Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-02-12

respondence in question, and particularly
the letter Of the President TO General
Grant, dated January 3Ist, following an
extract from your letter Of the 3lst Of jan
uary TO General Grant According to
my recollection, the conversation that
took place between the President and
General Grant at the Cabinet meeting on
the l4th of January last, in the presence
Of the Cabinet, the President asked Gem
eral Grant, in the course of the converse
ton which took place, whether, after his
appointment, as Secretary of War, al in
term, if he did not agree with and abide
by a decision which was given by one who
was at the head of the War Department
and aequiesee in the judicial proceedings
that night aud follow in the non occurrence
of the Senate 10 Mr.. Stanton's suspension,
or should he not, if he wished, become en-
broileG in such controversy, aud put the
President in the same position in respect
to the Office that be occupied prior TO Gen
Grants appointment, BY returning it TO the
President in time TO anticipate such action
by the Senate This Gen. Grant admitted.
The President then asked Gen. Grant il,
at the conference on the preceding Satur-
day, he had not, to avoid misundersland-
ing, requested Gen. Grant to state what he
intended to do? and further, it, in reply to
that inquiry, he (Gen. Grant had not re-
ferred to former conversations, saying that
from them the President might understand
his position, and that his (Gen. Grants)
action would be consistent with the under
standing then reached? To these ques-
tions Gen. Grant replied in the affirmative.
The President asked Gen. Grant if at the
conclusion of their interview on Saturday,
it was not understood they were to have
another conference on Monday before the
final action by the Senate in the case of
Mr.. Stanton. Gen. Grant replied such
was the understanding, but did not suppose
the Senate would act 20 soon that Monday
he had been engaged in conference with
Gen. Sherman and was occupied with
many little matters, and asked il Gen.
Sherman had not called on you that day.
/ take this mode of replying to the request
contained in the Presidents letter, because
my attention has been called TO the subject
of conversation between the President and
Gen. Grant.
Very respectfully, your obi serv't,
ALEXANDER RANDALL,
Postmaster General.
To the President.
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, WASHING
TON, Feb. 6, 1861 am in receipt of
your letter of yesterday, calling my atten-
tion 10 the correspondence between you
and Gen. Grant, published in the Chroni-
Gle, and especially TO that part of said cor
respondende which refers to the converse
ton between the President and Gen. Grant
at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, l4th of
January, and requesting me to state what
was said in that conversation. In reply
submit the following statement: At the
Cabinet meeting Tuesday, January 5th,
Gen. Grant appeared and took his accus-
toned seat at the board, and when he had
been reached in the order of business, the
President asked him as usual, if he had
anything at present. In reply, the Gen
eral after referring to the note which he
had that morning addressed to the Presi-
dent inclosing a copy of the resolution of
the Senate, refusing to concur in the reso-
lutions for the suspension of Stanton, pro-
ceeded to say that he regarded his duties as
Secretary of War al interim, terminated
by that resolution, and he could not law
fully exercise such duties for a moment,
after the adoption of the resolution the
resolution reached him last night, and
this morning he had gone 10 the War De-
partment, entered the Secretary's room,
bolted one door on the inside, locked the
other on the outside, delivered the key to
the Adjutant General and proceeded to the
headquarters of the army, and addressed
note az above mentioned TO the President
informing him that he was no longer Sec
rotary ad interim. The President expressed
great surprise at the course which General
Grant had thought proper TO pursue, and
addressing himself to the General, pro-
ceeded to say in substance that he had an
ticipated such action of the Senate, and be-
ing very desirious to have the Constitution
ality of the tenure Office bill tested, and his
right to suspend or remove a member of
the Cabinet decided by judicial tribunal
of the country. He had some time ago,
and shortly after Gen. Grants appointment
of Secretary Of War ad interim, asked the
General what his intentions would be in
the event that the Senate should re-
fuse to concur in the suspension of Mr..
Stanton, and the General had then agreed
either to remain at the head of the War
Department ill decision could he OBJ
tanned from the court, or resign his Office
into the hands of the President before the
case was acted upon by the Senate, so az to
place the President in the same situation
as he occupied at the time of Grants APP
pointment.- The President further said
The conversation was resumed on the
preceding Saturday, at which time ne
asked the General what he intended to do
il the Senate should undertake to reinstate
Mr.. Stanton?
In reply 70 which, the General referred
TO their former conversation upon the same
subject, and said You understood my
position and my conduct to be conform
able to that understanding that he. the
General, then expressed a repugnance to
being made party to the judicial proceed
ings, saying, that he would expose him
self TO fine and imprisonment b.
doing SO, AZ his continuing to discharge
the duties of Secretary of War ad interim,
the Senate should have refused to concur
in the suspension of Mr.. Stanton, could be
violating the tenure of office bill. In reply
to this, the President informed Gen. Grant
that he had not suspended Mr.. Stanton
under the tenure of Office bill, but by vir-
tue of the power conferred on him by the
constitution, and az TO fine and imprison-
ment, She President would pay whatever
fine was imposed, and submit to whatever
Imprisonment might be adjudged against
him.
Gen Grant continued the conversation
for some time, discussing law atlength, and
finally separating without having reached
any definite conclusion, and with an
understanding that the General would
see the President again on Monday
In reply, General Grant admitted
that the conversation had occurred,
and said that at the first conversation
he had given it as his opinion to the Pre-
sident that in the event of the non-concur-
renee by the Senate in the action of the
President in respect TO the Secretary of
War the uupatiOn WOnld have 10 he de-