Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-01-23

again on Monday, and excused himself in a
stammerIng way by saying that he had bren
engaged with Gen. Sherman and sother little
matters" that day, and thus prevented from
keeping the engagement He told the Pr,si-
d. nt that he was afraid OF the provisions of the
civil tenure of Office bill. and tsat he did not
wish TO encounter line and imprisonment by
opposing Stanton's reinstatement The Priest
dent reminded Gen. Grant that he had said
that he (the President) would bear all the pen
aities and responsibility that might be- con-
nected with opposing Stanton's reinstatement
under the civil tenure bill: that II there
should be any fine imprisonment resulting
from carrying ont his (the PTesident's) views
IN the matter, he (the Presidentl would suffer
them himself, and thus relieve Grant from any
danger whatever. Ii was also pointed out TO
Gen. Grant that on the Monday before Stan
tons reinstatement he (Grant) could not hav
been engaged with General Sherman, As the
latter had called on the President that day.
while Grant had not done so. To this
Grant made no reply. He was also reminded
that ne was present al the Presidents recep-
uon on Monday evening, when he said moth
ing whatever TO the President about has change
of views, but greeted President johnson in the
usual way.
On Friday, January n. another Cabinet
meeting was held, and after the regular delib-
erauons, a long editorial published in the No
tioHdi lnteuigenoer of the 18th, giving account
OF the under landing between the President
and Grant, and corroboratng the PRESIDENTS
version of the affair, was read I'm the presence
OF Secretary McCulloch, SECRETARY Browning
Secretary Welles, Postmaster General Ran
dali, and Mr.. johnson. Each of these Cabinet
officers stated then and there that the statement
of the case as presented in that article was cor
rect but that IL did not go far enough, nor rep
resent the matter in as bad shape as the truth
would justify. Secretary Browning remarked
that he had kept pretty full record of the pro-
ceedings OF the Cabinet meeting Of TUESDAY,
and OF Grants admissions at that time, and
that the fnteUsGeRoer article stated the truth
when II said that q rant had promised either TO
resign and give back possession of the War
ONCE 10 the President in time to place the lat
ter in the same position when he appointed
Grant Secretary nd interira, or to compel
stanton 10 resort 10 legal proceedings TO
obtain possession under the Civil Tenure
bill. Secretary McCulloch remarked that
he was surprised that q rant acted i'm such bad
faith. Postmaster General Randall declared that
the course of the General astonished him; that
he did not expect 10 find him out 20 much ..the
sneak" and the deceiver. Secretary Welles
declared that il appeared TO him the true reason
why Grant had promised 10 call on Monday,
the 18th, was because he (Grant) supposed that
the Senate would pass the reinstating resolu-
non on saturday, and that thus the whole
question would have been decided before the
interview appointed for Monday could take
place. BY that time Grant would have turned
over the ar Office 10 Stanton. and the PresI-
dent could not get possession except by resort
10 legal proceedings. The fact that the yote on
the subject did not occur until Monday spoled
this scheme, and hence Grant did not call upon
".
Of conversation that occurred between four
members of the Cabinet and the President after
the regular meenng on Friday.
The day after Stanton's reinstatement Grant
ana sherman called upon the President: when
Grant showed that ne felt rather sore over the
unexpected result of his supposed conspiracy
with Stanton. In the presence of Sherman eek
pressed his intention OF waiting upon Mr. Stan
ton. to urge him TO resign. Sherman remarked
that ne would accompany Grant, but wished to
De understood as not intending 10 urge Stanton
to resign on any legal grounds, but on the prin-
clple that no man of honor ought 10 be a MEM
Der OF Cabinet, with whose head he was not
on even ordinary terms of friendliness L am
not quite sure but that, at this interview with
the President, Grant expressed quite uncom-
plmentary opinions of Mr.. Stanton's course in
not resignlng, and pointed out TO the President
how the business of the War Department might
sun De carried on without officially recogniz-
ing Stanton. He explained thai orders might
DE Issued through the General in Chief and
other military officers, without reference To
stanton AT all. The military pair then left th.
President, with the understanding that they
would proceed TO Stanton's house. and reouest
hlm TO resign Subsequently. Sherman sent a
letter TO the President. i'm which he stated
tnat, at the time he made the appointment
to see Stanton, he had forgotten an
agreement TO visit Admiral Porter al
Annapolis, and that Grant also had an en-
gagement 10 60 to Richmond: but that h.
lSherman) and Grant had concluded TO visit
Stanton and request him for his own honor and
.'the good OF the country" TO resign the Secre-
faryship of War. .
i am informed in a way that leaves no doubt
OF the fact that Sherman and Grant did subse-
quPntly see Mr.. Stanton, and actually request
him to resign. What Mr.. Stanton said TO them
have not yet been able to learn
DO not profess to give the above statement
as inspired by the President or General
Sherman but assert that il is derived from un
questionably reliable sources.
AS TO the statement Of the Times that the
President repudiated the Inteuigencer account
OF the rumpus with Grant, 1 am informed that
the PLAIN truth is this: Sherman and Grant
called the Presidents attention to the article.
and remarked that il tended To represent Grant
In an unfavorable light. The President in reply
simply said to them that he had not read the
Intelii0encer article, and therefore did not know
what II contained al all. This was all he said
on the subject.