Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-10-30
GRANT N JOHNSON.
The Views Of several Prominent
O.-.-.4 and ,oederaI Offlcers-

Confederate and Federal Officers
NEw YoRK. Oct. 2s.-The Herald this morn
ing has further details OF the Grant7J 0lns0n
matter comprised In an interview Win hugh
Mccullough, at his Maryland home. Ae said
thisfs all new TO me. never heard anything OF
tie Kind before. II IS acOmplete surprise and
challenges my eredulity. without aLgutnent,
what makes me doubt the correctness o. the
statement is the personal relations Detwesn
President johnson and Gen. Grant were Of the
most friendly character, up to the time, which
Gen. Grant, as acting secretary OF war, yielded
up his chair to Secretary Stantoni ana maj was
a year or more after these occurrences are re-
ported 70 have taken place. IL Is nov possible
Tor me to deny the correctness Of MT. DepeW's
narrative, because it may have happened Just as
he alleges. Gen. Grant saldltdld. 1 can only
repeat that 1t u the first time / ever nsaTa OILY,
and the proposition involving 50 mnch, really
think Il woulc have been spoken OF ana talked
about and hardly kept secret these nineteen
wears. MIR. Mccullough regretted thath nc had tot
memoranda from which 10 speak positively.
hut others had and he did not doubt but what
the charge would be utterly disapproved.
MT. Depew said Gen. Grant talked
to me for nearly two hours
few men would forget what he said. The story
IMMERSED me very much at the time, and my
memory Of 1t is quite clear and reliable. lie
told me the story sbout johnson in great detail.
/ said to MIN: General, this is more interesting
and important than any OF the recorded events
happening since the war. You ought to write
out the facts" The general replied that for
years he had desired to make q written record OF
That part Of the Mexican history, but he found
no time for the task. argued that these facts
proved that the country had been on the verge
OF another great revolution, perhaps grayer Than
the other, and the people Oughtto knoW,it. The
general said he hoped in time to write the story.
Two or three days before he went TO Mount Nc
GregOr, l had a talk with with him:
General, do you remember the story you told
me some years ago about President JOhnSon'S
extraordinary effort at The period OIL recohstruc'
II remember it well, p he replied.
"Haye you Included 1t in your Memories OF
War?'I asked.
l suppose Gen. Grant did not want to make
he matter public at the time, not being willing
ito provoke a controversy. He realized that he
was dying. He told me nothing more than what
he told JohnSon-thal ne would drive dne IL
at the point of the bayOnet.
Grant was very earnest in his conversation.
You see II Johnson's proposition had been car
ried out the enemies OF the North would proba-
bly, have controlled congress and such measures
as the fifteenth amendment to the constitution
mieht have been defeated.
Being asked il he knew Of any cOrroboratiye
facts, Depew replied:
all about 1t, and Gen. Horace Porter was
acquainted with the matter, besides Vlce,fresl-
dent Frank Thompson, OF the pennsylvania
IdllrOdu UOlu me yesterday lnde years dsV OuuBO
jeremiah Black informed him, Of Johnson's
intention. johnson sent for Black ana lad
before him the plans which he had laid before
Grant. He asked Black for his aid III carrying
out the scheme: You know Blaek lad peen az
torpey-generalin Buchanan's cabinet and was a
very Warnl advocate OF J0hnson's SIDE: Black
heard all johnson had to say, and when the
whole plan was revealed, he said: have
tons, Mr.. President"
''What is that?" johnson aSked.
"Hell," was Blacks reply to the proposition.
BOSTON, oct 23.-The Transcript prints an
manded the district Of Northern Virginia in
Gen. Gordon says that the history
Of the change. OF policy OF John
gives the names Of thirty-six rebel leaders, in
| Guiding Hampton, Early, Wise, Ould, Long
street, Pryor and Hunton, who were Indicted
for high treason by the grand jury Of the United
| States district court of Norfolk, at the instance
Of the government, and says that on June Sth,
1865, the government made inquiry OF MN,
through Gen. Ord, how the proceedings against
| the surrendered officers were progressing. II
is evident that the terms Of the capitulatlon OF
Gen. Lee could not be made to cover the cases
OF Seldom, who was the rebel secretary OF war
up to the early part OF 1865, or OF Faulkner or
Wise, for they were not surrendered as oh1cers
OF the Confederate army OF Northern Virginia.
Gen. Gordon says that he never knew who, or
how the proceedings were quashed, nor what
changed President JOhnsOn's purposes, but he
is confident that it was not an agreement OF a
broken down, ruined arist0cracy to take him up
and make him one Of themselves.
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 24.-TOuching the question as
to whether Gen. Grant did or did not favor the
Impeachment of President johnson, as raised
by the recent correspondence between Colonel
| Grant and Mr.. ChauDcey DepeW, the Globe
| Democrat this morning prints the fol owing
statement made by Gen. John b. Henderson,
who was in the Senate at the time, and will be
| remembered as one Of the very few Republican
l Senators who voted against the impeachment.
Gen. Henderson was also an intimate friend OF
| Gen. Grant, and had superior opportunities OF
knowing that gentleman's views at the time,
The statement is as follows:
There were two seperate and distinct move
ments to impeach President johnson; one was
in December, 1867, Immediately on the assem-.
bling OF congress. 1t was based Oh the action OF
the committee appointed during the special SEES.
sion OF congress IN July, 1867, to investigate and
johnson. speak only by memory, but at least
action was taken in December and proposed ar
ticleS OF impeachment were voted down by avery
large majority. Gen. Grant was acting Secre
taTT Of var and as a member Of Mr. JoRnson's
cabinet, and l have various reasons for stating
that at that time he was opposed to impeach
ment Of MIR. johnson. Grant had accepted the
position Of secretary Of war IN the precedinl
August, OH the suspension OF Edward NJ, Stan
ton, by the president, under the provisions o
the tenure OF office act; that act provided tina
in cases where the president suspended an Off
Ger his reasons for suspension and name OF pr
TEN appointment should be submitted to thu
senate. II the senate approved the suspension
the old incumbents stood removed; II the SENATE
refused to concur, the new nomination fell ant
the old incumbent resumed lhis place, Within
the required time after assembling the senatl
in September, 1857, Mr.. johnson, il
obedience to the requirements Of tn
tenure Of the Office act, submitte
his reasons for his suspension Of Mr.. Stanton Il
theksenate, which were referred to the apprO
PIRATE committee, and as l remember 1t now
without looking to the records, that the com
mittee made an adverse report within a sh0r
time after the recOnvening Of congress. Tit
senate proceeded In executive session and final
" late at night came to the final vote, sustain
ing the report Of the committee and OYerrulinl
the presidents action in s%uspendIDg Mr.. Stan
ton under the law. This vote, ipsO facto. rein
stated Stanton ard removed Grant the mex
morning. Mr.. Stanton appeared at the wal
office at an early hour, and before the arrival o.
Gen. Grant. and on the arrival Of Gen. Grant
Mr.. Stanton informed him OF the action OF the
senate, and said he was now again secretary o.
war. Gen. Grant retired and IN b few days Oc
Cured the scene between Mr.. johnson anC
Gen. Grant in the executive mansion in thu
presence OF all the cabinet. possibly except Sc
ward. In that interview 1t will be remembered
Mr.. johnson stated to Gen. Grant that HI
(Grant) had accepted the portfolio of the Wal
senate disagreed with the action OF the presi
dent in removing Mr.. Stanton, he Grant would
either hold the Office and contest with Mr.. Stan
ton the c nstltutionality OF the tenure Of of1cG
act or in the event OF his unwillingness to do 81
he would give timely notice thereof to the pres
ident in order that the president might subsli
tute the name Of some other person, who would
contest the validity OF the act In question
with stanton. Mr.. johnson claimed
that in his opinion the act wa