Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-05
GRANT AND JOHNSON.

ue Told MI Oopo"'
rvT-nited states Senator Chaffee adds
,a allowing in a letter to the New York
rltans to support the Hon. Chauncey
nov story that Gen. Grant prevented
n,t.,5ept johnson from inaugurating
-l,oIutionary proceedings after the close
of the war:
Inc .Johnson's administration, Gen
Crauf'- headquarters as General oil sll
ornias of the United States was In
TasninQton. he had frequent talks with
.rs President regarding the South and the
ANS of the late rebels. lt seemed TO be
Iagusou's desire, II not determination, to
o,rs-t Tor punishment some OF the most
Comment Confedrates without regard to
ky paroles which he had given, ana he
VA EXPRESSED himself decidedly TO
% President that those paroles
INST not be disturbed The
narsaryative character Of his position,
contr9sted with that OF the Presidents at
t5sttine. Gen. Grant thought, was what
jcd Johnson afterward to hope that be
,nlcBt ind an ally IN him to carry out the
roiicy he had in his mind for the recon-
stuction of the rebel States. He had ire
[,ent talks with the President in gen.
drI way about the South, but did not
,ivaauv opinion about reconstruction, SO
,bot tbe President was in doubt as to how
Crthp General agreed with him, and how
ar he could depend upon him in case he
Lad any serious conflict with Congress.
rive She following in the Generals
iorgiiqqp AZ near as | can recOllect, and
he facts were related to me at least three
lines within the last three years, and i'm
dressed me wildly. | abbreYiate and
TIy give the material points.
zone day President johnson asked me
whose side | should be on If he should
nave any difficulty with Congress. i an
swered That would depend upon who was
in the right. He said Congress was dis
nosed to encrOaCh upon his prerogatlYe as
president. and he would be glad TO know
that he could depend upon my power and
influence provided he had any conflict
with Congress. ! said If Congress at
tomuted TO usurp his prerOgative as Pres
idpot certainly would be on his side;
TINT was not in favor of one coordinate
4 branch of the government usurping the
rower Of another, and that such condl-
non could not exist in a republican gov
4 eminent.
"He then said the Senators and Repre-
sentatives from the Southern States, who
had lust been elected or were being cleo
ted were rightiully elected, and were
legally a part Of Congress, and ought to
he RECOGNIZED as such and seated-that
The States they represented were States IN
the Union just as much as they ever were;
that they never had been out Of the Union,
and that was the principle upon when
the North fought the rebellion; that the
right way TO settle the reconstruction
4 question was to recognize these Senators
Il and Representatives as duly elected, in
4 dcating that if | would side with him in
This view he would recognize all those
Senator's and Representatives, as legally
elected, and they, with the Demo-
cratic Senators and Representa-
lives Of the North, would make a
a majority and would become the Congress
Of the United States, and if the rest did
not acquiesce and come in they would be
REGARDED by him as IA rump Congress,
whose acts would be Illegal, and conse-
lUently null and void. / said: Mr..
President, that would be an encrOach-
ment on your part upon coordinate
Fl branch Of the government that would
III amount to high-handed usurpatiOn, if not
" treason, which / could not indOrse or
N toerate'-that it would plunge the
M country into anarchy at once, and that no
one could tOrsee the end. ! also said the
question of the status Of those States
belonged to Congress, and l advised him
not TO try such an experiment.
"ln few days ne sent for me and
said be had appointed L. ID. Campbell, of
ONO. Minister to Mexico. and that he had
n fitted up vessel especially, and with
everything / could wish, and he desired
me to 90 with Campbell to Vera Cruz,
and if be was not received by the authOri-
FL ties OF Mexico to come back to the Rio
Grande and proceed up as far as Browns
vile on a tour of observation as to the
contest between Macmillan and JuaTeZ.
thanked him, but sai0 l did not wish to
81 60, and respectfully declined. He said the
Trip would be a pleasant one, and the
rest would do me good, and urged me to
20.
81 sull declined in respectful terms, but
decidedly.
"ln few days l received letter from
him appointing me upon this mission. /
immediately wrote him letter and sent
over to the Executive Mansion declin-
Hs the appointment and referring to our
NJ conversation upon this matter Of few
days before.
81 then saw that it was his purpose to
get me out Of his way, and was deter
mIued to remain IN Washington. Shortly
aver this | was sent for to attend a Cabl-
het meeting. / arrived a little after the
lme Of meeting. and after | was seated
Af. Seward began to unfold and read
paper, which proved TO be my instruc-
t"hs upon this very mission. / arose
uom my chair and asked the Secretary to
suspend reading. when l said: Mr.. Pres
9eht, you once in conversation said you
Ussfed me to 20 on this expedition, and
I1en specially declined; afterward you
woe me letter appointing NE, and /
us"ered YOU by letter respectfully but
aInit declining the appointment; and
uvW say to YOU that lC0n't accept the
position.
lhe President arose from his chair,
sua with great vehemence bringing his
ret GOWN on the table, demanded OF the
"'hes TO know whether be had not au-
,I0I,y AS eX-0ftico Commander-in-Chief
WQer this man 10 this service | said:
KIT PRESIDENT, probably | can answer
NAY question as well or better than any
n'eT or your Cabinet. This is a civil
Iuon, and you have no power TO COM
Me TO accept any civil Office / then
walked out Of the room.
n a snort time he again sent for me,
u "a- smiling and pleasantas ever. He
t' me where Gen. sherman was. J
llat he was then in New Mexico.
,,giuested me 10 telegraph him 10 come
'|shington. | Immediately wired
u' sherman that the President desired
I 70 come TO Washington at once, but
at 1T. Louis and he would find
n nom me. then wrote sherman at
MI L1ui- about these occurrences, and
a,a' MN TO come to my house immedi-
..y upon ais arrival at Washington.
han que course OF time he called at my
W1.. carry one morning, when told him
'NtI NHU Ooeurrnd ond that cha praaf