Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-02-12
gNatthman 4 Stair gournaI.
BY E. P. WALTON.
MONTrELIER. FEDRUARY y. Is6s.


MONTPELlER. FEBRUARY ~. 1868
POLfTTClL.
TnE President vs.. GRANT This controversy
may be- compressed into nut she'll The Pres-
dent verbally instructed Grant not TO recognize
Stanton as Secretary of War; Grant (Jan. ny re-
piled that 1.-THE law (thc tenure of office acO was
binding on me (him) constitutional or not until
set aside by the proper tribunan-that is, the
Court. The president processes to understand
this as promise OF Grant to hold on to the Office
Of Secretary Of War until the Court had decided
the question whereas Grant meant that he must
obey the law until the Court had set it aside.
Grant insisted upon written order from the Pres
ident, Jan. "a. and on the 2sh the President gave
it, forbidding him to respect any order from the
War Department (Snnton) unless he (Gnu)
knew it to be authorized by the President. Jan.
3d. Grant replied that until the President had for
hidden Stanton to act, any order from the War
Department would be considered as good unless
couuiermanded by the President Jan. 81, the
President gave his understanding Of the matter,
and Feb. Grant replied. This reply Is straight
forward, firm, but courteous. Grant makes no
controversy about the Presidents construction or
understanding of his position, but plainly tells
what that position was. It is controversy be-
tween an honest man and rogue and honesty
beats. Grant will obey his superiors, but he will
not disobcy the orders Of the Secretary Of War
without orders from the President The President
must take the responsibility. We quote the clos
ing paragraph Of Grants letter Of Feb, 3
" The course you have understood | agreed to
pursue was in violation Of law, and that without
orders from YOU while the course did pursue, and
which never doubted YOU fully understood was
in accordance with law and not in dsobedence TO
any orders Of my superior; and now, Mr.. Pres-
dent, when my honor as a soldier and integrity as
a man have been SO violently assaulted, pardon me
for saying that can but regard this whole natter
from beginning % end. au attempt 20 involve
me ia the resistance Of law for which YOU hesitate
to assume the responsibility, ia order thus 90 de-
stroy my character before the country am in a
measure confirmed IN this conclusion by your re-
cent orders directing me to disobey orders from
the Secretary of War, my superior and your sub
ordinate, without having couutermanded his au-
thority ] am 90 disobey with the assurance. bIr.
President, that nothing less than a vudicaiion OF
my personal honor and character could have in
duccd this cores ondence on my part
have the honor TO be- very respectfully,
Your ohedieut servant
L. S GRANT General"
ALABAMA ELECTION The telegraph gives con-
Trajectory dispatches, apparently, aud yet both
may be true Nearly all the votes cast are for the
Constitution and the Republican Congressman,
and yet 10 is more than probable that majority Of
the registered voters have neglected or refused to
vote, and that the election will fail Through the
combined difficulties of floods preventing travel.
olnegect of registrars to open boxes at conycn-
lent places, and of The threats of Democrats TO turn
their men out of employment if they vote, gem
tleman al Mobile telegraphed on the 9Th that so
600 Republican, would be kept from the polls Al
the same time tle registered Democrats refuse TO
vote. hus reconstructon may fail. II so, we'll.
very we'll. We say-Let the Southern Democrats
thus take the responsibility of keeping their States
out Of the Union and out Of Congress; let Con-
gress aud the north see the fact and then let them
stay out-stay under military goyernment-uu until
they come to their senses The rebellion was kept
up to see the Presidential election Of 1864, and
now the rebs. are waiting for 1868. Let them
wait, aud le, them have Grant for President lie
knows now to deal with persistent rebels
A Washington dispatch says some one asked
Thad. Stevens "Wednesday afternoon what be-
thought of Gen. Grant now. His reply was, " lie
is holder man than thought him; we will let
him into the church now
The Baltimore american learns thar orders bave
been received at the Baltimore Custom House.
direct from Washington requiring all the emplo, b.
ees TO subscribe money TO be used to promote
Democratic success in the elections shortly to take
place in New Hampshire. The amount to be lev
led upon each officer is specified, and failure to
pay will no doubt entail dismissal.
The Columbus COhio) State Journal intimates
that George H. Pendleton invested $1,000 in the
Eighth District to defeat Bea ty and elect Barney
Barns, and lost his money
Tie rumor of intended impeachment of the
President based on the correspondence with
Grant lacks authority.
The Supreme Court has decided that it has no
jurisdiction over the political relations between the
General Government and the States. Right; aud
this decision doubtless removes all apprehended
difficulties between Congress and the Court.
Democrats can sustain such leader as Geo. II.
Pendleton who is a stakeholder in one Of the Gin
cinnati National Banks has refused to pay the
State tax levied upon his stock, and now owes the
State of Ohio $1,000 Of said tax.
The New Orleans Crescent, Democratic paper
and bitterly hostile to Reconstruction, estimates
that only about two thousand will be disfranchised
in Louisiana by the provision of the Constitution
adopted by the State Convention.
letter written by the late Gov Andrew three
days before his death closes as follows.
The tendency Of the hour is toward Grant.
And that is best. 1t is not the ideal good II is
bad for the country that he must leave his present
POSTPAID for him, the soldier, TO try and to en-
dure the hard fate which awaits him. in civil life.
But 1t is the apparently best practical good the
country can have. And Grant is SO square and
honest a man that believe he is bound to be right
a., Q Ia i'm,