The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-02-19
rba johnson and Grant Cores
pondeDoe.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE y, S.
washington, January rs, 1868.
rueelIency A. johnson, Pres't. U. S.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE U. S. !
washington, January rs, 1868. )
nj. Excellency A. johnson, Pres't. U. s.
sra On the oath instant I requested
o 10 rive me in writing instructions
Wv S;.b Won had previously given me verb
VIM WI, not to obey any order from Hon. 3.
an' Stanton. Secretary of War, unless it
%, from Yourself To this written re-
ca haat T received message which has left
! doubt in my mind as to your intention,
md in order to prevent any possible. mis-
's.nndderstapdipg, I therefore renew the re-
u i,ost that you will give me written in
quoa ss;ons, and until they be received. will
sVarnend actioa on your verbal ones. am
susspirelled to ask these instructions in
citing Suaf in order to prevent many gross
demonstration affecting my personal
h h circulated through the press for the
i ,o,tJ two weeks, pertaining to come from
i I,'" PRESIDENT in conversations which oc-
VI. .nc-ad either with the President privately
S :" nl,ice OF in Cabinet meetings, What is
pr;tten admits of no misunderstanding,
nd IN view of the Misrepresentation re-
sarred TO, it will be we'll to state the facts
w.: !. tbe case at the same time. After l
l ~ the duties of Secretary of War
.aS;nferim, the President asked my views
- IN the course Mr.. Stanton would have
- nursue in case the Senate should not
o w in his suspension, in order to obtain
,ossession of his Office. My reply was in
ipwhstance: "Mr. Stanton would have to
a anneal to the Courts to reinstate him." il
lapstrating my position by citing the
grounds / had taken in the case of the Bal
ss;more Police Commissioners. Iu that
case did not doubt the technical right of
Gov Swami to remove the old commission
ers and appoint successors. As the old
commissioners refused to give up, con-
tsnaed that no recourse was left but by
snneals to the courts. Finding that the
President was DESTROYS of keeping Mr.. Stall
TON ont of office, whether sustained in his
susnension or not, / told him had not
looked particularly into the Tenure Of Of
Ace bill, but what ! had stated was on
general principles, and if / should change
nv views in this particular case ! would
inform him, first; subsequently on reading
the Tenure of Office Bill closely, found /
could not. without q violation OF the law,
refuse TO yacate the Office of Secretary War
tina moment Mr. Stanton was re-lnstated
by the Senate, even though the President
had ordered me to retain it, which he new
er did. Taking this view of the subject,
and learning on Saturday, the 18th inst,
that the Senate had taken up the subject
ofMr. Stauton's suspension, aud after some
conversation with Lieutenant General
Sherman and some members of my staff, in
which stated that the law left me no dis
erection, as to my action, should Mr.. STAN
ton be reinstated, and intended to inform
the President, ! went to the President for
the purpose of making this decision known,
and did make it known. In this ] fulfill
ed the promise had madein our last pre-.
ceeGing conversation on the subject. The
President, however, Instead of accepting my
view as to the requirements OF the Tenure
of Office Bill, contended that he had sus-
pended Mr. Stanton under the authority
given him by the Constitution, and that
that authority did not preclude the idea
of his repeating as an act of courtesy his
reason for the suspension of Mr.. Stanton,
and that he had been appointed by the an.
thority given by the Constitution and not
under the act Of Congress. / conld not be
governed by the act. stated that the law
was binding on me whether constitutional
or not, until set aside by the proper tribu.
nal. The hour being consumed in each
reiterating his views on this subject, and
until it was getting late, the President said
he would see me again. I did not agree to
call again on Monday, nor at any other
definite time, nor was sent for by the
President until the following Tuesday
from the 18th instant. NJ doubt ever en-
tered my mind about the President fully
understanding my position, viz, that if the
Senate refused to concur in the suspension
of Mr. Stanton, my duties as Secretary o.
War ad interim would close, and that Mr.
stanton had the right to resume at once
the functions of his office, would under the
law be indisputable, and l acted accord
ingly. With Mr.. Stanton / had no com
munication, direct or indirect, on the sub
iect of his reinstatement during his sus
pension / knew it had been recommend
cd to tie President 10 send to the Senate
the name Of Governor Cox, of Ohio, fol
Secretary of War, and this caused SOME
embarrassment. This proposition ] sin
cerely hoped he would entertain favorably
Cen Sherman, at my particular request
went to see the President on the 18th tt
URGE this On Tuesday Mr.. Stanton was
reinstated as Secretary of War Gen. Com
stock, who had carried my official letter
announcing Mr.. Stanton's reinstatement
the Senate, and that ] had ceased to be
Secretary of War adj interim, and who saw
the President open and read the c0mmuni
cation brought back to me from the Presi
dent message that he wanted to see me
that day at Cabinet meeting, after had
made known the fact that / was no longer
Secretary of War ad interim, At this meet
ing, after opening as though was a mem
Der of his Cabinet, / reminded him of the
notification had already given him, that
was no longer Secretary OF War adiateria
the President gave his version of the con-
versation alluded to already, and said that
had agreed to hold on to the Office Of
Secretary of War, until displaced by the
courts of resign, SO as to place the Presi
dent where he would have been had
never accepted the Office. After hearing
the President through, stated our CONVEX
sation, substantially as it is given in this
letter. ] will add that my conversation
before the Cabinet embraced other matters
not pertained here, and therefore left out
in no wise admitted the correctness OF
the Presidents statement of our converse.
tion, though to soften the evident contra
dietion of my statement, so said, allud
ing to our first conversation OH the subject
:" the President might have understood me
the way he said," viz: "That had prom
ised to resign if did not resist the rein
statement" / made no snch statement.
have the honor to be, very resptly,
lsisned.] US. GRANT, General.