Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-02-14
The Johnson-Grant Correspondence.


The Johnson-Grant Correspondence.
Tho srl,jcct uf muat prominent public inter
ee during the pas. week hus been the CORES >
pon.l-uce between the President and the Gen
.ral in Chief. in relation the War Office. and
which his been recently suhm,tt.d 10 Congress q
The correspondence is a curiosity III it. way,
hu, is in perfect keeping with tn. an"m sl"us
posi,ion Of men AMI thing. At " Washiugt"n.
An i.sue Of v.rAci,y ia made between the Pres
i1rnL Of the n alton, aud the general Of it's ar
mies. and the varinus members Of tho Cabinet
ara called upon 10 sustain tho allegations Of the
former ard to convict the latter Of prev arica
ti"n, If uot of breach Of faith. trrschsry and
downright talsehuoi. T,er. is nothing i'll tho
past history Of this gov overnment 10 ~qs"l this
onrre spondenc.. II aomewi< reminds one oi
! tho "has'y. plate Of coup" corrrel'ond-nce be-
tween Secretary Mare, and that bet ween the
| same irate General aud Sscretary Davis. hut it
! goes b~yond them all in :he dignity of the |,
aetor.. and I'll. gravity of the issu-s involved.
! To fluid counterpart we mus, leave prose for
! poetry and go back I" H"mcr's description OF
th- squ.bhl.s Of tn. Oily di'ini,i's, or t"
son. hing almost Of til. ludleIous in the fol
lowing pre-: asory rem~'ks hy the rr"locutor
! Stanton in submitting the corr-si'ond=ncs:
Il have had 10 c"rr.sI:on'lvnce witk the
President since the l2lh Of August last Afer
the action ct the Senat~ OH bis alleged reason
for nv s,,-p.nsioa from the office Of Secretary
Of War, / resumed the lu,ies Of lha. office ~
required by til. net Of Congress- and have con.
tinued to drchargs them without any personal
or written communication with the President
No orde,s have bn-n issued from this depart
:. ment in tho nam. Of the Pre.ident With my
knowledge, aud have received no orders fro'u
: him. The cor,.spond.pee srnt herewith en-
: braces alI the curres sPondencs known 10 ma on
:, The euj-cl rs'rrrrd t" in 'hs resolution of the
House OF Represent xIiv-s"
Here il . model cabinet officer, one Of ihs
Prs.ijent's constitutional adv isere, who admits
that lie hus hAd no Off :al intercourse for eix
]" IN on,hs with. tho Chief. whose agent lie is
z whose authority he sxereises in every ef6cis!
, fuse,i"n. aud a no is Responsible (or his acts
=. The eorrsspondcnus commences with a note
dated January ~, fem General Grant asking
- to have lin wiring the order which the Presi'
'e don't gave him verbally on Sunday. the isit
! January. to dArexard the orders Of lion. E
er u. Stanton ss secretary Of War until III
a (Gsner al Grant) knew from the President him.
IN self thst they were his orders" This nat
was rs'urnsd with the following endorsement
signed by the Pr~siaen'. aud dated January %
"a "a, r.1nesird in this communication, Gen
se Gral Grant is truu,sd in writing, not to ODE
u any order fro,s the Var Department. assune
IT to be issued by direction Of the President
y, un!ssa such order is known by the geners
commanding the armies Of the United States t
have been authorized by the Executive.
" "ANDREW JOHNSON"
III The mex. day, January 80. General G rant.
- ale,t-r to the President, acknowledges the RI
turn OF the .bpse note. with ihs. su.le lerssusl
no th<rsep, ia which hessSs -: ra:,$-
Z IS E"l am Informed by.a !tbs Staoe.s;y OF. W,
~, that hs has not rsoeivsd ffouse fExeenii1
o. any order or instraclions limiting or inpair1
ou his authority to issus orders to the army. as l.
. heretofore bssn his practice under the Law. q
custom. Of the Department. While ihs q
ihority TO Tho " ar Department 10 not counts
J. mAnded, it will be satisfactory svid-nes.to {
that any orders issued from the War Dsra
., mont by d,rselion Of the President are au,i,
btsol ty the Executive.
70 - -. ~. s. GRANT. Gepsral
,ay-1 e., Gram, .rilxn,Iv sm,rt,nu under
attacks Of the. pubic Journals, wrissl . i
,uth lstsr 10 the Prssidsat, dated tho 2StT Jxnus
tion deuyiag tia. ho was upder auy pledge. expr
ESQ., OF implied. NOT TO vacste ths Wsr -Uaiss. Z
3 Of espt alter Jus nS:i6sason TO The Prssidsu,.
the To this Prssid ems Jotmson replies very q
v'sa elpsivs'y 10 hisds,tsr; Slst January, Ia :Sl
ss:s he afarn.s that he had repeaisd IN tervi
!, e with Gen. I'rant 10 wi,ich il WAS agreed ,
= d. latter would eit6sr return tho ofiiss. to
gosssssiop, fp time To enable hin, 10 spP,i,l
spr esssor, bofore the GhaI Actiou OF iis Ser
* no rorwoa'd rsns'n Ct l.s head aSsAi,iax .de
~ ia ipa Of she qnessiea:. BY Judicial proe.,df
=. hsd shis t6p.Hss sd,ni..sa by ;Ges:s tsran
lands die fss.sass:gt 'hs tseeiasl ssss q. t.s
:. ~ ,Ias th. prsseas. Of .hs o.s,ns. :,
yeg: .S.sess'; s.. s 49, =. ~, ~
az: Firss.s..Tf Ia saosssaalie 90 shiei, took !
:, sasssuy sftar y.as afbdmtSsui . sssss.a,
,.ss sfs ad iafsriss, ea didsnose agrss s:ihs
,a xsssius sat,bs I,rad Of :tis ,Wsrs Dsissnh
!. s. tsad hsits my judisiei prosssdiegg ttst
/ iaaa hDpy ssal s,gi attsass tby laa;t ;tsnsts ias
:,n:ss sssssdh4 sspsssiSa s1eeid ssa
3 81 sas tos 6ssoip il; eoatfs,
,fISf.a % Spu,iasaa ,tss sssss fsllss,
~ aas 81 fahGsy aSd ytSslssf sf4tx
Z aoa bsattsyh yh.,; ssne sss l3Stl
kiESbt :as,S sss Aassos q
E5ik 9bssys y II. sss
3 ri q 81 shsis aptsasyss ~ =
80 D. - :.