Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-05

| thot hiu coWcion "outu saw i"te"e' '"'
barrassment did not think that
Ia the selection Of Cabinet officers
should be trammeled by such considera'
tons. ! was prepared to take the
responsibility of deciding the question
in accordance with my ideas Of the Con-
stitution. ! did so; and having deter
mined upon the course which deemed
right and proper, was anxious to learn
the steps you would take should pos
session of the War Department
be demanded by Edwin M. Stanton.
Had your action been in conformity
with the understanding between us, ! do
not believe the embarrassment would
have attained their present proportions,
or that the probabilities Of repetition
would have been so great ! know that
with view to the easy termination OF
the State affairs so detrimental to the
public interest, you voluntarily offered,
both on Monday, the 10Th inst, and on
the succeeding Sunday, to call on Mr.
Stanton and urge upon him that the good
of the public service required his resig'
nation. l confess / considered your pro-
posal of sort of preparation for failure
on your part to act in accordance
with the understanding more than
once repeated which considered re-
ceived your full assent, and under which
you could have returned to me the office
which l had conferred upon you, thus
saving yourself from embarrassments
and leaving the responsibility, where it
properly belonged, with the President,
who is accountable for the faithful
execution of the law. l have not yet
been informed by yos whether, as twice
proposed by yourself, you had called
on Mr.. Stanton and made an effort to
induce him voluntarily to resign the War
Department You conclude your com
munication with reference to our con-
versation at the meeting of the Cabinet
held on the 18th inst. In your account
of what there occurred you say that, after
the President had given his version of our
previous conversation, you stated there
substantially as given in your letter, and
that in no wise admitted the correctness
of his statement, though to soften the
evident contradiction of my statement, /
said, abiding to our first communica-
ton, that / would abide any judicial
proceedings that might be had on the
President might have I'M
derstood it in that way. He said
that had promised to resign if / did
not sanction the reinstatement" made
no such promise. In the presence of the
Cabinet first asked you if, in a CONVEX
sation which took place shortly after your
as Secretary Of War ad in
terim, you did not agree to- remain
at the head of the War Department and
abide any judicial proceedings that
might follow the Inconvenience of the
Senate in Mr.. Stanton's suspension, or
should you wish to become involved in
such controversy, put me in the same
in reference to the Office, as pre-
,ious to your appointment, by returning
t to me in time to anticipate such action
~ the Senate. This you admitted. Sec
,nd-I then asked you if, at the time of
he conference on the preceding. Satur
lay, had not, to avoid any misunder-
tanding, requested you to state what you
ntended and further, if in reply to
he inquiry you had not referred
o my former conversation, saying that
rom them l understood your position,
md that your action would be consistent
nth the understanding which had been
cached by these interviews. You
lso replied in the affirmative.
next asked if, at the conclusion of our
on Saturday, it was understood
re were to have another conference on
Ionday before the final action of the
enate on the case of Mr.. Stanton. You
eplied that such was the understanding,
ut that you did not suppose the Senate
,ould act so soon as Monday. You had
cen engaged in considerable confer
nee with General Sherman, and we're
coupled with many little matters; and
sked if General Sherman had not called
GU, and what relevancy General Sher-
lan's visit to me on Monday had with
ne purpose for which you we're to have
allied. am at loss to perceive, as he
id not notify me whether you had deter
lined to retain the Office or to afford me
n opportunity to appoint a successor
4 advance of any attempted reinstate-
tent of Mr.. Stanton. This account of
hat passed between us at the Cabinet
leeting on the l4th instant widely differs
,om that contained in your communion /
on; for it shows that instead of stating
ur conversation as given in the letter
hitch has made this reply necessary, you
Omitted that my recital was entirely
ccurate. Sincerely DESTROYS, however,
D be correct in my statements, have
o-day read this narration of what
ccurred on the l4th inst to members of
he Cabinet, who were then present.
hey, without exception, agree in its &C.
uracy. On Wednesday afternoon Of