Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-06
COLUMBUS, O., THURSDAY MORNING,

fully discussed, you said that, as it had
been agreed upon in our first conference,
you would either return the Office to my
possession in time to enable me to ap-
point successor before the final action by
the Senate upon Mr.. Stanton's suspension,
or would remain at its head awaiting de-
cision by judicial proceedings. 1t was
then understood there would be further
conference on Monday, by which time 1
supposed you would be prepared to in
form me of your final decision. You
failed, however, to fulfill the engage
.ment, and on Tuesday notified me in
writing of the receipt of your official
notification of the action of the Senate
in reference to Mr.. Stanton, and at the
same time informed me that according
to the act regulating the tenure of GER
tain civil offices, your functions Of Sec
retary of War ad interim ceased from
the moment. At receipt of notice, you
thus, in disregard of the understanding
between us, vacated the office without
having given notice Of your intent to
do so.
1t is but just to say, however, that in
your communication you claim you did
inform me of your purpose, and thus full
filled the promise made in our last pre-
ceding conversation on the subject. The
fact that such a promise existed is evil.
Il dence of an arrangement Of the kind I
have mentioned. You had found in our
First conference that the President was
i desirous of keeping Mr.. Stanton out of
office. whether sustained in the suspen-
sion or not. You knew what reasons
had induced the President to ask from
| you promise. You also knew that in
case your views of duty did not accord
with his conviction, it was his purpose to
fill your place by another appointment.
Even ignoring the existence of a positive
understanding between us, the conclu-
sions were plainly deducible from our
various conversations, 1t is certain,
however, that even under these. circum-
stances you did not offer to return the
: place to my possession, but, according to
your own statement, placed yourself in a
position where, could have anticipated
your action, 1 would have been COM
PEELED to ask of you, as l was compelled
to ask of your predecessor in the War
!. Department, letter of resignation, or to
resort to the more disagseeable expedient
of suspending you by the appointment
of a successor.
AS stated in your letter, the /. .nomina-
tion of Governor Cox, of Ohio, for Sec
retary of War, was suggested to me-
His appointment as Mr.. Stanton's sue.
/ -
was said his selection would save further
embarrassment. / did not think that in
the selection of Cabinet officer should
be trammeled by such considerations. 1
; was prepared to take the responsibility
r of deciding the question in accordance
: with my ideas of constitutional duties,
) and having determined upon a course
which deemed right and proper, was
anxious to learn the steps you would
take, should the possession of the War
Department be demanded by Mr.. Stan
ton. Had your action been in conform
ity with the understanding between us,
l do not believe that the embarrassment
would have attained its present proper
tions, or that the probability of-its rep
etition would have been so great
!, / know that, with view to any early
termination of State affairs so detri-
mental to the public interests, you vol
UNFAIRLY offered, both on Monday, the
18th inst, ond on the succeeding Sun
day, to call upon Mr.. Stanton, and urge
upon him that the good of the service re-
quired his resignation.
I confess considered your proposal
. as sort of reparation for the failure, on
: your part, to act in accordance with an
understanding, more than once repeated,
which I thought received your full as
sent, and under which you could have
: returned to me the office which had con.
1 ferred upon you, thus saving yourself
from embarrassment, leaving the respon
t sibility where it properly belonged, with
: the President, who is accountable for the
faithful execution of the laws. I have
: not yet been informed by you whether
as twice proposed by yourself. you hav.
called upon Mr.. Stanton and made al
effort to induce him voluntarily to resigr
from the War Department.
You conclude your communication
/ with reference to our conversation a
Y the meeting of the Cabinet, held on tn
l 4th inst. In your account of what Their
r. occurred, you say that after the Presi
z: dent had givenhis version of our rpreviou
n. conversation, you stated that substan
r, tally as given in your letter, and tha
rs you in no wise admitted the CORRECTNESS
n of his statement, though to soften tn
L evident contradiction of my statemen
ie made, 81 said. alluding to our first con
$, versation, on the subject the Presiden
ID might have understood it in. the way h
lie said. viz: That had promised to resig
n, if I did not resist the reinstatement.
e. made no such promise.' 7at a-,
g Ny recollection of what then trans
= pired is diametrically the reverse of you
I, narration. In the presence af the Cab
~ net, asked you
: First. If in a conversation which too
n. place shortly after your appointment a
Secretary of War ad interim, you di
!, agree to remain at the head of the Wa
,s Department and abide any judicial pre-
!. ceedings that might follow the non-cor
- currence of the Senate in Mr.. Stanton
20 20 suspension. or, should you not wish to be
20 come involved in such controversy, pu
~ me in the same position with reference
- the office as previous to your appoint
in ment, by returning it to me in time t
n. anticipate such action by the Senate
1r This you admitted.
,e Second. then asked you if at the tim
e. of the conference on the preceding Sal
d, urday, had not, to avoid misundel
s. standing, requested you to state wha
c. you intended to do, and further. if in re