Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-02-11
VOL
THE WAR OFFICE SURRENDER.
SPICY CORRESPONDENCE.
General Grant and the President.

Contrariety of Op'niom-T The Issue Direct
Cabinet Officers Cited as Witnesses By the
President.
WASHINGTON, Feb. "A huge batch of
documents, furnished by Gen Grant, relative
to the Secretary Of War, was laid before the
House to. day in communication from Hon.
Il. Nj. Stanton, obedent to Il resolution of that
body, passed yesterday the Sd instant. Mr..
Stanton's letter accompanying the documents
saws that Gen. Grant reports that they COM
prise all the correspondence between the Cen
eral-in Chief and the President in relation to
the Secretary of War. OF himself, Mr.
Stanton says:
a have had no correspondence with the
President since the 18th of August last
After the action of the Senate on his alleged
reason for my suspension from the Office of
Secretary of War | resumed the duties of
that office as required by the act Of Congress,
and have continued to discharge them with
out any personal or written communication
with the President. No orders have been
issued from this Department in the name of
the President with my knowledge and l have
received no orders from him. The corres-
pondcnce sent herewith embraces all the cor
respondence known to me on the subject re-
ferred to in the resolution of the House Of
Representatives"
GENERAL GRANT TO TIE PRESIDENT.
The first letter enclosed is the following
| from General Grant, dated January 2Sth,
1868, and addressed to the President:
,Sir-On the 9th instant l requested you,
in writing, to give me the instructions which
YOU had previously given me verbally, not to
obev anv order from Hon. Z. NJ. Stanton,
Secretary of War, unless | knew that it came
from Yourself To this written request re-
ceived message that left no doubt in my
mind of your intentions. TO prevent any
possible misunderstanding, therefore, renew
the request that you will give me written in
structtons, and. until they are received, will
suspend action on your verbal ones. am
compete to ask these instructions in writing
in consequence OF the many gross msrePrc-
scntatrns affecting my personal honor. CIR
cuatcd through Jhc press for the last fort
night purportng TO come from the President,
Of con nrersations which occurred either with
the President privately, in his Office or in
cabinet meeting. What is written admits Of
no misunderstanding. In view Of the mis-
representations referred to, it will be we'll to
state the facts in the case
Some time after | assumed the duties of
Secretary of War, 08 interim, the President
asked my views on the course Mr. Stanton
would have to pursue in case the Senate
should not concur in his suspension, to OBJ
tain possession of his Office. Ny reply was.
in substance, that Mr.. Stanton would have
to appeal to the courts to rcinstate him, Illus
trating my position by citing the grounds |
had taken in the case Of the Baltimore police
commissioners In that case did not doubt
the right of Governor Swami to remove the
old commissioners and to appoint their sue
cessors As the old commissioners refused to
give up. however, contended that no recourse
was left but to appeal to the courts. Finding
that the President was desrous of keeping
Mr. Stanton out of Office, whether sustained
in the suspension or not, stated that l had
not looked particularly into the tenure of-ol-
fee bill. but that what | had stated was
general principle and if should change my
mind in this particular case, [ would inform
him of the fact.
Subsequently on reading the tenure, of.of-
flee bill, found that [ could not, without
violation of the law, refuse to vacate the Of
fee of Secretary of War the moment Mr..
Stanton was reinstated by the Senate, even
though the President should order me to re-
tain it, which he never did. Taking this
view of the subject, and learning on Satur-
day, the 11th instant, that the Senate had
taken up the subject Of Mr.. Stanton's sus-
pension, after some conversation with Lieu
tenant General Sherman and some of the
members of staff, in which stated that the
law left me no discretion as to my action
should Mr. Stanton be reinstatcd, and that l
intended to inform the President. Iwcnt to
the President for the sole purpose of making
this decision known, and did so make it
known. In doing this l fulfilled the prom
se made in our last preceding conversation
on the subject.
The President, however, instead of accept
ing my view of the requirements OF the ten
ure-of office bill, contended that he had sus-
pended Mr.. Stanton under the authority Civ
en- him by the constitution and that the same
authority did not preclude him from report
ing, as an act of courtesy, his reasons for the
suspension to the Senate. That, having ap-
pointed me under the authority given by the
constitution, and not under any act of Con-
gross, l could not be governed by the act. l
stated that the law was binding on me, con-
stitutional or not, until set aside by the proper
tribunal. An hour or more was consumed,
each reiterating his views on this subject, un
til getting late, the President said he would
sec me again. did not agree to call again on
Monday, nor at any other definite time, nor
was l sent for by the President until the fol-
lowing Tuesday.
From the 1lth to the cabinet meeting Oh
the l4th doubt never entered my head about
the Presidents fully understanding my posi-
| ton: namely, that if the Senate refused to
concur in the suspension of Mr. Stanton, my
powersa as Secretary of War, al interim, would
cease, and Mr.. Stanton's right to resume at
once the functions of his office would, under
/ the law, be indisputable and acted according
! ly. With Mr.. Stanton l had no communica-
ton, direct or indirect, on the subject of his
reinstatement during his suspension. knew
1t bad been recommended to the President to
send in the name of Governor Cox, of Ohio,
as Secretary Of War, and thus save all en-,
barrassment-a proposition that 1 sincerely
hoped he would entertain favorably; General