The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-02-13

/ til, getting late, the President said hC
would see me again. I did not agret
to call on Monday, nor at any Other
definite time, nor was / sent for by
the President until the following
Tuesday. ada
''From the 11th instant to the Cabi.
net meeting on the 14th instant, q
doubt never entered my mind about
the President fully understanding my
position, namely, that if the Senate
refused to concur in the suspension OF
Mr. Stanton, my powers as Secretary
of war ad Interim would cease, and
Mr.. StantOn's right to resume. at once
the functions of his office would un-
derthe law be indisputable, and 1 act
ed accordingly.
"With Mr., Stanton had no COM
municatiOn, Director indirect, on the
subject of his reinstatement, during
his suspension. know that it had
been recommended to the President
to send in the name of General Cox,
of Ohio, as Secretary of War, and thus
save all embarrassment proposition
that I sincerely hoped he would enter
tain favOrably, Gen. Sherman seeing
the President at my particular request
to urge this, on the 18th.
'On Tuesday, Mr.. Stanton re en-,
tered the Office of Secretary of War
Gen. ComstOck, who had carried my
official letter announcing that, by Mr.
Stanton'sJ reinstatement by the Senate,
1 had ceased to be. Secretary of War
Gd interim, and who saw the Presi-
dent open and read the cOmmunica-
ton, brought back to me. from the
President, a message that he wanted
to see me that day at the Cabinet
meeting, after had made known the
fact that I was no longer Secretary Of
War Gd interim. AT this meeting, af
ter opening it as though / were q
member of his Cabinet, when remind
ed of the notification already given
him, that was no longer Secretary
of War dd interim, the President gave
a version ofthe conversation alluded
to already. In this statement it was
asserted that in both conversations, ]
had agreed to hold on to the office Of
Secretary of War until displaced by
ithe Courts, or resign, so as to place the
President where he would have been
had 1 never accepted the office. AT
ter hearing the President through,
stated our conversation substantially
as given in this letter. I will add
that my conversation before the Cabi
net embraced other matter not peril
nent here, and is, therefore, left out
in no wise admitted the correctness
of the Presidents statement of Oul
conversation, though to soften the evi
dent contradiction of my statement
I said, alluding to our first conver-
sation on the subject, that the Presi
dent might have misunderstood me
the way he said, that I promised tC
rCs On if I did not resist the reinstate
ment. 1 made no such statement.
have the honor to he, very respect
fully, your Obedient servant,
U. S. GRANT, General" Z"
ANOTHER REQUEST FOR ORDERS N
WRITING.
"HEADoRs. ARMY OF q. S.,
WASHINGTON, Jan. "a, '68. (
"I'O His Excellency Andrew johnson
President of the United States:
SIR-I have the honor, very re
speetfully to request to have, in writ
ing, the order which the Presiden
gave me, verbally, on Sunday, tht
18th instant, to disregard the orders o
Hon. E. NJ. Stanton, as Secretary o
War, until I knew from the Presi-
dent himself that they were his orders
l have the honor to be, very respect
fully, your obedient servant,
q. S. GRANT, General"
THE PRESIDENTS INDORs ENIENT.
The following is the endorsement
on said note:
Gas requested in this communi
cation, General Grant is instructed
in writing, not to obey any order from
the War Department, assumed to b.
issued by the dictation of the Presi
dent, unless such order is known b!
the General commanding the armie
of the United States to have beel
authorized by the Executive.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
January 20, 1858"
LETTER NO. III.
mHEADoRs. U. S. ARMY,
WASHINGTON, Jan. 80, '68. I
"His Excellency, Andrew JohsnOn
President:
"SIR-I have the honor to acknowl
edge the return of my note ofthe 24tl
instant, with your endorsement there
on, that am not to obey any Orde
from the War Department, assumed
to be issued by order of the President
unless such order is known by me a
authorized by the Executive, and il
reply thereto, to say that 1 am in
formed by the Secretary of War tina
he has not received from the Execu
tive any order or instructions limit
ing or impairing his authority to issu
orders to the army, as has heretofore
been his practice under the law an
customs of the department. Will
this authority to the War Departmen
is not cOuntermanded, it will be salts
fIctOry evidence to me thatany order
Issued flom the War Department b
direction of the President, are author
lied by the Executive. I have tn
honor to be, very respectfully, you
Obedient servant,
U. S. GRANT, General"
THE PRESIDENTS RESPONSE.
"ExECUTIvE MANSION, Jan. 80, '6S
! GENERAL have received you
communication of the 28th instan
= renewing your request of the 24tl
J that should repeat in a written fOrl
my verbal instructions of the 19t
2 inst, viz: that you obey no Ordo
2 from Hon. E. NJ. Stanton, as Seer
tary of War, unless you have infOl
e nation that it was issued by Il
= Presidents direction. In submittir
: this request. with which 1 compile
S on the 29th instant, you take Occasio
i to allude to recent publications,
r reference to circumstances cOnnect6
/, with the vacation by yourself, of Il
! | office of Secretary of War nd i1te1.i,