The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-02-13
To the President.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Feb. 6, 1868.
SIR,-The meeting to which you refer in
your letter was regular Cabinet meeting.
While the members were assembling, and be-
fore the President had entered the Council
Chamber, General Grant on coming in said to
me that he was there, not as member of the
Cabinet, but on invitation, and replied by
inquiry whether there was change in the
War Department. After the President had
taken his seat, business went on in the usual
way of bearing matters submitted by the sew
eral Secretaries. When the time came for the
Secretary of War, General Grant said he was
now there, not as Secretary of War, but on the
Presidents invitation, that he had retired from
the War Department. A slight difference
then appeared about the supposed invitation,
General Grant saying that the officer who
had borne his letter to the President that
morning, announcing his retirement frem
the War Department, had told him that the
President desired to see him at the Cabinet,
to which the President answered. that when
Gen. Grants communication was delivered to
him. he 1.-THE President) simply replied that he
supposed Gen. Grant would be very SOON at
the Cabinet meeting. regarded the CONVERSE
ton thus began as an incident, it went on
quite Informally, and consisted of statement
ON your part of your views. in regard to the
understanding of the tenure upon which Gen.
Grant had assented to hold the War Depart
ment od interim, and of his replies by way OF
answer and explanation. 1t was respectful and
Courteous on both sides, and being IN the con-
v>rsational form, details could only have
ben presented by verbatim report. So far
as L Fnow no such report was made at the
time. | can give only the general effect of the
conversation. Certainly you stated that al
though you had reported the reasons for Mr..
Stanton's suspension to the Senate, you new
ertheless held that he would not be entitled to
resume the Office of Secretary of War even If
the Senate should disapproye of his suspen-
sion, and that you had PROPOSED TO have the
faCt htra 1.nia
piled to the person who shonld be the incum-
bent of the Department under your designa-
ton i0f Secretary of War dd interim in the
place of Mr. Stanton. You contended that
this was well understood between yourself and
Gen. Grant; that when he entered the War
Department as Secretary 0d interim, he ex-
pressed his concurrence in a belief that the
question of Mr.. Stanton's restoration would
be question for the Courts that in a sub:e-
quent conversation you had with Gen. Grant,
you had adverted to the understanding thus
had, and that Gen. Grant expressed his con-
currence in it; that at some conversation
which had been previously held, Gen. Grant
said he still adhered to the same construction
of the law, but said if he should change his
opinion he would give you reasonable notice
OF 1t, so that you should in any case, be placed
in regard to the War Department. as you
were while Gen. Grant held it ad interim. L
did not understand Gen. Grant as denying
nor as especially admitting the statements in
the form and full extent to which you made
them. His admi> sion of them was rather in
direct and circumstantial, though I did not
understand it to be an eyasive one. He said
that, reasoning from what occurred in the case
of the Police Commissioners in Maryland,
which be regarded as parallel one, he was of
the opinion, and SO assured you, that. it would
be his right and duty, under your instructions,
to hold the War Office after the Senate
should disapprove of Mr.. Stantons suspen-
sion, until the question should be decided up-
on by the Courts; that he remained until very
recently OF that opinion; and that ON the Sat
urday before the Cabinet meeting CONVEX
saton was held between yourself and him. in
which the subject was generally discussed. Gen
Grants statement was that in that converse
t0n he had stated to you the legal difficu lties
which might arise involving fine and imprison-
ment under the Civil Tenure bill, and that he
did not care to subject himself to those PEN
altles that you replied to this remark that
you regarded the Civil Tenure bill as uncon-
sututlonal, and did not think its penalties
were to be feared, or that you would volun-
tarily as ume them; and you insisted that Gen.
Grlnt should either retain the office until re-
lieved by Yourself, according 10 what yon
claimed was the original understanding be-
tween yourself and him, or by seasonable no.
tlce OF change of purpose on his part, put
you IN the same situation which YOU would
be 1t he adher. ed, You claim that Gen Grant
finally said in that SATURDAYS conversation
that you understood his views and his proceed
ings therefore would be consistent with what
had been so understood Gen. Grant did not
nor can tsay that he admitted
this last statement. Certainly Gen. Grant did
not at any time in the Cabinet meetshg insist
that he had in the Saturdays conversation
either directly or finally advised you of his de-
termination toretire from the charge of the
w ar department., otherwise than under your
own subsequent direction. He aequiesced in
your statement that the SATURDAYS cOnyersa-
ton ended with an expectation that there
should be subsequent conference on the sab
Ject, which he as well as yourself supposed
could seasonably take place on Monday. You
then alluded TO the fact that Gen. Grant did
not call upon you on Monday, as YOU had ex-
pscted from that conversation. Gen. Grant
admitted that it was his expectation or plIr-
pose to call upon you on Monday. Gen. Grant
assigned reasons for the omission. He said he
was in conference with Gen. Sherman and
that there were many little matters to be at
tended to. He had conversed upon the mat
ter of the incunlbency of the War Department
with Gen. Sherman and he expected that Gen.
Sherman would call upon Won on Monday
My own mind suggested further explanation
but do not remember whether it was mem
toned or not, namely: That it was not sup
posed by Gen. Grant on Monday that the Sem
ate would decide the question so promptly.as
to anticipate further explanation between
yourself and him, if delayed beyond that day.
Gen. Grant made another explanation-that
he was engaged on Sunday with Gen. Sher-
man, and think also on Monday, in regard to
the War Department matter, with q hone to
procure an amicable settlement of the affairs
Of Mr.. Stanton, and he still hoped that it
would be brought about. Id. 4 u.s. LIS -.t. \
have the honor to be, with great respect,
-- Your obedient servant, =
T s E WILLIAM HI. SEWARD. 4
To the President