New-York tribune., 1868-01-20
CEN GRANT AND THE PRESIDENT

steady cannOnade. The World finds he is no
officer and no gentleman, and correspondent
of The World intmates that the reason Gen.
Grant failed to meet the President on Monday
was because he was drunk or, to copy the
exact words he had yielded to a " conviviai
propensity" In fact, his whole conduct Is
"piece of turptude," and " bis word OF honor
according to the explicit statement OF MI
johnson, was violated" The National Ihtd-
ligencer pursues Grant with articles evidently
inspired by the President charging him WIN
being in the hands of INSCRIPTIONS tricksters'
Here is the specific charge:
"Asit had become understood that the Radical majority
OF the Senate would attempt to restore Mr. Stanton "oh
Grant voluntarily renewed on Saturday last. an arrange
ment with the President the effect that he Gen Grant
would either resign the ofce in sufficient time Tor tho
President TO anticipate the expected action orthe senate
or retain It until the question could be tested JuuoaV
IL agreed that interview that Gen Grant ana "o
should call upon tho President again on Monua!
Geu sherman did present himself, but Gen Grant faIed
10 appear Why absent has not been satisfactorily
explained, though the subsequent revelations thro"
enough light on the subject 30 render explanation uhne
cossary On Monday evening, the scnateyoted 10 sustain
stanton aud an official to that ehectwas served on
both Gon. Grant and stanton similar notice was iei'
at the Executive Mansion late hour but unknown TO
Grant attended that reception. but he made no auson
whatever to heiacon which had taken place. nor to his
failure keep the appointment Of that day IN company
with Gen. Sherman.
The next morning Tuesday), Gen. Grant went, rs
usual to the War Department, and after a short stay
there proceeded TO his regular Headquarters, carrying
with him the KEY OF the Secretary OF Wars office Mr..
Stanton soon presented himself the and the key
was delivered to him Aner these proceeding aud
when transfer had boen efeced-so far as II was com
petent the parties 10 maze oneGen Grant addressed
communication TO the President, rccng the notice re-
ceved from the Senate and stating that his functions as
Secretary OF War I'D Gt'rna had ceased" &c.
The gravamen Of the President may be
thus expressed:
f. That Gen. Grant agreed To remain IN the
War Office or resign It,
O. That he agreed to call upon the President
on Monday, but failed to do %.
g. That he was present in the evening at
reception, but said nothing To the President on
the subject.
A. That he transferred his Office TO Mr.. Stan
ton without consulting the President.
To these charges, Geu. Grant makes no reply.
We are without information a. to any personal
statement Of the causes OF his action, hut let
us anayze the narrative of The Ineiiigencer,
and see what it amounts to:
The President knew as well as any one could
know what the action of the Senate would he.
He knew that the Senate would not concur IN
his reasons for the suspension, and that Mr..
Stanton, according to the express terms OF the
law. would "resume his Office and receive
"again the official salary and emoluments."
He also knew that, if Gen. Grant had exercised
or accepted the Office of Secretary. after the
action of the Senate. or If he had issued any
commission or performed any act. as Secretary,
he would have been guilty of high INSIDE
meanor, and subject to fine not exceeding
$4,000 and Imprisonment not exceeding ten
years, or both. Therefore, in asking or expect
ing zen. Grant to hold the Office until a man
damus of the Supreme Court issued, he sought
to bring him within the punitive province OF
the law. The President knew very well that it
would be no plea TO say that the General was
awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court.
If every law were imperative until the Supreme
Court upheld it, legislation might as well stop.
We do not know why Gen. Grant failed to
keep his appointment with tho President
Probably he was busy. When man Is both
General of the Army and Secretary of War, he has
as much business as he can manage. II was
very wrong for Gen. Grant to break his APP
pointment. But appointments are made ana
broken every day, and, although the practice Is
reprehensible, a gentleman will pause before he
charges tho failure to "periidy' and "turpl-
"tudep Possibly Gen. Grant was drunk, as
The World suggests Well ; that would be an
excuse and, in the eyes of the President, none
we think could be better. He managed to get
sober very quickly, however; for in the evening
we find him at the reception of the President
"He made no alusiOn TO the action of the
Senate As the action of the Senate
did not take place until late in the evening"
we presume he did not hear of it until he re-
turned to his home. The President, according
to our dispatches, was notified at o'clock
What was the duty of the President If he in
tended to mako an issue with Congress! 1t
was easy enough to send an orderly to Grant
with a new order-or to put in Black or Blair,
or to sendfor the key" or, if no had any doubt
as to the course of General Grant, to have sent
| Colonel Moore over and asked him the question.
The night passed, and nothing was done. Did
| the President know what to do On Monday
| evening, we find from q Washington CORES
pOndent, that the President had mot come to
any settled determination on tho subject" and
that he had not "arrived at any satisfactory
conclusion The next day, nothing was done.
| General Grant was at his post. No word from
the President, although amessenger could have
gone over to the War Department in
three minutes. The President certainly
knew of the action OF the Senate, although
we are told that he did not receive the mes
sage until ten o'clock next morning. lie could
have read it in the morning papers. He made
no sign; and General Grant had no other course
! Lu4 A., oboy tba Low Hvhan tho rcatored Spcre.