The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-02-13
sborougb hland Count, Onto, rhusda February Ise

. y
self, you had called upon Mr.. Stanton
and made an effort to induce him, vol
UNFAIRLY, to resign from the War De
! partment.
"YOu conclude your communica-
tiOn with a reference to our cOnversa-
ton at the meeting of the Cabinet
held on the / 4th5 inst. In your ae-
count Of what there occurred, YOU say
that after the President had given his
version Of our previous conversation,
you stated that substantially as given
in your letter, and that you in no wise
admitted the correctness of his state
ment, though 'tO soften the evident
contradiction my statement made, I
said, alluding to our first communion
tiOn on the subject, the President
might have understood in the way he
said, viz: that I had pr, missed TO re-
sign if I did not resist re nstatement.
I made no such PROMISE
"My recollection Of what then trans
pired is diametrically the reverse of
your narration. in the presence of
the Cabinet I asked you first, if, in q
conversation which took place shortly
after your appointment as Secretary of
War ad interim, you did nOtagree to re-
main at the head of the War Depart
ment, and abide any judicial proceed
ings that might follow the nOn-cOn-
currence Of the Senate in Mr.. Stan
tons suspension, or should you not
wish to become involved in such CON
trOversy to put me in the same posi-
tiOn with reference to the office as
previous to your appointment, by re-
turning it to me in time to anticipate
such action by the Senate. This you
admitted. isla .HF -."'-'-
"SecOnd-I then asked you if, at
the time of the conference on the pre-
ceding Saturday, I had. not, to avoid
misunderstanding, requested you to
state what you intended to do; and
further, if, in reply to that inquiry
you had not referred to- my former
conversations, saying that fIUm them
understood your position, and that
your action would be consistent with
the understanding which had been
reached. To these questions you also
replied in the affirmative. g - 1-rs-
"Third-I then asked if at, the con-
elusion of our interview on Saturday,
it was understood that we were to have
another conference on Monday, before
final action by the Senate in the case
of Mr.. Stanton. You replied that
such was the understanding, but that
you Gid not suppose the Senate would
act so soon ; that on Monday you had
been engaged in a conference with
General Sherman, and were occupied
with many little matters, and asked
Iif General Sherman had not called on
that day. What relevancy General
Sherman's visit to me on Monday had
with the purpose for which you were
to have called, L am at p loss to per
ceive, as he certainly did not inform
ME whether you had determined to
retain the Office, or to afford mean op-
pOrtunity to appoint a successor in ad-
vance Of any attempted reinstatement
of Mr.. Stanton.
This account Of what passed be
tween US at the Cabinet meeting on
the l4th inst. widely differs from thai
contained in your communication, fol
it shows that instead of having stated
our. conversation as given in the letter
which has made this reply necessary.
you admitted that my recital Of them
was entirely accurate. Sincerely anx
ious, however, to be correct in my
statements, l have to-day read this
narrative of what occurred on the 14tf
inst. to the members Of the Ca6ine
who were then present. They, with
out exception, agree in its accuracy.
''Jt is only necessary to add, that or
/ Wednesday morning, the 18th, yOl
called on me in company with Lieut.
| Gen. Sherman. After some prtlimi
nary conversation, you remarked tina
an article in the National Intelligen
Ger of that date didyOU much injustice
l replied that had not read the In
telIigencer of that morning. You first
told me it was your intention to urge
Mr.. Stanton to resign his Office. Aftel
you had withdrawn, carefully reaC
the article of which you spoke, ano
found it's statement of the understand
ing between us was substantially cor
rect. On the 18th, I caused it to bt
: read to four or five mCmbers Of tht
Cabinet who were present at oul
conference on the 18th, and tEey con
Cured in the general accuracy Of tn
statements respecting the converse
ton on that occasion.
"In reply to your communication
I have deemed it proper, to prevent
further misunderstanding, to make
this simple recital Of facts. Very re
spccdully, yours,
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Gen. U. S. GRANT, commanding.
GRANT TO THE PRESIDENT.
"HEADQRs. U. S. ARMY, J
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, '68. (
= "His Excellency, Andrew Johnson
President ofthe United States:
"StR-I have the honor to acknowl
edge the receipt of your cOmmunica
ton of the 31st ult. After a careful
reading and comparison of the article
in the National Intelligencer, Of thr
18th ult., with the article over thr
initials j. B. S., in the New YOTl
, World. of the 9th ult., purpOrting t,
? be based upon your statement, ant
that of the members Of the Cabine
2 therein named, I find it only to be
l reiteration, somewhat in detail, of tn
, many and gross misrepresentation
l contained in these articles, and whic
D nv statement of facts, set forth il M
y letter of the 9th ult. was intended t,
h correct,and herein 1 re-assert tho cor
=, rectness Of my statements in that lei
e ter, anything in your reply to the cor
e trarv Notwithstanding.
III confess my surprise that til
J. Cabinet officers referred to should s
e greatly misapprehend the facts in tn
/ matter of admissions alleged to hav
e been made by me at the Cabin'
p meeting on the 18th Ult., as TO sutt'
,r their names to be made the basis
le the charges in the newspaper articl,
m referred to, or agree to the aceurac,
J. as YOU affirm they do, Of your accoul
l. of what occurred at the meeting.