Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-15
ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL TALK

ant of the Cincinnati Commercial IS just
out from another Presidential coniao' OF
which, because it is too interesting 70
pass by, and too long for the space we
can devote to it, we will state the suo'
stance. In answer to suggestion 'na'
tho order not to recognize stanton was
considered ground for impeachment the
President said
al didn't suppose there was man IN
Congress who is not aware that l have a
perfect right to do what that order IL
reefs without making any order at ALL
Mr.. stanton's orders are of no more
force than yours, except upon the pre-
sumption that they come direct from me-
and | have a perfect right to communi-
cate with General Grant direct, without
ayailing myself of Mr.. Stanton who IN
such matters is mere clerk for the
transmission of orders. As to the
charge of conspiracy, it only shows
how badly they are off Tor some
thing to quarrel about. la the nrs'
Mace. il / wanted TO do what they
make out TO be a conspiracy, / could have
done il without conspiracy with Grant
or anybody else. / could have removed
Grant as Secretary ad interim, in time
to have put in some man who would test
the law. And if had taken such a
course. there would have beeu no crime
about it, unless it be a crime to appeal to
remedy provided by the Constitution Tor
settlement Of disputes between the Legs
latiye and Executive departments OF the
Government. What else is the Supreme
Court for but to settle such controver-
sies2 And has the Executive no rights,
and no opinions, nothing but blind ODE
dience to the Legislative Department. II
such was the intention of the trainers OF
the Government, they wouldn't have Gre
atcd a Supreme Court, for it could be OF
no use. But it was intended as the final
arbiter in all such controversies, and
when it determines q question, its de-
cision is binding as much as the Constr
tuition itself.
On suggestion that the Radical OBJ
iect was to put Ben Wade in, so as to
have control of Federal patronage for
the next election, and Alss to disqualify
johnson as a candidate likely to be
formidable:
81 don't know about that, said the
President, laughing, hut l hope they Il
find somebody formidable enough to beat
them. don't think they expect to do
anything with the impeachment unless
a few of them may be operating IN the
gold market"
Mr.. johnson referred to that part OF
General Grants correspondence in which
the General asks him to reduce to wri-
ting the order given to him verbally, to
disregard any order received from Stan
ton. unless he knew it to emanatc from
the Executive Here, said he, Gen.
Grant asserts that had given him such
a verbal order. / never did anything OF
the kind. 1t was he himself who first
suggested that could take such a course
as 10 reduce Stanton to a mere clerk,
and it was this suggestion from him, and
not any verbal order from me, that first
brought the subject up in that light.
Al this point the President produced a
letter from General Sherman, dated
Saturday evening, January Is. Sher'
man SAYS that II IVES the intention OF
himself and Grsnf to call On Stanton, on
the following N0naay, TO request him,
sor the good o. the eoantry. TO resign the
osies OF Secretary q War; but that be
learns Grant must 20 to Richmond, and
be 70 Annapolis, 50 that they cant call
on Stanton on MoBisy, bat viii do 50 at
some other time, and insist that be shall
resign. Then Sherman goes on to say
that if Stanton won't resign it will be
time enough to look to Interior consid-
erations."
Now" said the President, these
Interior considerations were nothing
else than the suggestions of Grant him
self 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 suggested this and urged il
upon me, he writes me a letter asking me
to reduce my verbal order to writing.
1t was his own verbal order, moi
mine. Yet he makes it appear from biz
letter that the first intimation CANT
from me, and that be never said {
word about it until had spoken o
it. That's fair specimen Of the wa!
he has been acting all along. This Who'll,
matter is not the first or the only time h
has played that part. It's only one Of
great many instances in which he ha
grossly deceived me. got a dispatc
one day from Georgia, telling me tina
Meade aud Jenkins had been in consul
tation, and that it was probable Mead
would remove Jenkins ] sent for Gen
eral Grant, and he came over.
showed him the dispatch, and told him
would not like jenkins to be remove
until could hear something more aboJ
3 the matter. He assured me that he woul
b see to il that Jenkins was not remove,
!. / thought this was enough but judge