The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1868-02-14

uNNlolNN Wy NuN DfnNNt, ll OIueI AnhNs " I
desired 10 no SO, I might designate some
one 20 succeed you. Il must have been
apparent 10 you that, had not this under,
been reached. it was my purpose
% relieve vor from further discharge of
the duties an Secretary Of War at iaterjm,
aud to appoint sonIe other person in that
capacity. Other conversations upon the
subject ensued, all haying, on my part, the
same object, aud leading to the same con.
o'usion as the FIRST 1t is not necessary,
however, to refer to Nny Of them, except
ing 10 that Of tho llth instant, mentioned
in your last communication. -..
Asit was then known that the Senate
had proceeded in the case of Mr.. Stanton,
| was an xious to learn your determination.
After a protraoted interview, during which
the provisions Of ihe Tenure of Office bill
we've fully discussed, you said that as it
had been agreed upon IN our first confer.
ence, you would either return tho Office 20
my possession, in time 90 enable me 10 ap.
point a successor before 6nal action by the
Senate upon Mr.. Stantous case, or would
remain at it's head awaiting a decision by
judicial proceedings. II was then under.
stood that there would be a further con
FERENCE on Monday, by which time sup.
posed, you would be prepared 70 inform
me OF your final decision. You failed
however, to fulfil the engagement and, on
Tuesday, notified me in writing of tho re-
ceipt of your official notification of the
action of the Senate in reference TO Mr.
Stanton and at the same time informed me
that, according 70 the act regulating the
tenure OF certain civil offices, your func
tions Of Secretary of War ud iRteiim
ceased from the moment of receipt OF the
notice. You thus, in disregard of the un.
derstanding between us, vacated tho Office
without having given mo notice of your
intent to do so. 5 i..' 3. ...-
ltis 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 con.
versation on the subject. The fact that
such apromiSe existed is evidence of All
arrang inent of ihe KIND have mentioned,
You bad found, in Our first conference, that
the President was desirous of keeping Mr,
Stanton out of tue Office. whether sustained
in the suspension or not You know what
reason hsd Induced the President to ask
from yoi q promise. You also knew that,
in case your views Of duty did not accord
with his own cou ticliOns, it was his pur.
,ppse to ill your place by another appoint,
ment.
Even ignoring the existence Of positive
understanding between us, the cCrclu.
sions wero plainly doduciLle from our
various conversations. Ii is certain, how,
ever. that even under these circumstances
you did not offer to return the place to my
possession, but, according TO your own
statement, placed yourself in q position
where, could have anticipated your action,
| would have been compelled to ask OF
YOU, as | was compelled TO ask Of your
predecessor in the War Department, a
letter OF resignation, or TO resort TO the
more disagreeable expedieut of suspending
you by the appointment of successor.
As stated in your letter, the nomination
OF Governor Cox, of Ohio, for Secretary OF
War, was suggested TO me. This appoint
ment, as Mr.. Stantons successor, was
urged in Your name and it was said that
His selection would save urther embarrass.
ment. | did not think tha', in the selec
ton of Cabinet officer, should be tram.
melled by such considerations. was pre-.
pared to take the responsibility OF deciding
the question in accordance with my ideas
uf my Constitutional duties, and, having
determined upon n course Which deemed
right and proper, was anxious to learn the
steps you would take, should the posses
sion OF the War Department be demauded
by Mr. Stanton. Had yuhr action been il
conformity with the understanding betweer
us, do not bolieve that the eptjnrrassmen
would have attained its present proportion
or that the. probability OF its repetition
wonld have been SO great. ..,
. ID know that with & 1lew to an early ter
minaiion of a state Of affairs SO detrimental,
TO the public interests, you voluntarily of
fered, both on Monday. the 18th instant
and on the succeeding Sunday, to call upor
Mr.. Stanton and urge upon him that th,
good OF the service required resignation
| confess l considered your proposals sor
of reparalinn for tho failnre on your par
to act in. ecordunce with an understanding
more AN once repeated, which though
received your full assent, and nnder which
you could have returned to me the ofiic,
which | had conferred upon you, thus saw
ihis Yourself from embarrassme MT and leav
Jag the responsibility where il propeil,
belonged with the President who is ae
conntable for the faithful execution Of tn,
law. i have not been informed by yoi
whe ther, as3twice proposed by yourself
you had called upon Mr.. Stanton and mad,
sign from the War Department. n!u
.r You conclude your communication with
a reference to our conversation, at tht
meeting OF the Cabinet held on the k4tl
inst. In yonr account OF what there oc
cured you say that, after the President lad
given his version of our previous eonver
saGons, you stated them substantially al
given IN your letter, and that you tin nC
Wise admitted the correctness Of his state
mcnt though, to Hofteh the evident contra
diciion Of my statement as made, | said al
ludiIg 10 our first commune cation on tht
subiecty that the President might nave un
Iderstood me in lie way lie said, viz; "Tla'
had promised TO resign IL J did not resis
the reinstatement. made no snch prom
ise." My recollection OF what then trans
pired is dramatically the reverse OF your
narration. IN tho presence of the Cabinet
i asked yoaJ FIST, IT, in the conservation
which took place shortly after your ap-
pointhent as Secretary OF War al Interim,
you dill not agree to remain at the head OF
the War Department and abide any judicial
proceeding that might follow the non oc
ourrenee Of tue Senate iniCMT. stuHto s
suspension, or should yow NOT wish to be
come involved IN such controversy, put me
IN the same position With reference 10 the
Office asprevious 10 your appointrnont, by
returning it 10 me in tirre 10 anticipate such
action by the Senate This, you admitted. Z.
Second then asked you if, at the time OF
the conference on the preceding Saturday,
| had not to avoid Misunderstanding re-
auested you TO state what you intended to
do, and further if, inrePly to atinquiry
YOU had not referred to mydormer con
versations saying that from them un-
derstootl your position and that your
action %ould be consistent with the un-
derstanding which had been reached.