The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-17

fFrom the Washin gton Stsrl
An interesting conversation was lad to-day win
General Grant by q senator opposed 10 repeal
of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES act. The senator vas
laying the groundwork for sundry applications
for Office, when his attention was called oy tne
general to the division In the Radical party on this
teDureof.ofice question. but, SIR, ssio Ine
general, " lie not the restriction opposed to our
theory of government! The judges hold Office
for life, but the president and members OF Con-
gress are subject to constant change. Now II Is
proposed to invest all subordinate Officers with
life interest in the position they hold, unless, Ia
deed. charges are preferred against them. aud
trial had before the Senate. the same tribunal be-
fore which Judges are tried. This Is certainly
great stride toward revolution 10 our free system,
and IL only requires another TO make these offices
hereditary" The senator made no effort to COM
bat the generals position, but quietly folding
several papers which he still held 10 his hand he
returned them to his coat pocket, and retired. Ii
is understood that the general contemplates plac-
ing q similar quietus on all senators opposed to
striking from the hands of the executive the le-
gisstive msnacles imposed by the civil-ofice-
tenure act.
WASHINGTON, March lon Saturday evening
Representative George W. Julian, OF Indiana. and
General B. F. Loan, of Missouri, called on General
Grant, In pursuance of a previous engagement,
and had long and interesting interview with him.
friend, to whom the chief points in the CONVEX
sation were narrated. furnishes me with some
points. which give:
Mr. Julian, after the usual courtesies, asked in
substance what General Grants policy would be
as TO local appointments. Mr.. Lincoln's rule was
to refer all local appointments for places, such as
postmasters collectors assessors. etc., to the re-
preventative of the district, and accept his judg-
ment thereon. II it was not incompatible with the
generals ideas Of propriety be (Mr. JULIAN would
be glad to know what rule would be adopted by
the new administration as he was 10 the receipt OF
many applications. and if expected to give his
views. would like to have time TO examine fairly
into each case.
Gen. Grant replied at once that except in q
few cases all over the country, where he might
desire to appoint personal or army FRIEND
whose ability etc., he had personal knowledge OF,
the rule Mr.. Lincoln followed would be his.
Representatives were directly responsible to the
people. and they were the proper persons to re-
commend.
Mr.. Julian then remarked: General, the case
is little different now. In Mr.. Lincoln's time we
had no tenure-otofice act; now we shall have to
defer to the senators more"
Gen. Grant replied. speaking quite deliberately:
well, gentlemen, on that matter can only say
that il the law is not repealed, l consider myself
bound TO enforce it. He had told senators in con-
versaton upon the subject he was a citizen and
bound TO obey the laws, which he should do. II
the law is not repealed, shall remove no man
from Office except for cause"
Then" remarked Mr.. Julian, the fact, gen.
ersl, that an office.holder is Democrat, and has
been johnson man, will not in itself be sufi-
cient cause for removalfn
"No," was the emphatic response. al shall
protect office-hoders who do their duty. whatever
may be their politics, if the law remains, against
both executive and senatorial interference. L
have said this 10 senators, and the justice Of the
view was acknowledged"
There was great deal Of quiet humor in the
generals manner when he said that, and he evi-
IDENTIFY seemed to feel that he had made point
which would worry the anxious politicians into
repeating the meddlesome law. A good deal was
said in regard to the law. and General Grant ex.
pressed his regret at differing with some of his
best friends in the Senate-mentioning particular
IL Gen. Howe, of Wisconsin. He seemed. also,
quite confident that the law would be repealed by
the forty. first Congress.
Gen. Logan, who will be remembered as one of
the strongest advocates ofimpeachment remarked
during the conversation on the tenure of office
act. " did not vote for the law; my policy was
to turn johnson out"
To this Gen. Grant answered, speaking slowly
and thouehfully, "Well, q good many persons
were afraid of impeachment and of the effect of it
as a precedent; but" with emphasis, if they
had known Mr.. johnson as well as | did they
would not only have favored the impeachment,
but seen that 1t would have been just the thing
that ought to have been done and made pre-
cedent Of"