, Il have accepted the
office, and DOW hold il 10 defeat that course"
The excuse ypu make III a subsequent para.
graph of that letter of the 2oth ultimo that
afterwards You changed your views as 10 what
would he proper course has nothing to do
with ia. point nov under consideration. The
you had secfsIly deter ermined 10 do the
very thing " hich at last you did =
surrnder the orlice to MIR. stanton. You may
have changed your views a to the ", h ut
you certainly did not change your views as TO
the courss you had marked out for yourself
from the beginning. | will only notice one
more statement in your letter Of the Sd instant
that the performance of the promises which il
IL alleged We're made by you, would have in
of no statute that would have been violated
had you. carrying out your promises in good
faith, rendered your resignation when you
concluded not 10 be made party
in any legal proceedings. Yon add,
II IN measure confirmed
ia this conelusion by your recent orders direct.
ing disobsy orders from thr Secretary OF
W ar. my superior and our subordinate. With.
ont having countermanded his authority 10
is ue the orders l am 10 disobey."
On the a4th ultimo yoH addressed not. 10
given 10 you verbally nv~ days before, To dis.
regard orders from Mr.. Stanton as Secretary
Of War, until you ..knew from the President
himself thu, they were his orders" fla