Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-02-14
The Grant-Johnson Cor
rcspondence.

The country has become so used to
startling developments from the Capitol
that hardly anything will surprise now and
Generals that don't prove sufficiently do,
ellie and yielding to Presidential dictation,
must of course go to some Intlian Territory
or to Oregon, or some out of the way
place. And if the obstinacy Of the Com.
manders of the Military districts in tho
South shall continue. necessitating more
changes, Congress will surely have to
make purchases of foreign territory to sup.
ply suitable places of Punishment for the
rccusants. General Meade will soon have
to be banished, and perhaps all the other.
now in command. Hancock will not con.
tinue on the Presidential line long. But
all this may not have much to do with til,
Grant correspondence, save only it show:
that the President acts as if he was an in.
dependent Sovereign. If the General OH.
GERS charged with the duty of seeing the
reconstruction laws Of Congress faithfully
and honestly enforced, do their duty, then
the President exercises his prerog ative Of
removing them, and thus thwarting the
will of Congress, and of obstructing the
laws Of the land. The whole history OfAn
drew Johason's career as President shows
that he means that his will shall triumph
at all hazards. He does not seem to care
tig for Congress or the laws it ehacts, and
his study is to defy both. 1t is q Singh.
lar state of affairs, certainly, when an Elk.
ecutive claims supremacy over ali the CO.
ordinate branches of the government, and
goes to work deliberately. to carry out his
own will IN all things, and clear away as
rubbish, all the agents of the government
that stand in the way of his success
etary Stanton was in his way, and he
notified him that his resignation would be
acceptable, but the noble War Minister re-
piled that he had continued in the office,
not for his own pleasure, but for the pub
lie good, and until the necessity which had
kept him in the office so long against his
wishes, had passed away lie should not re.
sign. The President then removed him
and placed General Grant in the place, ad
Interim. When Congress came together
the Senate investigated the matter, exam
incd the reasons given by the President,
aud found them unsound and untenable and
it therefore resolved Mr.. Stanton back in
to the War Department. The President
anticipating such u result endeavored to
get General Grant to stand between him
and the law, in thwarting the will of the
Senate. The General was too smart fer
the Presidents purpose, and too honest and
straightforward to be party to any such
game as the president had in view. The
President says General Grant promised to
assist him in his little plan, by getting out
Of his way in time for him, the president,
to put another man in the Office before
Stanton could get possession. General
Grant says he never made any such Il
promise; and declares that the President
wanted him to do that which he. the Presi.
dent was afraid to order him to do,-that
is, the PseSiAeGt wanted GRAFT to pull his
political chestnuts out Of the fire, aud the
General would not doit. The country will
sustain hin IN this position.