The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-02-13


of accepting my view of the rc.
qnirements of the Tenure of.offfce
bill, contended he had suspended
Mr.. Stanton under authority given
by the Constitution, and that the
same authority did not preclude
him from reporting, as an act oi
courtesy, his reasons for the sus
pension to the Senate; that having
been appointed under authority
given by the Constitution, and not
under the act Of Congress, ! could
not be governed by the act.
II stated that that law was bind
ing on me, constitutional or not
until set aside by the proper tri.
bunnl.
can hour was consumed, each
reiteratipg his views on this sub.
iect, until, getting late, the Presi-
dent said he would see me again.
l did not agree 10 call again on
Monday nor at any other definite
time, nor was l sent for by the
President until the following Tues
day.
From the 11th inst, a doubt
never entered my mind about the
President fully understanding my
position, namely, that if the Senate
refused to concur in the suspension
of Mr.. Stanton my powers as Sec
retary Of War ad interim would
cease, and Mr.. Stanton's right to
resume at once the functions of his
Office would, under the law, be in
disputable; and acted according.
ly.
with Mr.. Stanton l had no
communication direct or indirect.
on the subject ofhis reinstatement,
during his suspension. l knew
that it had been recommended to
the President to send in the name
of General Cox, of Ohio, for Secre.
tary of War, and thus save all EN-.
barrassment-a proposition that
sincerely hoped he would enter
tain favorably, General Sherman
seoing the President at my partic.
ular request to urge this, on the
18th.
"On Tuesday, Mr.. Stanton re-.
entered the Office of Secretary Of
War. General Comstock, who had
carried my official letter announc-
ing that, by Mr.. Stanton's rein.
statement by the Senate, had
ceased TO bc Secretary of War ad
interim, and who saw the President
open and read the communication,
brought back to me, from the
President, Il message that'he want
cd to see me that day at the Cabi.
net meeting, after | had made
known the fact that l was no long.
er Secretary of War ad interim. At
this meeting, after opening it as
though were u member of his
Cabinet, when reminded of the no.
tifcation already given him that l
was no longer Secretary of War ad
interim, tho President gave a ver-
sion Of tho conversation alluded to
already. In this statement it was
asserted that in both conversations,
l had agreed to hold on 10 the Of
fee of Secretary Of War until dis.
placed by the Courts or resign, so
as to place the President where he
would have been had / never ac.
cepted the Office. After hearing
the President through, ! stated our
conversation substantially as given
in this letter. l will add, that my
conversation before tho Cabinet
embraced other matter net peril
nent here, and is, therefore, left
out. | in no wise admitted the
correctness Of the Presidents state
ment of our conversation. though
to soften the evident con-
tradiction of my statement,
| said, alluding to our first
conversation on the subject, that
the President might have under
stood me the way he said, namely
that | had promised to resign if |
did not resist the reinstatement. |
made no such statement. / have
the honor to be, very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
~. S. GRANT, General"
ANOTHER REQUEST FOR ORDERS IN
WRITING.
"HEADohs ARMY OF THE U. s., !
WASHINGTON, January, "a, 1868.
"To His Excellency Andrew John.
son, President of the United
States:
"SR-I have the honor, very
respectfully, to request to have, in
writing, tho order which the Presi-
dent gave me, verbally, on Sun.
day, the 10Th instant, to disregard
the orders of the Hon. L. NJ. Stan.
ton, as Secretary of War, until |
knew from the President himself
that they were his orders | have
the honor to be, very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
~. S. GRANT, General"
THE PRESIDENTS ENDORSEMENT.
The following is the Endorsement
on the above note:
"As requested in this communi-
cation, General Grant is instructed
in writing not to obey any order
from the War Department, assum-
ed to be issued by the dictation of
the President, unless such order is
known by the General command
ing the armies ofthe United States
to have been authorized by the Ex.
ecutive. ANDREW JOHNSON" "
January 20, 1868.
LETTER NO. 3.
"HEADoUARrERs U. S. Army, |