The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-02-19

a view Of correcting the statement which
you term gross Misrepresentation, ard to
give at length ycur'own recollection of the
facts under which without the sanction Of
the President, from whom you had received
and accepted the appointment, you yielded
the Department of War to the present in
cumbent, as stated in your communica-
ton.
Some time after you had assumed the
duties Of Secretary Of War ad interim,
We interchanged views respecting the
course that should be pursued in the event
Of the non-concurrence blythe Senate in
the suspension of Mr. Stanton, sought
thatsipteryiew, calling myself, at the War
Department. My sole object in then bring
ing the subject to your attention was to
ascertain what would be your own action
should such an attempt be made for his
restoration to the War Department. That
object was accomplished, for the interview
terminated with the distinct understand
ingthatif, under reflection, your should pre-
fer not to become a party to the contro-
versy, or should conclude it would be your
duty to surrender the Department to Mr.
Stanton, upon action in his favor by the
Senate, you were TO return the Office to me
prior to decision by the Senate, lin order
that i'll desired to do so I might designate
some one to succeed you. II must have
been apparent to you that had not this an
Outstanding been reached, it was my pur-
pose to relieve you from further discharge
Of duties as Secretary of War ad Interim,
and to appoint some other person in that
capacity 2.'si f,. ~ '5' FL
Other conversations upon the subject
ensued, all having, on my part, the same
object and leading to the same conclusion
as the first. It is not necessary, however,
to refer to any of them, excepting that Of
the It'll. instant, mentioned in your com
munication, as it was then known that the
Senate had proceeded in the case of Mr..
Stanton, l was anxious to learn your deter
mination. N '15'@ is2iA''lA' ''' sc
After protracted interview during
which the provisions Of the Tenure-of-of6ce
bill were fully discussed, you said that, as
it had been agreed upon Ia our first con-
ference, you would either return the Office
to my possession in time to enable me to
appoint successor before final action by
the Senate upon Mr.. Stanton's suspension
or would remain at it's head, awaiting d
decision by judicial proceedings, z pi7l7'
. It was then understood THAT here would
be further conference on Monday, by
which time / supposed you would be pre-
pared to inform me of your fnai decision.
You failed, however, to fulfill the engage
ment, and oh Tuesday notified me in writing
Of the receipt of your official notification Of
the action of the Senate in reference to
MIR. Stanton, and at the same time inform
ed me that, according to The act regulating
the tenure ofcertain civil offices, your func-
tions Of Secretary Of War ad interim,
ceased from the moment of receipt of the
notice. You thus, in disregard OF the un-
Outstanding between US, vacated the Office
without having given notice Of your intent
to do so.
It is bnt inst to say, however, that il
your communication you claim you did in.
form me of your purpose, and thus fulfilled
the promise made in our last preceding
conversation on the subject. The fact that
such promise existed, is evidence of an
arrangement of the kind. have mention.
ed that you had found in our first confer.
ence that the President was DESTROYS 81
keeping Mr.. Stanton out Of Office, whether
sustained in the suspension or not.
You knew what reasons had induced the
President to ask from you promise. You
also knew that in case your views Of duty
did not accord with my own convictions it
was his purpose to fill your place by
another appointment, even ignoring the
existence Of a positive understanding be.
tween US. The conclusions were plainly
deducible from our various conversations
It is certain, however, that even under
these circumstances You did not offer to
return the place to my possession, but, &C
cordiug to your own statement, placed
yourself in a position where, could have
anticipated your action i would have been
compelled to ask of you as was compelled
to ask ofyour predecessor in the War De
partment letter of resignation, or resort
to the more disagreeable expedient ofsus
pending you, by the appointment of sue
cessor. 8a
AS stated in your letter, the nomination
of Governor Cox, of Ohio, for Secretary o.
War, was suggested to me. This appoint
ment as Mr.. Stanton's successor was urged
in your name, and it was said his selection
would save further embarrassment. / did
not think then that in the selection Of q
Cabinet officer should be trammeled by
such considerations. / was prepared to
take the responsibility Of deciding the
question 10 accordance with my ideas Of
constitutional duties, and having determin
ed on a course which ] deemed right and
proper, was anxious to learn the steps you
would take should the possession of the
War Department be demanded by Mr.
Stanton.
Had your action been in conformity with
the understanding between us. lido moi
believe that the embarrassment would have
attained its present proportions. or that the
probability of its repetition would have
been so great. know that with view to
any early termination of this state ofaffairs
so detrimental to the public interests, you
voluntarily offered, both on Monday, the
25th inst, and on the succeeding Sunday
to call upon Mr.. Stanton, and urge upor
him that the good Of the service required
his resignation. -
/ confess consider your proposals as
sort of PREPARATION for the failure on YOU
part to act in accordance with an under
standing more than once repeated, which
| thought had received your full assent
aud under which you could have returned
to me the Office which had conferred
upon you, thus saving yourself from EN-
barrassments, leaving the responsibility,
where it properly belonged-with the Presi
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