The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1868-03-05


il, at the conclusion of their inter.
view on Saturday, it was not the un
derstauding that they we're to have
another conference on Monday before
the fual action by the Senate in the
case of Mr.. Stanton. Geu. Grant
replied that such was the understand.
ing, but that he did not suppose the
Senate would act so soon; that on
Monday he had been engaged in q
conference with Gen. sherman, and
was occupied with many little mat
ters, aud asked if General Sherman
had not called on that day"
take this mode of replying TO
the request contained in the presi
dents letter, because my attention
had been called to the subject when
the conversation between the Presi-
dent and General Grant was under
consideration.
Very respectfully, your obO dent
servant,
ALEXANDER w. RANDALL,
Postmaster General.
To th4 President.
FROM SECRETARY BROWNING.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
WAsHISGToN, d. c.,
Feb. c, 1865,
am iu receipt of yours Of yester-
day calling my attention to CORES
pondence between yourself aud Gen.
Grant published in Tie Chroniele
newspaper, and especially to that part
ofsaid correspondence which refers to
the conversation between the Presi.
dent and Gen. Grant at the Cabinet
meeting, on Tuesday the 18th of jan
uary, and requesting me to state what
was said in that conversation. In re.
ply | submit the following statement /:
Al the Cabinet on Tuesday, the l4th
ofJauuary, 1868. Gen Grantappear.
ed aud took the accustomed scat at
the Board When he had been
reached in the order Of business, the
President asked him, as usual, if he
had anything to present. In reply.
the General, after referring to note
which he had that morning addressed
to the President, inclosiug copy of
the resolution of the Senate refusing
to concur in the reasons for the sus
pension of Mr.. Stanton, proceeded to
say that he regarded his duties as
Secretary Of War dd interim tcrmina-
ted by that resolution, and that he
could not lawfully exercise such du
ties for moment after the adoption
of the resolution by the Senate that
the resolution reached him last night
aud that this morning he had gone to
the War Department, entered the
Secrctary's room bolted one door on
the inside, locked the other on the
outside, delivered the key to the adi ia
taDt'General, and proceeded to the
Headquarters Of the Army and adj
dressed the note above mentioned to
the President, informing him that he
(Gen, GranD was no longer Secretary
Of War al interim. The President
expressed great surprise at the course
which Gen. Grant had thought pro-
per to pursue, aud, addressing himself
to the General, proceeded to say in
substance that he had anticipated
such action by the Senate, and being
very desirous to have the Constitu-
tionality of the Tenure of Office Bill
tested, and his right Ia suspend or
remove member of the Cabinet de.
cided by the Judicial Tribunal of the
country he had some time ago, and
shortly after Gen. Grants appoint
ment as Secretary of War od iAierint,
asked the General what his action
would be in the event that the Senate
should refuse to concur in the sus
pension of Mr.. Stanton, and IhGt the
General had then agreed either to re.
main at the head Of the War depart
meut till decision could be obtained
from the Court, or resign the office
into the hands of the President before
the case was acted upon by the Sen
ate, SO as to place the President in
the same situation he occupied at the
time of his (Grant's) appointment.
The President further said that the
conversation was renewed on the
preceding Saturday, at which time he
asked the General what he Intended
to do if the Senate should undertake
to reinstate Mr.. Stanton; in reply to
which the General referred to their
former conversation upon the same
subject, aud said "You understand
my position, and my conduct will be
conformable TO that understanding -
that he, the General, then expressed d
a repugnance to being made a party
to a judicial proceeding, saying that
he wonld expose himself to foe and
Imprisonment by doing so, as his con
tinuipg to discharge the duties OF
Secretary of War Gd interim, after the
Senate should have refused to concur
in the suspension Of Mr., Stanton,
would be violation of the Tenure OF
Office Bill that in reply to this he,
the President, Informed Gen Grant
he had not suspended Mr.. Stanton
under the Tenure Of Office Bill, but
by Yirture Of the powers conferred on
him by the Constitution, and that as
70, hne and Imprisonment, he the
President would pay whatever 6nc
was imposed, and submit TO whatever
imprisonment might be adjudged
against him (the GeneraD; that they
coutinued the conversations for some
time, d soussing the law at lehgsh
aud that they iiOally separated with
out having reached dodaite eonelu
sion, aud with the understanding that
the Gensral would see the President
again GU Monday. In reply, Gen
Grsnt admitted thatthe conrersa tious
had occurred, and said that at the first
conversation he had given it as his
opinion TO the President that ia the
event non on.coneurrenee By the Senate
in the action of the President ia re.
spect to the Secretary Of War, the
question Waufd have 10 ba deeided hv