New-York tribune., 1868-02-17
WASHINGTON.

ohif-UEN' ihoaA'' wv FORD, AND GEN.
II 'CLELLAN.
ruLHsRAFH .h.tJ
WASHING Tos. Feb iS 1895
Lieut. Gen Sherman's refusal to accept the l,revee
rank Of general and the command of the proposed
new military division gives the President and his
friends very great dissatisfaction, and affords the
Republicans much amusement and qualification. The
fact that Mr.. Johnson has now quarreled with the
four leading Union generals of the late is much
commented on, but is not regarded at all strange
in view of his past course. We have Official
authority for the assertion that the President
up to late hour tonight had received no infoma-
tion whatever on the subject from Gen. Sherman,
and that he is asonished at the reported action of
the Lieutenant-General He dscredits the published
accounts, and feels that the Lieutenant General
would not place himself, to quote the Presidents own
words, " in even seeming antagonism sucb mat
ter without communicating directly and at once"
with him. The order making the new division Of
the Atlantic was determined on several weeks ago,
and was, the President says, designed as a compli-
fnent to Gen. Sherman, as was ala the breyet
rank The subject was talked over by
Mr. johnson and Gen. Sherman moro
occasions than one, the last one being
the day before Gen. Sherman went West The Gene
raj did not then appear to the proposition and
did not manifest the least doubt of the legality OF
the proceeding. The President says that Gen. Sher-
man did not decline either of the profered honors,
and adds that il the alleged dispatches TO his brother
the Senator be true they singularly at variance
with the conversations which he had WIN
him on the subject. As there can be no
doubt of the receipt of the dispatches by
Senator Sherman. it will be seen from the above
statements which come directly from the President,
that misunderstanding between Mr.. johnson and
Gen. Sherman is likely, and that the whole subject
may give rise 10 a correspondence as complicated
and unpleasant as the johnson Grant epstles. which
at once panied and amused the public few days
ago. The dispatches in possession of Senator
Sherman may be published during the week, and it
is thought by many that they Will give rise to an
other question of veracity.
Some pressure is being brought to bear upon the
Western members of Congress to get an expression
of the House in regard to the advisabty Of increas
ing the volume of the currency. The various propo-
sitions looking to expansion, which have been re-
ferred to the Ways and Means Committee, have not
been acted upon in that body, and the gentlemen
who offered them are anxious that the Committee
should act promptly on them, and if not they VIII
make an attempt to bring them before the House in
some other form. The Ways and Means COMMITTEES
seem rather to meddling with the question OF
the currency or finance until they shall have disposed
of the Internal Revenue bill, which they consider of
greater Importance. The National Bank men ara
here, and letters have been received from them in
distant cities asking the views of Congress generally
on Mr. Randall's bill substituting Treasury
notes for National Bank currency. The
Committee have delayed action in this matter some
days. as they wish to give the National Bank interest
an opportunity of laying before them certain stats
tics and evidence which they claim will show the
measure to be impracticable, but it is understood
that it is to be acted at their next meeting This
measure is in antagonism with Mr. Henderson's free
banking law bill.
Senator Sherman offered q resolution in Executive
session few days ago, nstructing the Military Com
mittee not to report any more brevet nominations.
This was intended to relieve the Committee from
any embarrassme ut which they might feel in regard
to the nomination of his brother, Leut.-Gen. Sher-
man. and is understood tn be entirely in accordance
with the views of the latter. The Committee viii
therefore bring measure accordance with these
suggestions looking to the repeal of the law allow
ing the President Secretary of War to send In
brevet nominations The leading officers of the army
are said to favor this measure, they consider its
unlimited operation calculated to impair the effi-
cheney of the service.
The Committee on Freedmen's Affairs have referred
to a subcommittee proposition to lend the aid OF
the Government to the construction of levee and
railroad from point below Cairo to Helena, dis
tance Of about so miles. The subcommittee are
authorized to examine the practicability Of the
measure, and report to the full Committee at its
next meeting
The Senate Military Committee will, it Is under
stood, report bill in short time, instructing the
Secretary of War to retire all officers who have been
in active service As years. The practical eecs
of this bill, should it become law, will be the re-
tirement of Adjt.-Gen. Thomas from the service.
In last Fridays TRIBUNE was printed in these ds
patches a statement concerning Gen. Paine and tho
part which he took in the impeachment project be-
fore the Reconstruction Committee. 1t was fur
nished your correspondent by one whom he deemed
trustworthy, and who represented that Mr. Stevens.
the Chairman of the Committee said to him all that
was printed in The TRIBUNE Yesterday, in tho
House. Gen. Paine having had the report read by the
Clerk pronounced il incorrect. Notwithstanding
Gen. Pane's denial my informant still persists that
the conversation as published is substantially true
as related by Mr.. Stevens
messenger from the City Councils of New
Orleans who comes to explain to Gen. Grant their
side of the story concerning their removal by Gen.
Hancock, arrived here to-day. He Is to have an in
terview with Gen. Grant tomorrow. He says that
Gen. Hancocks letter 20 Gen. Grant exp aiming why
he made the removals, is very adrotly written, but
at the same time contains assertions that are no
facts In the first place. Gen. Hancock says that he
removed so many white men and seven coored
men, He does not say that these seven coored
men include all Of that color who were men,
bers of the Council. Then he adds that
the Office of Recorder is elective by the people at the
polls and that the attempt of the Councils to elect
was usurpation of power. This Is false, the char
ter of New Orleans provides that the people shall
elect Recorder in every two years, and, in
case of q vacancy during that period, the Councli
shall choose person who shall act during the inter-
val. Il is further shown that the present School