Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-10-29
FIGHTING A PRESIDENT.
An Interesting Story of the Re-
construction Period RetoId by
Chauncey M. Depew.
Gen. Grants Unwavering Opposition
to the Alleged Disloyal Plots
of Andy Johnson.
New York telegram ]

New York telegram
The Hon. Chauncey M. Depew has fur
| nished to the press the following open let
ter to Col f. d. Grant:
NEW YORK. Oct. -. 1885.
MY DEAR COLONEL: In answer to yonr re-
| quest for the particulars of the conversation
had with your father, and to which alluded I'm
speech before the Chamber OF Commerce, the
Following is my best recollection:
| About four years ago Eat beside Gen. Grant
at dinner There were many courses, slowly
| served, and the entertainment lasted several
by his trip around the world and among other
| things he said to me that when in China rince
kung, who was Regent and real ruler during
the minority OF the Emperor, told him of
their controversy with Japan. War was
about to be declared, ind the Prince
thought it would be a long and bloody ono, and
| asked General Grant II he wo1d act as arbi-
| TRAITOR The General declined for want OF time
but principally because he was a priv a-e person
| and had no power to enforce his decision. He
ssnggested, however. the terms of compromise
/ When in Japan fhortly after, the Mikado's Min
isters told him their side OF the trouble and re-
| yealed the fact that several of the European
| Governments were actively stirring mp the strife
| on both sides, hoping to benefit by the war; The
same request was made to him on the part of
| the Japanese Government--to act as arbitrator
| and III again declining he stated the substance
OF of the compromise he had advised for China.
i terms proposed by General Grant, and a disas-
| trOus cOnflict averted.
The conversation drifted into consideration
OF his relations with President Andrew John
| son. The narrative of this period was one of
| the most graphic to which ever listened and
| 1t is unfortunate for history and posterity that
| IL cannot be pl eserved as IL was told. 1t had
the local coloring OF conversations with, and
statements made by, the chief actors, and Of the
occurred, invaluable as portraiture and esti-
m mate oi me times: l said in my address that
which were unwrtten quite as important as
any that were recorded, and think this narra-
| tive will bear me out. This is the substance Of
johnson began. the day after the assassination
| OF Mr.. Lincoln, to loudly proclaim at all times
| and places, with constant reiteration the shbbo-
| leth, Treason Is odious and must be punished,
| and the chief rebels shall be hanged" To give
| effect to this sentiment, as soon he was in
| Courts in Virginia finding indictments against
| all the leading members of the Confederacy.
| He also wanted the officers in the rebel army
who had left the regular army to join the rebel
lion to be summarily dealt with by court
martial. These movements Of the President
produced the greatest CONSERVATION through
out the South. The Confederate leaders ap-
pealed to Grant to protect them ON
the parole he had given. He saw
Johnson on the subject. only to be in
tuition commander in chief of the army, and
that ANYTHING done by the commanding General
| on the field was done subject to his approval or
| rejec ion, and he rejected the 4 rms General
Grant urged that the rebels had surrendered on
these conditions, disbanded their organizations.
|
carrying out in good faith their part of the
| agreement, and every consideration of both
| honor and expediency demanded equally good
] faith on the part OF the Government The other
| adapted for 1t by desperate and hopeless men.
| Johnson obstinately adhered to his view, and
Grant fiatiy told him that n there were TO he
any courts-martial one must be called to try
General Grant first; that he would by every
| means in his power protect his parole and ap-
| Congress- the
| called by this attitude OF General Grant very
remarkable change occurred in the views
and policy of President Johnson. General
| Grant discovered that the most frequent and
| favored visitors to the White House were the
men whom the President had prescribed. In
| the Generals opinion Johnsons loyalty was
subordinate to, IL not entirely dependent upon,
| his entire enmity to the slaveholding oligarchy.
e was snd 0ST na1 ofea Ss
| public positions he had held, he could not
| break through the class barrier. and was treat
| ed socially with contempt by this proud aris-
tocracy. When they plunged into rebellion he
| saw his opportunity. He believed in the power
! of the Government, and thought that the time
had come when he could defeat his enemies.
! confscate their property, humiate their pride,
| and possibly destroy them.
| The absorbing ambition and passion of his
| life had been to be received and treated as one
| of them by the oligarchy, Having failed in
that and suffered insult and indignity in the
! effort, he became one of the most vindictive OF
| men. He saw them foiled in their rebellion,
defeated and impoverished, and now he wanted
TO kill them. While he was devising means to
| overcome General Grants resistance TO this last
purpose the leaders OF the old teudalism called
| upon him. They admitted their former treat
ment and justified i. They said that in all
listed, conditions were always possible which
promoted men who had achieved success from
| the lower into the noble order As President
of the United States, he became. regardless of
| birth and ancestry, not only member OF their
| order, but its leader. Johnson was wild with
delight; ambition and pride were both salts
| became
| perpetuate in some form a system which had
given the highest social and political dstinc
| tion to few great families as he had been
| to destroy it. Grant did not have long to
! wait for the formulation OF his plan. The PTes-
dent sent for HIM, and sad that the radical
! would destroy the country. The war was over,
and tn, Republic wanted peace, and that was
possible only by union of all sections. The
rovsional governments provided for the Sc
| ceded States we're temporary expedients without
constitutional authority, and the States had all
they had before tho war He had perfected
scheme TO accomplish this result, and with Gen.
Grants assistance its success was assured He
would by proclamation direct the rebel States
| 10 send to Washington their full quota of
Senators and Representatives. He had assur-
| ances from enough members from the North
who, united with them, would make quorum
of one house at least, IL not both. The
Congress thus formed he would recognize
| and install at the Capitol. II the other North
ern members did not choose to join, they
would be q powerless rump meeting in some
| hall To the Generals suggestion that this
| would start the Civil War afresh, the President
replied: "They who do it will be the rebels, but
IL You sustain me. resistance will be impos-
| sibe."
He appealed to Grant to stand by him in the
crisis and they would be the saviors of the Re-
public After endeavoring for a long time in
| vain TO convince the President of the folly Of
such a course and it's certain failure, no matter
who sustained IL, Grant finally told him that he
would drive the CONGRESS- so constituted out OF
the Capitol at the point of the baynot, give pos
session of the building to the Senators and
Representatives from the loyal States, and pro-
tect them. IL necessary, he would appeal to
the country and to tho army he had so recently
mustered out Of service Mr.. johnson asked
IL he did not recognize the powers vested in the
President by the Constitution, and IL he would
refuse to obey the Commander-in- Chief Gem
eral Grant said that under such circumstances
he most certainly would,
Shortly afterward the President sent for Gen.
Grant, and said to him that the relations OF our
Government with Mexico were very delicate,
and he wished him to go to the City OF Mexico
at once on very important mission. The Gen.
eral knew that this was to get him out OF the
country, and put II In the power of the Presi-
dent to call, as his successor to Washington,
some officer upon whom he could rely. He re-
piled that II the appointment was diplomatic
one he declined IL; II IL was military one he
refused to obey, because the General OF the
army could not be ordered TO a foreign country
with which we are at peace. The interview was
a stormy one but the subject was dropped
One day the General was sent West on q tour
0H t,.nr 10 Ena mt an an