The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-02-13


received and accepted the appoint
ment, you yielded the Department OF
War to the present incumbent. As
stated in your communication, some
time after you had assumed the duties
of Secretary of War Gd interim, we in
terchanged views respecting the course
that should be pursued in the event
of the nOn-concurrence, by the Sen
ate, in the suspension of Mr.. Stanton
l sought an interview, calling myself
at the War Department. My sole OBJ
jpct in then bringing the subject to
your attention was, to ascertain what
would be your own action, should
s Ich an attempt be made for his
restoration to the War Department.
That object was accomplished for the
interview terminated with the dis
tinct understanding that if, upon re-
Election, you should prefer not to be-
come a party in the controversy, or
should conclude it would be your du-
ty to surrender the Department to
Mr.. Stanton, upon action in his favor
by the Senate, you were to return the
Office to me prior to decision by the
Senate, in order that, if 1 desired to
do so, ] might designate some one to
relieve you. It must have been ap-
parent to you, that had not this un-
derstanding been reached, If was my
purpose to relieve you from further
discharge of duties as Secretary of
War od interim, and to appoint some
other person in that capacity.
COther conversations on the subject
.ensued. all having, on my part, the
same object and leading to the same
conclusion as the first. It is not neces-
.sary, however, to refer to any of them
excepting that of the 18th instant,
mentioned in your communication
AS it was then known, the Senate had
proceeded in the case Of Mr.. Stanton,
1 was anxious to learn your deter
minatiOn. After a Protracted inter
view, during which, the provisions of
the Tenure foffice Bill were fully
discussed. you said that as it had been
agreed upon in our first conference,
you would either return the Office to
my possession, in time to enable me
to appoint a successor before final ac-
ton by the Senate upon Mr.. STAN
toms suspension, or remain atits head,
awaiting the decision by judicial pro-
ceedings.
ut was then understood that there
would be a further conference on Mon
day, by which time l supposed you
would be prepared to inform me of
your final decision. You failed, how
ever, to fulfill the engagement, and on
Tuesday, notified me, in writing, OF
the receipt of an official notification
of the action of the Senate in refer
ence to Mr.. Stanton, and at the same
time, informed me that, according to
the act regulating the tenure Of GER
tain civil offices, your functions OF
Secretary of War ad interim ceased
from the moment of the receipt of the
notice.
"You thus, in disregard to the un-
derstanding between US, vacated the
office, without having given notice Of
your intent to do so. It is but just to
say, however, that in your communi-
cation you claim you did inform me
of your purpose, and thus fulfilled the
promise made in our last preceding
conversation on the subject. The
fact that such a promise existed is
evidence of an arrangement of the
kind I have mentioned. You had
found, in our first conference, that
the President was desirous of keeping
Mr.. Stanton out of Office, whether
sustained in the suspension or not
You knew what reasons had induced
the President to ask from you a prom
ise. You also knew, that in case yOul
views of duty did not accord with his
own conviction, it was his purpose tC
fill your place by another appoint
ment.
"EvPn ignoring the existence Of
positive understanding between US
/ the conclusions were plainly dedueiblt
from our various conversations. Itii
certain, however, that even under
these circumstances, you did not Offel
to return the place to my possession
but according to your own statement
placed yourself in a position where
could l have anticipated your action
I would have been compelled to ask
of YOU, as I was compelled to ask o
vOnr predecessor in the War Depart
ment, letter of resignation, or tt
resort to the more disagreeable ex
pedient of suspending you, by the aP
pointment of a successor.
GAS stated in your letter, the nomi
nation of Gov. Cox, of Ohio, for Sec
rptary of War,was suggested to me-
His appointment as Mr.. Stanton
successor, was urged in your name
and it was said that his selection wOulC
save further embarrassment. | die
not think that, in the selection of
cabinet officer, should be tranmeleC
by such considerations. 1 was pre-
pared to take the responsibility of de
Gliding the question in accordance
with nv ideas of constitutional duties
and having determined upon cOurs
which 1 deemed right and proper
was anxious to learn the steps yOl
would take, should the possession 0
the War Department be demanded b,
| Mr.. Stanton. Had your action beel
in conformity with the understanding
| between us, I do not believe that tn
embarrassment would have attainet
its present proportions, or that tn
probability of its repetition wOul
have been so great. l know thai
with a view of any early termination
of state of affairs so detrimental t
. the public interests, you voluntaril
offered, both on Monday, the lot
inst. and on the succeeding Sunday
to call upon Mr.. Stanton and urg
upon him that the good ofthe serviC
. required his resignation.
81 confess I considered your pr'
posal as a sort of reparatiOn for II
q failure on your part to act in accor'
? ance with an understanding mo-
than once repeated, which had r
i ceived your full assent, and und
\ which you could have returned to n
| the Office which I had conferred upC
e YOU, thus saving yourself from er
}. barrassments and leaving the respOn'