Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-25
Johnson NOT FOR WAR.
acpDTAN,s STORY OF THE CON
rT1UOvERSY WITH GtANT.

p~.sidept of the Opinion that the
An.,.t,nu Laws We're Sufficient to Ac-
,,t.b reconstruction, bat Con-
80 Of a Different Mind-Grant
Ina not to be the scspegoat.
LIONS, Oct. 24.--The Gl06e-Demo
..,tt today contained a long interview
h Gen. sherman in regard to the Grant
'.srson matter. The General starts out
BY saying; .,.,. =, $500,
i-sortroversv now, but | have all the docu-
asrfs p-rtaniug to II IN my possession, ana
.rro Won it has not been forgotten. ] think
ass'"94iers are getting badly mixed up over il,
.rdthe more testimony given the more con-
tn.ed 30 becomes
The General gives a long account of
INV ond whv he was sent to Mexico with
Minister Campbell instead OF Gen. Grant,
-Tbicb is substantially the same as given
!, the Associated Press dispatches from
PbiIade Ohia, and which the General ac-
tnowledged 10 be mainly correct.
GRANT NOT AFRAID OF VIOLENCE.
Hethen proceeds as follows:
rnever understood Gen. Grant to express
nv fear that Mr.. johnson contemplated any
3ence. Mr. johnson firmly believed that
Demonstration and laws then existing were
sI sufhcient for the reconstruction of the
soatbern states. Congress thought other
wise. and in the quarrel between that body
md the President, Gen. Grant was in danger
ofbelng made the scapegoat,
Gen. Sherman here produced large
bundle of letters from Gen. Grant, and
continued:
These letters cover the period in question.
They are all OF friend ana confidential
nature. but there is nothing in them which
would 20 TO show that Gen. Grant appre-
Tended any national danger. When Secretary
stanton WAS restored 10 office Mr.. johnson
lccussd Gen Grant Of having surrendered
Ms Office without resistance. That was the
cause OF the quarrel. .
WHERE THE FIGHT LAY.
II was fight between the President and
Congress-, and Gen. Grant was not willing
eyshould Wage it ever mis- shoulders. Mr..
smn5oa being backed by Congress, Gen.
Grant retire.. Mr.. johnson was hostile 10
MI stanton, and he dld not want MN IN his
Cabinet. Gen. Grant concluded that the best
way out Of the difficulty was to let the Pres
dent, Congress and blr. stanton fight IL out
among themselves. l think the papers are
making too much OF this controversy. 1t is
simply an effort to rekindle the embers Of a
fire which has long since ed ont. / do not
believe Mr.. Depew intended to do more than
10 repeat IRON memory the statement made
by Gen. Grant at the dinner table.
NOTHING MEANT BY JOHNSON.
He Is z very honorable gentleman, but he
no DOUBT thought there was something in this
matter, but there was nothing more in MIR.
J0hnsOn's attitude than ordinary political
differences which will exist between men of
different parties. 1 repeat again that there
was no violence intended. Everybody was
SEX and tired of war. NObo ~ thought of
ighung, except on paper. After Mr.. Stan
Dn wa removed wanted President johnson
Onominate Gen. Jacob d. Cox as Secretary
dWar and his confirmation by the Senate
would have settled the whole controversy.
Nr. Reverdy Johnson conceded with me in
his particular, bat President johnson would
iglJ it out in his own way. AS 1 have
already stated Mr. johnson was impressed
With the belief that with the constitution and
laws ne could successfully reconstruct the
south.
LINCOLN OF THE SAME OPINION.
Mr.. Lincoln, think. was Of the same opin-
0n. Congress, however, wanted to provide
the machinery and dictate the terms by which
the States that had seeded might be admitted
mo the Union. Between Congress and the
President Gen. Grant had very unhappy
time OF It for about year. Then when the
question was asked, 'NhO will be President
jOlnson's successOr?n the answer invariably
was. Gen. Grant" OF course there was q
desire on the part of some to crush Gen. Grant
u there was after the Mexican war TO kin
Gen. Scott, whirh they did, and Gen. Taylor,
Which they did not. When Gen. Grant was
5ected President in 1858 these thA1t ceased
To De talked about, but to r., are being stirred
up again now. All tn correspondence and
documents relating to that controversy have
o'e9 sayed, however, and they will yet be
made public.