The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-02-04
Washington Correspondence of the N. Y. World.
Official Report of the Johnson Grant Affair


Washington Correspondence of the n. Y. World.
Official Report of the Johnson-Gran Affair
Statements Of tie President and Cabinet Office,
as to the Conduct and Promises of Gen. Grant.
The question of veracity that has been raise,
between President johnson and Gen. Grant il
certain journals compels your correspondent t
make known the following facts, which confirm
| his original statement to the World, and whicl
not only the President himself, but four of tn,
most prominent members of his Cabinet, viii posi-
| lively vouch for:
Just after the formal meeting of the Cabine
on January II, the article from the National In
| telligencero of the 18th was read in presence O
the President and the aforementioned members
OF the Cabinet. The statements made in that
article which were substantially those telegraphed
after an interview with Mr. johnson by the cor
respondent Of the World, were agreed to by the
President and all the Secretaries present; but
the objection was made that they fell short OF
what actually occurred during the meeting of
the Cabinet on Tuesday the 18th instant. The
first Secretary or member of the Cabinet present
at the meeting on January 17th referred to, OBJ
served that General Grant acknowledged that
he (Gen. Grant, had promised either to retain
the Office or to tender his resignation in time to
enable the President to appoint successor. He
Gen. Grant) said his opinion at the time was,
that the ms must stay in until the outs could
get in by due course of law"
[ make full record of what occurred here
on tuesday,
The second Secretary said: s'The Secretary's
record, then, agrees with this newspaper state
ment excepting that it is more full''
Whereupon the first Secretary said: eyes it
gives much more detailed account of what oc-
Cured here. Speaking of his withdrawal from
the War Department, Grant said that he bolted
one door OF the Secretarys office on the inside,
locked the other, and delivered the KEY to the
Adjutant General He did not profess to know
what TRANSFERRED afterwards
The second Secretary added at is not at all
surprising that he (Grant) did not reeollect.
He was evidently too much confused to remem-
Der much" .s .-.~ ~
Then the third Secretary remarked: "He
(Grant) said that the discussion in the papers
had caused him to look over the law, and he had
found trouble in the second and first sections.
lie (Grant) remarked that he did not wish to
be subjected to imprisonment and fine; when the
President replied: why, told you, General,
hat would take all the imprisonment and nav
Ill the fines that might be imposed upon you"
The first Secretary continued: "He (meaning
drant) admitted all, and made stammering ex-
'use that had in it no intelligibility. He admit
ed that when the interview Terminated Saturday
lie was to have seen the President on Monday
lpon the subject"
The second Secretary now observed: "He |
Grant, admitted that if he changed his views
ne President was to be notified in season to en- /
bile the President to put the Office in the same |
III
Secretary od Interim"
The President said to General Grant: i ex-
ected to see you Monday. Why did you not
all" Grant replied that he was too much oc-
upled by General Sherman and by many little
The second Secretary amended as follows: II
hink he was engaged in the preparations neces-
airy to an abdication of the War Office"
'Ihe fourth member of the Cabinet present
ecared: "And the fact was developed that Gen.
herman was here on Monday"
The President now pertinently said: "On Sat
rday, when he Grant referred to the tenure
f-offce act, [ told him that would take all the
nprlsonment and pay all the fine that might be
imposed upon him under its provisions When
arose to leave the room repeated the remark
II wanted to know whether or not he intended
hold ON to the Office, designing to relieve him
1t was his purpose to yield it."
The fourth member of the Cabinet went on to
" to the President: ''On Tuesday you told him
lat was the object of your conversation with
i'm On Saturday"
The second Secretary spoke: "He (referring
Grant) did what expected he would do
The fourth Cabinet member continued after
lie Secretary: u did not suppose a man occupy
g his position would so prevaricate''
Your correspondent deems it best to omit the
ronger terms employed by the speaker to denote
IS evident disgust at what he conceived to be
e bad faith of Grant,
The third Secretary said: "My idea is that he
opposed that the Senate would act on Saturday.
ID he intended to carry over the President un-
Monday. The Senate not having acted then.
did not come to see the President on Monday.
vt wishing to see him until the whole thing had
en consummated"
The President finished the conversation as
lows: Il desired to know what he (Gen. Grant,
'uld do, and did not think that he could have
misunderstood the agreement"
Your correspondent having communicated not
erely in substance, but literally, the dialogue !
on tins subject which took place at the White
ouse on Friday last between the Chief Exeeu-
e and his Cabinet advisers, has merely to OBJ
we, IN conclusion, that the signatures of all who
ldered the testimony would doubtless be affixed
it if it should be officially denied