The New York herald., 1868-02-06
The Grnnt-J Ohnson Correspondence and Its
Probable Results.

The Grnnt-Johnson Correspondence and Its
Probable Results.
The GrantJohnson correspondence and the
facts and circumstances connected with 1t make
up case, q lamentable case, Of political de-
moralization wholly unprecedented in the his
tory Of the United States In the first place,
we find this correspondence submitted to Con-
gress by Mr. Stanton, with a letter, in which he
says that since his resumption of the War De-
| partment he has been and is discharging the
duties of his Office "without any personal or
1 written communication with the President"
This is an extraordinary state Of things, and 1t
wears an ugly and forbidding countenance. II
breaks up the Executive Department into two
divisions-one division under the President and
the other entirely detached from him, but In
full communion with Congress and this con-
lict is now approaching solution to which we
shall presently refer.
| In the next place, General Grant, not salts
| hed with the verbal orders Of the President in
reference to orders emanating from the War
Department asks (January 25) for written in
structions, and says II am compelled to ask
these instructions in writing in consequence of
the many gross misrepresentation affecting
| my personal honor circulated through the
press for the past fortnight, and purpOrting to
come from the President" &c. "What is
written" continues General Grant, "admits Of
no misunderstanding" He then proceeds to
state his recollection Of what he said, what he
suggested andwhat he did in anticipation Of
vote from the Senate reinstating Mr.. Stanton as
Secretary of War, the material point Of all which
is this: that he General Grant) made no promise
to resign the War Department in season to
admit Of another appointment, If he did
not himself resist the reinstatement of Stanton.
al made no such promise" The President, in
his reply, very positively afirms that there was
distinct understanding OF this sort, and with
| considerable detail gives the chapter and
verse, and directly charges that the General,
'in disregard Of the understanding between US,
vacated the Office giving 1t up to Stanton)
without having given me notice Of your in
! tentions to do So" General Grants averment
that he did give the notice, the President In
sists does not alter the fact. But the Generals
offer twice made to appeal to Stanton to re-
| sign Mr. johnson accepted 'as sort Of re-
! paration." To clinch the nail as to the under
standing on the 14th the President says, "I
have to-day January 3D read this narration
OF what occurred on the 18th instant TO the
members OF the Cabinet who were then pre-
sent" and that "they, without exception,
agree in its accuracy"
General Grant, in his answer february 81
to "this simple recital OF facts" says IL is but
a reiteration more in detail Of the "many and
gross misrepresentation" Of certain newspa-
pers, sand here" continues the General, 81
reassert the correctness OF my statements in
that letter Uauuary 25), anything in yours in
reply to it to the contrary Notwithstanding"
He confesses his SURPRISE too, "that the Cabinet
| officers referred 70 should SO greatly misap-
| prehend the facts" Then, after a restate-
ment of his recollection of the facts the
General, as to his motives and purposes
in this business, lets the cat ont Of the bag.
He was afraid that the removal OF Stanton
might be followed by some appointment which
would embarrass the army in the performance
of its duties under the reconstruction laws,
and he says that it was to prevent such an
appointment that accepted the appointment
of Secretary OF War ad Interim and not for the
purpose OF enabling you to get y. OF Mr..
Slanton.' And again, says Grant The
course you would have ii understood agreed
to pursue was in violation OF law, and that
without orders from you;' and yet again,
"pardon me Tor saying that / can but regard
this whole mltter, from beginning to end, as
an attempt to involve me in the resistance OF
law, for which you hcsitatcd to assume the
responsibility, in order thas to destroy my
character before the country. / am in
measure confirmed in tbis conclusion by your
| recent orders directing mo 10 disobcy orders
from the Secretary OF War without having
countermanded his authority" This ends the
correspondence, for The present; but it IL
| given out that the President is preparing
lecture Tor The General on dsrespcctful Ian.
| cuage TO his superior officer, which will con-
vince Grant that lie has superior and that h,
is not 10 be trined with much longer.
Here is a complete rupture. We now see
that, in this Stanton imbroglio, while Mr.
Johnson thought he had General Grant, the
radicals had him oil the time; and we see in
this correspondence, and in the motion Of Mr..
| Wilson, in the House OF Representatives, to
refer il to the Judiciary or Impeachm mt Com
mittee, and in its reference 10 the Committee
on Reconstruction, that it means mischief to
Andrew Johnson. He holds no communication
with Secretary Stanton; he has ordered Gen.
eral Grant to disregard Santon's orders unless
satisfied that they are really by the Presi-
dents authority. But 1t seems that some
direct order from the President to Stanton
is still needed to yitiate any order tho lat
ter may choose to give as by the Presidents
direction. Hence the charge Of General Grant
that Mr.. Johnson, from the beginning to .de end
of this mater, has been guilty Of ian attempt 70
involve me in the resistance OF law" All