The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-08

Cabinet OmcelS C1teu hs " "AeAAos"Ss ~
the President.
Sufficient extracts from the correspondence
between the President and General Grant nave
already been given by telegraph to excite puo-
lic curiosity, and although the letters are long,
thew are of such Importance that we reproduce
them in full. They were laid before inc house
of Representatives on Tuesday last by Mr'
Stanton, and comprise all the correspondence
basveen the General-in-Chief and the Presa-
dent in relation TO- the Secretary OF War; VI
himself, MIR. Stanton says:
CT have had no correspondence with the
President since the 18th OF August last. After
the action Of the Senate on his alleged reason
for my Suspension from the oftico OF Secretary
of War, Iresumed the duties OF that Office as
required by the act Of Congress, and have con.
tinued to discharge them without any personal
or written communication with the President.
No orders have been issued from this depart
ment in the name Of the President with my
knowledge, and I have received no orders from
him. ThBcorrespondence sent herewith en-
braces all the correspondence known to me on
the subject referred to in the resolution OF the
House Of Representatives"
GENERAL GRANT TO THE PRESIDENT.
The frat letter enclosed is the following from
General Grant, dated January 28;h, 1868, and
addressed to the Presldsnt:
Sr: Ou the Oath instant I requested you, IN
Writing, to give NE the INSTRUCTIONS which you
had previously given me verba ly. not TO obey
z m SaNra n
of W., u less knew chat il came fr IN your
self 70 this written request received q
mes. t:e that lett doubt Ill my mind OF your
inieutiuns. To prevent any ussl-le misun-
,ierstandipg, therefore, renew the request
that you will give me written instructions,
and, until they are received wiz sSspIad
aciun on your velb bal ones. I am Compelled
to ask the instructions In writing, Ill conse-
ouence OF the many gross. misrepreseni aaons
Sffaotlne NV personal honor circulated throucn
ths press for the last fortnight, purportlng I
come nom the President, II conversations
winch occurred either with tie PRESIDENT Prl-
yately. in his Office or in cabinet meeting.
What ia written admits OF no niisunderstand-
ing. In view OF the mlsrepresentatons re"
ferred to, it will be well to state tho 1acts IN
Some time af;er I assumed the duties OF Sec,
retary or War, a6 nstera7s, the Presldene asAeu
nv views on the course Mr. Stanton wouiu
concur in his suspension, to oJtaln possession
of hls Office. Ny reply was, IN substance, thLt
Mr.. Stan ON would have to appeal to the courts
to reinslate hun, illustrating my posluon by
citing the grounds / had TAKEN III the case u
the Baltimore Police Commissioners 1n that
case I did no. doubt the right or Governor
Swami to remove the old commissioners anu 10
annoint thalr successors. As the old commits
aiuuers refused tn give up, however, contend-
ad that no recourse wns left but to appeal to
the courts. Finding tnat the President was
desirous VI keeping Mr. Stanton out OF once,
whether sustained IN the suspension or not,
stated that had not looked particularly lnt0
the Tenure-or-ofice bill, but that what l hsa
stated was general principle, aud II should
change my mind III this particular case,
would inform him OF the fact.
subsequently. on reading the Tenure-of-
Office bill, iound that I could not, withoit
violation Of the law, refuse to yacate the o1nco
of Secretary OF War the moment Mr.. stanton
was reinstated by the Senate, even though tne
President should order me to retain it, whch
he never did. Taking this view OF the sub
iect, and learning on Saturday, the !ltn IN
slant. that the Senate had taken up the ID
iect Of MIR. Stanton's suspension, after some
Conversation with Lieutenant-Ge Sner-
msn aud some OF the members OF my stan, IN
which stated that the law left me no dlscre-
ton as to my action should MIR. Stanton be re-
3u.
President, went to the President for the sole
purpose Of making this decision known, and
did 90 make it known. In doing this, fulfilled
the promise made in our last preceding con-
vsrsatlon OH the subject.
The President, however, instead OF accepting
nv view Of the requirements OF the Tenure-of.
Office bill, oontended that he had suspended
Mr.. Stanton under the authority given him by
the constitution, and that the same authority
did not preclude him from reporting as an act
of courtesy, his reasons for the suspension to
the Senate. That, having appointed me under
the authority given BY the constitution, and
not under any act OF Congress, could not DO
governed oy the act. ! stated that the law was
binding on me, constitutional or not until set
aside By the proper tribunal. An hour or more
was consumed, each reiterating his views on
this subject, until, gotting late, the President
said ne woaid see me again. I did not agree
to call again on Monday, nor ut any other d.
finite time, nor was sent for by the President
until the following Tuesday.
From the 11th to the cabinet meeting on the
14th q doubt never entered my head about the
Presidents fully understanding my position,
namely that if the Senate refused to concur in
the suspension OF MIR. stanton, my powers as
Secretary Of War, Gd inter ira would cease, and
Mr.. Stanton's right to resume at once the
functions of his Office would, under the Law. be
indisputable, and I acted accordingly. With
Mr.. Stanton had no communication, direct or
Indirect, on the subject of his reinstatement
durinp uis SUSPENSION. Iknew 1t had been re-
commended to the President to send in tho
name OF Governor Cox, OF Ohio, as Secretary OF
War. and thus save all embarrassment-a pro-
position that sincerely hoped he would enter
tam tayorably; General Sherman seeing the
President at my partlcul.r request to urge this
on the 18th instant.
On Tuesday (the day Mr.. Stanton re-entered
tho Office Of the Secretary Of War; General
Comstock, who mad served my official letter
announcing that with Mr.. Stantou's reinstate-
ment by the Senate, I had ceased to be Secrc-
tarv Of War. ad interim, aud who saw the
President open and read the communication,
brought back to me from the President mes
sage that he wanted to see me that day at the
cabinet meeting, after had made known the
fact that was no longer Secretary OF War, dd
1nler1n. After this meeting. after opening 1t
rs though was member OF his Cabinet, when
reminded of the notification already given him
that was no longer Secretary OF war, ar IN
teriD, the President gave version OF the con-
versation alluded to already.
In This statement it was asserted that IN botl
conversations hal agreed to hold on to the
Office Of Secretary of War, until displaced by
the courts, or resign, 30 as 10 place the Presi-
dent where hs would have been had never
accepted the of1ce. After hearing the Presl-
dent through stated our conversation sub
stantially as given In this letter. will add
that nv CONVEX sation before the Cabinet EN-
braoed other mattor not pertins snt here, and Is
therefore LETT out.
I in no wise admitted the correctness of the
Presidents statement OF our conversations,
though to soften the evident contradiction my
statement gave, sald (alluding to our first
con nvaraation on the subjeot) the President