Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-02-14

I44%- ~ 6@NA1lASLQAY evidence To- me
mat any orders issued from the War
Department BY direction of the Presi-
dent, are authorized BY the Executive.
have the honor to be, very re-
spectfuily, your Obedient servant.
u. 8. GRANT, General.
TIE PRESIDENT 10 GENERAL GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION n
Jan. 81, 1861
GENERAL; Ihave received your COM
munication of the 28th renewing your
request Of the Oath, that i should repeat.
Id EEflsten form, my verbal instructiong
OF the 18th Instant, vizs That Won obew
no order nom the Hon. %. M. Stanton,
as secretary q WAR, unless you have
FlufOrmati0n thatit was issued bv fhe
Presidents direction. in submittinT
this request, with which ii complied o1
the 29th, yOu take occasion to- allude 70
lreGent pua3l licatioms, in reference to cir-
cupastance5 cOnuected with the vaca-
i ton By youFself on the office OF Secretn-
nF ofWaE Gdg fHteri4t, with the view of
Ic8Hhectln8 bhe statements which Won
-tefm nilsrepf nGations and give az
Flength 20 1r own recollection or the facts
under which. without the sanction Of the
President from whom YOU had receive
/ ed and accepted the appointment, YOU
/ yielded The Department OF War to the
/ present Incumbent
/ AS stated In yonr communication,
/ some time after you had assumed du-
ties as Seeretefy Of War al interim, We
[ lnGerchauged views respecting the
| course that should be pursued in event
| Of the nOu~cOncurrcnCe bV the Senate
in the suspension of Mr. stanton,
/ sought that interview, calling myself
at the War Department. Ny sole OBJ
/ jeot in then bringing the subject of your
/ attention was to ascertain what would
/ be your own action should such an at
/ tempt be made for his restoration to the
! War Department. That object was ac-
Ecomplishedi for the interview termina-
I ted with the distinct understanding.
I that if under reflection YOU should pre-
/ fer not to become a party to the con-
/ troversy, or should conclude it to be
| your duty to surrender the Department
TO Mr.. Stanton upon action in his favor
oy the Senate, you were TO return the
omce to me prior to a decision by the
Senate, in order that if I desired to do
So might designate some one to sue
ceed you. il must have been apparent
to you that had not this understanding
Deen reached, 10 was my purpose to re-
lieve you from further discharge OF the
duty as Secretary Of War ud interim
and to appoint some other person In
that capacity.
Other conversations upon the subject
ensuedl ali having, on my part, the
same object, and leading to the same
conclusion as the first. 1t IS not nee
essary, however, to refer TO any Of them.
excepting that Of the 11th inst, mem
toned in your communication. AS it
was then known that the Senate had
proceeded in the case of Mr.. Stanton,
l was anxious to learn your deter
mination. After q protractsd inter-
viewy during which the provisions Of
the Tenure of-Ofice bill were fully
discussed, you said that, as &c had been
agreed upon in our first conference.
WVnmIn either 1snfrnwrr the ~
my possession in time to enable me
to appoint successor before the
final action by the Senate upon Mr..
Stanton's suspension, or would re-
main at its head awaiting decision by
judicial proceedings. il was then uu-
dersbood there would be a further
conference on Monday, by which
time supposed you would be pre-
pared to inform me of your final deciB-
ion. You failed, however, to fill the
engagement, and on Tuesday notified
me in writing Of the receipt of your not
iheatiOn Of the action Of the Senate in
reference to Mr.. Stanton, and at the
same time informed me that according
to the act regulating the tenure Of cer-
tain civil officers, your functions Of Sec
retary Of War al interim ceased from
that moment. AT receipt OF notice. Won
thus, in disregard Of the understanding
between us, vacated the office without
having given notice Of your intention
to do SO.
1t is but just TO say, however, that in
your communication you claim YOU did
inform me of your purpose, and thus
fulfilled the promise made in our last
preceding conversation on the subject.
The fact that such promise existed Isl
evidence Of an arrangement of the Kind
I have mentioned. You had found in
your first conference that the President
was deslrous OF Keeping Mr.. Stanton out
Of Office, whether sustained in the sus-
pension or not. You knew what rea-
sons had induced the President to ask
from you promise. You also knew
that in case your views of duty did not
accord with his conviction, 10 was his
purpose to fill your place by another
appointment. Even ignoring the eL-
lsGeuce Of positive understanding be-
tween US, the conclusions were plainly
deducible from your various converse
tons. It is certain, however, that even
under these circumstances you did not
offer to return the place to my posses
siony but, according 20 your own state
ment, placed yourself in n position
where, could / have anticipated -vour
action, would have been compelled to
ask Of you, as was compelled TO ask
Of your predecessor in the War Depart
ment, letter Of resignation, OF to re-
sort to the more disogreeable expedient
Of suspending you by the appointment
Of a successor.
As stated in your letter, the nouiua-
retary Of War, was suggested to me.
Bis appointment as Mr.. Stanton's sue
eessOr was urged in your name. and 81
was said his selection would save furth-
sr embarrassment. I did not think thar
In the selection Of a Cabinet officer /
should be tFammeled by such consider
atoms. was prepared 20 take the re-
5ponsibility of deciding the question in
with my ideas OF constitu-
onal duties, and having determined
upon a course which deemed right
and proper, was anxious to learn the
steps you would take, should the Do
session. of the War Department be de-
nanded by Mr.. Stanton. Had yOdr ac-
ion been in conformity with the under
standing between us, / do not believe
hat the embarrassment would have at
aimed its present proportions, or that
he probability of It's repetition would
lave been so great. I know that, with a
Fiew to an early termination Of the
state Of affairs so detrimental to the
lublic interests, you voluntarily offer
ID, both on Monday, the 10Th inst, and
n the succeeding Sunday, 20 call upon
4r. Stanton, and urge him that the
God Of the service demanded his rosig-
lation.
I confess ] considered your proposal
IS a sort Of rsparation for tho failure on
our part to act in accordance with an
more than once repeated,
7hich thought received your full aB-
snt, and under which you could have
sturned to me the Office which IT had
upon you, thus saving your
elf from Embarrassment, leaving the
ssponsibility where it properly belong
i-with the President-whoi Is account
bic for the faithful execution OF the
lws. I have not yet been informed by
on whether, as twice proposed by
ourself, you had called upon Mr.. STAN
IN and made an effort to induce him
to resign from the War De-
artment.
You conclude your communication
18th q referencerto our conversation at
be meeting Of the Cabinet held on the
.h inst. In your account Of what there
scured you say that after the Presi-
ent had given his version Of our prev
Jus conversation you stated that sub
-antially as given in your letter, and
nat YOU in nowise admitted the COR
actness of his statement though 90
often the evident contradiction of my