Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-10-27
GRANT VS.. JOHNSON.

Further Developments Regarding the
Action of the Accidental President.
New York, Oct. 22-The Herald pub
fishes interviews in connection with the
Depew-Grant letter. Col. Fred Grant
said that it had been asked why this ac-
tion of General Grant had not been
brought at the impeachment trial. he
knew of no reason definitely, but he did
know that the general was very much
opposed to the impeachment proceed
lngs, and that his father had told him
that the one great difficulty that occu-
pied the minds Of thoughtful men at
that time was as to who was to take |
Johnson's place if he were impeached. |
He further said that he knew of no doc |
nments in existence that were absolute |
~ corroboratIve of the facts of the con-
versatlon that Mr.. Depew had with his |
father, but be had no doubts that there |
were some public men yet living who
were cOntemporaueous with the period
referred to, and who were maae ac-
quainted privately with the action OF
President johnson. "rhere Is no one
VITO could speak, eaid the colonel,
"with greater confidence and more re-
liability than Gen. Horace Porter"
Gen Porter generally corroborated MIR.
Dephew's story, and said:
| Secretary Seward and Gen. Sherman
praised Gen. Grant for not accepting
the mission of Mexico. A curious COM
pllcation lay in the fact that Gen. Sher.
man had already beer ordered to Wash
lngton 10 take Gen. Grants place, it te-
ing taken for granted that Gen. Grant
| Il
man was already on his way to Washing
ton. Gen. Grant communicated with
him and asked to see him as soon as he
arrived in Washington. Gen. Sherman
arrived IN the morning and went to Gen.
Grants house, where the general told
him of his alarm in regard to the state
OF things at Washington. mentioning
what had transpired with the president,
and the stand he had taken in the mat
ter. Gen. Sherman's patriotism was at
once aroused, and with the promptness
and frankness characteristic of the man,
said: You did right, Grant. You did
exactly right" The question with the
executive then was. what excuse could
he make for having ordered Sherman to
Washington? As he had arrived there,
he was ordered on mission to Mexico.
accompanied by Lew Campbell of Ohio.
That is about the secret history of the
matter. There is no doubt that Gen.
Grant, by his force of character and de.
termination and the strength he had on
account of the confidence of the people
in him, prevented occurrences at that
time which might have been very disas-
) trous.
Gen. Sickles said he had read Mr..
Depew's letter with great interest,
1T is not q surprise to me-" said he,
"for President Johnsons attitude to-
3 ward the south and congress was looked
on with great uneasiness by Gen. Grant
and Secretary Stanton"
The Herald also publishes interviews
e with A. NJ. Kelley and W. w. Pasco,
| which, perhaps, may be best told by
its comments, as follows:
1t will be observed that President
t Johnson's friends-for example. Mr.
D Pasco and Mr.. Keiiev--do not hesitate
, to impugn General Grants veracity
That Is the substance of their Letters,
however it may be veiled by profusion
9 of words. 1t is sad issue that has
# peen raised, but being raised, it is one
o which the country m must insist shall not be
8 averted, but be settled now and forever.
:. On the one hand it involves the loyalty
and honor of president of the United
l. States who has lain ten years in his
f grave. On the other hand, it involves
g the honor and veraclty OF the greatest
, soldier of our continent, who also held
l. the same great Office, and who was
n borne to burial less than two months
}. ago. We deem it the flial duty of Col
10 Grant forthwith to give to the public
- the documents, letters snd personal
10 recollections by which, as he assured
o Mr.. Depew ID letter, he has verified
|. General Grants narrative and President
If Johnson's revolutionary designs anc
proposals. The interview with Col
Grant is not altogether satisfactory.
o BEN BUTLER's VERSION.
o New York, Oct. 23-The Commercia
;. Advertiser publishes an interview witt
Gen. Butler by it's Boston correspondent
on the Grant-Johnson controversy. Gen
B. Butler says: "rhere are many reason
1t why the charge that johnson desired t,
y revolutionize the government was no
" brought up in the Impeachment trial
= The chief reason. and conclusive one
le was that that effense was not charged il
If the articles of impeachment, aud h
"a (Butler) as counsel IN the case, did no
% The charge was not embodied in the al
Is ticles of impeachment because it couls
e. not be proved. The talk between Gen
III Grant and johnson, his commander-in
chief, was the nature of privileged com
= munication, and that Gen. Grant +
r held was shown by the fact that b
Of did not disclose it till long after John
of sons death. There was anothe
project of President Johnson's as t
: revolutionizlng the government, some q
1e the details of which were partly know
at the time, but which could not b
proven, which had not taken the form {
or action, and which were not brought int
!, the impeachment proceedings. Imyse
- had some very strong moral evidenc
n upon two questions which 1 did not car
he to make known to the public in the IN
lie parchment proceedings, but one c
!. which investigated secretly as chail
man of the committee for that purpos,
70 and while there was dipclosed to NJ
ne some very damaging facts, under I'll
ra circumstances thay we're not 80 Cor
20 cl nsive that deemed it proper to e,
hibit an article of impeachment agains
" the president of the United States
rt tthat belief. I still retain some of the il