The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1868-02-14

such was the understanding, but tht SUI
you did not suppose the Senate wout I'M
act so soon.
On Monday you had been engaged Il tn
a conference with General Sherman, ani an
were occupied with many little matters al
and asked if Genral Sherman had net IL
called on me that day What relevancy e.
General Sherman's visit to me on MON II
day. had with the purposes for WINCH S
you were to have called, l am at losa T
to perceive, as he certainly did not IN
form me whether you had determlneoA
to retain the Office or to afford me an Op-1
portunity to appoint successor IN
advance of any attempted reinstate-
! ment of Mr.. Stanton. This account oil
| what passed between US at the Cabinet
. meeting on the 14th inst, widely differA
/ from that contained in your communal
4 cation, for it shows that instead es h.sv-l
Y a letter " wfiicn fas mace TINS reply nee
essary, YOU admitted that my recital OF
them was entirely accurate. Sincerely
, anxious, however, to be correct IN my
statements, have to-day read this mar
: ration of what occurred on the 18th inst,
, to the members of the Cabinet who
= were then present. They, without eX-
= ception, agree in its accuracy. That on
T.
' called on me in company with Lieuten-
ant Gen. Sherman, and after some pre-
2 liminary conversation you remarked
} that an article in the National Intettt-
: gencer of that date did you much injus-
f tice. l replied had not read the Intel
f. liqencer of that morning. You first
+ told me it was your intention to urge
Mr. Stanton to resign his Office. After
: YOU had withdrawn, / carefully read
: the article of which you spoke, and
+ found its statements of the understand
7 ing between us was substantially cor
!. rect. On the 18th l caused it to be read
t to four or five members of the Cabinet,
: who were present at our conference on
=. the 14th, and they concurred IN the gen
J., eral accuracy of the statements respect
l. inc our conversation on that occasion.
o In reply to your communication, l have
IF deemed it proper, to prevent further
n misunderstanding, to make this simple
d recital of facts.
IS Very respectfully yours,
" ANDREW JOHNSON.
N HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TIE U. S,
III WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. ), Us.
~ HIS Ercellency, Andreac johnson, P''eS1-
p dent Of the United States:
le Sir: / have the honor to acknowledge
H. the receipt of your communication OF
Il the 81 ST ult,, in answer to mine of the
LII 2Sth ult. After careful reading and
be comparison of the article with the arti-
Oy Gle over the initials j. B. S., in the New
be York World of the 9th ult., purporting
le- to be based upon your statement anC
nj that of the memArs Of the Cabina
IT,, therein named, L find it only to be bu
ur a reiteration, only somewhat more IL
he detail, of the many and gross miSrepre
- sentations contained in that article, ant
/, which my statement of facts set fOrtl
ht in nv letter of the 24th ult., was in
D. tended to correct, and herein | re-asser
us the correctness of my statements in tha
- letter, anything in yours in reply to tn
Il contrary Notwithstanding
IL / confess my surprise that the Cabine
III officers referred to should SO grossl
'th misapprehend the facts concerning tn
10 admission alleged to have been mad
on by me at the Cabinet meeting on tn
II l4th ult., as to suffer their names to b
lo- made the basis of the charges in tn
"a newspaper article referred to, or agre
''' to the accuracy, as you atfim they do, q
lS' YOUR account of what occurred at tha
vas meeting. You know we parted on tn
ut, 11th ult. without any promise on m
IN part, express or implied, to the etfeC
CT that [ would hold on to the office {
ON Secretary of War Gd interim, again
on the action of the Senate. or declining
cd do so, would surrender it to you betol
bic Sncb ac+ion was had or that 7 voul
r. see you again at any fixed time on tt
Tou subject.
elf. The performance of the promises
md legged to have been made by me Wou
rily have involved resistance of the la
-ou and inconsistency with the whole hi
re- tory of my connection with the suspe
eet- sion of Mr.. Stanton. From our cOnve
in sation and my written protest of A
ere gust 1st, 1867, against the removal
esi- Mr.. Stanton, you must have known tn
1re- my greatest objection to his remoV
lem was the fear that some one Wou
and be appointed in his stead who wOu
cor by their opposition to the laws !
to lating to the restoration of the Sout
my ern States to their proper relatlo
first to the government, embarrass the ;
the my in the performance OF the dut
t in especially imposed upon it by the Law
ised and that it was to prevent such an {
ein- pointment that l accepted the appoi
se." ment of Secretary of War Gd inter-
ired and not for the purpose of enabling Y
de- to get rid of Mr.. Stanton by withho
abb ing from him in opposition to the ls
ver- or not doing so myself, surrender to
Lfter one who, as the statement and assun
Var, tions in your communication plainly
head dicate, was sought; and it was to av
any this danger, as well as to relieve !
low from the personal embarrassment
e in WhichMr.Stantons 5 reinstatement wo
ould place you, that l urged the appointm
l in of Gov. Cox, believing it would
the agreeable to you and also to Mr.. st
the ton.
lent, Satisfied as I was that it was
tici- good of the country, and not the of
This the latter desired, on the 18th ult.,
sked the presence of General Sherman, l
pre- ted to you thought Mr.. Stanton wo
i'd a resign, but did not say [ would adv
to him to do so. On the 18th did 40