The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-16
DEPARTMENT OF TIE n

DEPARTMENT OF TIE INTERIOR,
Washington ID. c., February 1865.
en- in receipt Of yours Of yesterday, calling
ny attention 70 n correspondence between your
self and General Grant, published 10 tde hrOlicle,
and especslly to that part Of said cOrrespO1-
denCe which refers 20 The conversation between
the president AID General Grant. al the cabinet
meeting on Tuesday, the l4th Of January, ami
requesting me TO state what was said in that con.
veTsatiOn.
In reply. submit the following statements:
At the cabinet Getting Tuesday. }nuary II, 1865,
General Grant appeared aud took his accustomed
seat al The board When he had been reached. ia
The order OF business. the president asked hin, as
usual ii he hsd any thing to present la reply,
the general, aitCr referring TO note which ne had
that morning addressed to the president, inciOsi1g
CODY OF the resolution Of the Senate refusing 20
concur in the reasons tor the suspension ct Mr.
Stanton, proceeded 10 say that he regarded hls
duties as secretary Of war at tHteTua terminated
by that resolution, and that he could NOT lawfully
exercise sue duties for moment after the adop-
ton Of the resolutions that the resolution reached
him last night, and that this morning he had gone
20 the war department, entered the secretarys
ROOM boled one door on the inside, 10 .ked the
other Oh the outside, delivered the key TO the ad-
iutgut general end proceeded to the headquarters
Of the army aud addressed the note above men
toned to the president informing him that he was
no longer secretary OF war al interim.
Tie president expressed great surprise at the
| course which General Grant bad thought proper
to pursue. and, addressing himself TO the gene
lal, proceeded TO say, in substance, thai he had
aIticipsted such action Of the Senate, aud, being
very desirous Of having the cOnstiufiOnality OF
the of Office bill tested, aud his right 20
tUspend or remove a member Of the cabinet de-
cded by the judicial tribunals OF the country.
he he'd, some time ago, and shortly after General
Grants appointment as secretary of war al tl
! term asked the general what his action would
| be in the event that the Senate should refuse %
concur in the suspension Of Mr. Stanton, and that
/ TIE general had then agreed either 10 remain a.
i r.N-a Il. a so.
! could be obtained from the court or resign the
! office into the hands Of the president before the
| cEse is acted upon by Senate, so as to place the
! president n the same situation he occupied at the
! tine of General Grants appointment.
The president further said that the conversation
! was resumed on the preceding Saturday, at which
| time lie asked The general what he Intended q 10
| II the Senate should undertake 70 reiastate Mr.
Stanton, in reply TO which the general referred 70
! their former conversation upon the same subject,
1 aHd said "YOu understand my position, and my
| conduct will be comfortable 20 that understand
! ing: that be (the geneTal) then expressed a re-
| pugnance to being made party 70 Judicial pro-
! CCedTg, saying he would expose himself u hne
! and imprisonment that. continuing 10 discharge
| the duties Of secretary of war al Interim, after
! the senate should have refused 10 concur in the
suspension Of Nr. Stanton, would be a violation
of the teuure-Of-Otice bill. 10 reply TO this the
| president informed Gen. Grant that he had not
| su-uendtd Mr.. stanton under the tenure 0folfice
! bIli but By virtue Of the power conferred on him
| by tie Constitution; and as 70 the Inc and IN
| pIisoument, tie president would pay whatever
! fue Was imposed and submit TO whztever impri-
| soLmeut might be aCjudEed against him lthe
| generally that they continued tue conversation
| for 81, NE time, discussing the law at length, and
| finally separated without having reached deli
| uite conclusion, and with the understanding that
the general would see the president again on
| Moudsy.
In reply. Gen. Grant admitted that the con.
vlIsatOns had occurred, and said that a. the first
| .ssgv l. !. a u a. hi s.trffp, IN ia
| president, that in the event Of non-c0ucurrencs
| by tie Senate in the action OF the president 10
respect TO the secretary OF war, the question
| would have 20 be decided by the court; JhatMr
stanton Ould have 70 appeal TO tue court to re-
| nst8te HIM in office that tie " ms would re
main in until they could be displaced, and the
"ou's" be put in by legal proceedings; and tha
| be then thought 80, and bad agreed that II ht
should change hrs mind he would see the presi
| dent in time to enabls him TO make another sp
| upin'mer that at the time Of the first converse
| non be had rot looked very closely into the law
| that il had recently been discussed b. the news
papers aud that this had induced him to eXamin'
II more carefully; thst he lad come 10 the cOa
clusion that II the Senate should refuse TO concu
IN the Suspension, BIT. Stanton would thereby b.
rtinstated, and that he (Grsnt) could not con
tiUue thereafter TO act secretary al iJtieTm
without subjectlug himself 10 hue and luprisOl
ment: that he came over on Saturday TO inform tn
president Of this change in his views 10 90 50, an
did intern him. The president replied that n
had not suspended hr. StansOn under tue tenur
OF Office bill but under the Constitution, aud h4
appointed him Grant by virtue OF the suthort
derived from the Constitution, etc; that the
continued TO discuss the matter some time, an
finally he LETT without any conclusion having bee
reached expecting to see the president again o
Monday tie then proceeded to explain Why h
had not called on the president on h'uday, slyin
be had long interview with General sherman
and that various little matters had occupied b
tine until late, and he did not think the Senai
would act so soon and asked, a" Did not Gener
sherman call on you on MOnday?n
90 not know what passed between the pres
dent end General Grant on Saturday, except a.
learned it from the conversation between them
| the cabinet me citing on Tuesday; add the fOreg
| ing is substantially what then occurred. The pr
+ CHE words used on tbs occasion are not. Of urs
| given exactly in the order 10 which they wei
| slolen. tut the ideas expressed and facts state
are faithfully preserved and presented.
have the honor to be, sir, with great respeC
| your Cledient servant, 0. Il. BKOWNING.
| To the President
|