The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-12
THE CREsOENT's DISPATCHES
FROM WASHINGTON.


1 Sustained by Cabinet Omcers Another
Letter from 8rant-ProceediBgs OF Con-
| gress-ExeeHfiveA A , pol time Bts-Subsidenc ce
Of the Impeachment Fever-Defeat Of the
Alabama Constitution Accepted-The Re-
| construction ca Csmmittee-BusIer Enjoying
| the JOhnsOn-0rnnt CorTesPOndenee-The
| JudiciOus Grieved.
| WASHINGTON, Feb. ll.-Judge Black fled yes
terday the case of State of Georgia VS.. Grant,
| Meade, Ruger ct ais. Black endeayors to avoid
| the grounds which led TO the dismissal of the
| former case.
| The ex parte McCardle case still held by the
/ court; the majority Of the bar incline to the
/ opinion that it will also be dismissed.
| The presidents last letter TO Grant opens as
| follows:
The extraordinary character of your letter of
| the Sd would seem to preclude reply, but the
manner In which publicity has been given to the
| correspondence, whereof that letter formed
part, and the grave questions involved, induce
this mode Of giving the proper sequel to the com.
Statements Of i've members Of the cabinet who
we're present during the conversation on the l4th
and copies Of their letters 10 me, are nclosed.
After quoting from Grants letter the president
says:
Whenever a controversy upon matters of fact
reaches the point to which this has been brought
| further assertion or denial between the immediate
parties should cease, especially where on either
aide it loses the character of respectful discussion
| which is required By the relations In which the
| parties stand TO each other"
After quoting again from Grants letter, the
president says:
" The point is that before you changed your
| views you had secretly determined to do the
very thing which you at last did-surrender
the Office 10 hr. Stanton. You may have changed
your views as TO the law, but you certainly did
not change your views ss to the course you had
marked out for yourself from the beginning "
1ne president argues at some length the legality
Of bis order TO Grant to disregard Stanton's or
| deTs, making the point that Grant will not obey
his direct ORDERS but will obey his indirect orders
| The president concludes: Without further com
| mtnt upon the insuDordinate attitude which you
| have assumed, / am at a loss to know how you
can relieve yourself from obedience to the orders
| Of the president, who is made by the Constitu.
| tiOn the commsnder-in-ch chief of the army and
navy, and is therefore, the official superior as
well Of the general Of the army, as of the secre-
| tary of war.
The following is the presidents letter to the
| secretaries present at the l4th Of January con-
versation:
This mornings Chronicle contains the cor.
respOndence between the president and Grant,
reported from the war department in answer to q
call from the House. He then calls attention
especially to that part of the correspondence re-
laling to the conversation between Grant aud the
president, and requests statement of what was
said on that occasion.
In reply Secretary Wells says:
The recollection Of the conversation cor
of The 3lst Of January. The three points speci.
fed in that letter, giving your recollection Of the
conversation are correctly stated.
Secretary McCuoch says: / cannot undertake
to state the precise language used, but have no
hesitation in saying that your account of that
conversation as given in yonr letter TO General
Grant, Of the 3lst, substantially, and in all i'm
portant particulars, accOrds with my recollection
of it.
Postmaster General Randall says: have read
carefully the correspondence in question: and par
ticuarly the letter Of the president to Gen. Grant,
of the Slst. The following extract of that letter
IL IaWarr 20
ment of the conversation that took place between
the president and Gen. Grant at the cabinet meet.
ing on the l4th Of January.
Randall then quotes the presidents version of
the conversation, as published.
Secretary Stewards letter is quite long, giving
detailed account of bis impressions OF what
occurred. Quoting the substance of what the
president said in his letter OF the 3lst, Seward
says: 81 did not understand Grant as denying,
nor as explicitly admitting these statements the
form and full extent to which you made them..
his odmission Of them was rather indirect and
circumsantial, though dl1 not understand it to |
be evasive one.n After further details, Seward
continues: Certainly Gen. Grant did not at any |
time in the cabinet meeting, insist that he had in
finally, advised you Of his determination |
TO retire from the charge Of the war |
department otherwise than under your own sub. |
sequent direction. He scquiesced in your state |
ment that the Saturdays conversation ended |
with an expectation that there would be a subse-
quent conference on the subject, which he, as |
well as yourself, supposed could reasonably take |
place Monday. Gen. Grant admitted that it |
his expectation or purpose To call on you on Mon
day, and assigned reasons for the OMISSION
Stewards letter caused shouts of laughter, and |
alternate deTisiOn and incredulity from the Re- |
publicans. as his cautious narrative proceeded.
Secretary Browning letter is also quite long, /
and is mainly repetition of the others.
Grant has already written reply, opening as
follows:
al have the honor to acknowledge the receipt |
Of r.ffat nsNff fla1
panied by statements of five cabinet officers of |
their recollection of what occurred in the cabinet
meeting on the l4th Of January. Without admit
ting anything containedin these statements, where
they differ from anything heretofore stated by me-
propose to notice only that portion of your com.
munication wherein l am charged with insubor-
dnatiOn.n
Grant then proceeds to argue the point at some
length.
Grants last letter to the president closes by
dsclaiming sny intention on his part, now or
heretofore, to dso6ey any legal order of the pre-
sident.
Guthrie has resigned the Kentucky senatorship
on account Of sickness. The legislature will elect
his successor on the 18th.
The senate has rejected VIM. D. Bishop, for
commissioner Of patents, John NJ. johnson,
federal marshal Of Virginia, and Leslie Combs,
marshal OF Kentucky.
The president has nominated Henry F. Heriot
collector OF customs Georgetown, S. G.
The judiciary committee stands four 10 three
proceedings.
The Senate committee will report favorably
upon the bill forbidding deposits in national
banks in cities where assistant treasuTers have
Offices
1t rumored that the secretary Of the treasury
intends selling fifteen or twenty millions of gold
this month
The impeachment fever ia subsiding somewhat.
The defeat Of the Alabama Constitution causes
much bitterness, and the delay in the Senate in
passing the supplemental bill IS denounced By ex-
iremists in harsh terms. Ii is confidently asserted
that the extremists will admit members elected at
the recent election ahd recognize the State re-
stored under the defeated Constitution.
The congressional majority sadly perplexed
and the widest propositions are seriously dis
eussed.
The recon truction committee has postponed
further meetings 70 Thursday, greatly, it is said,
to Stevens's disgust, who isvoTs immediate i'm
peachment.
During the reading Of the presidents letter.
Butler stationed himself directly in front of the
ceFk, and seemed to enjoy it very much. Butler
don't like Grant.
Il is far to say that majority of the House and