The Portland daily press., 1885-10-21

pew has furnished to the press the following opei
letter to Colonel F. d. Grant:
NEW YORK, Oct. II, 1885.
My Dear Colonel:
In answer to your request for particulars o. q,
conversation had with your father and 10 Wnici W
alluded in speech before the Chamber 0l Soill
merce, the following is my best recollection
''About four years ago l sat beside Genera
Grant at dinner. There we're many courses SLOW
ly served and the entertainment lasted severa
hours. We discussed many matters suggested Dl
his travels around the world, and among otnel
things he said to me that when in China Prinet
Kung who was regent during the minority OF VIZ
Emperor told him OF their controversy with Japai M
War was about to be declared and the pflnce
thought 1t would be a long and bloody one ano
asked General Grant il he would act as arpiIrA
tor. The General declined for want OF time, Du
principally because he was a private person ant
had no power to enforce his decision. lie sug
gested, however, terms OF compromise. Wnen Y
Japan shortly after the Mikados ministers tolg tong
their side Of the trouble and revealed the Iacl
that several Of the European governments weIt
actually stirring up strife on both sides, nopng te
benefit BY war The same request was maGe y y
act as arbitrator and he again declined, put Us ns
stated the substance of the compromise ne nag
advised for China. The two nations adopted SUD
stantially the terms proposed by Gen. Grant and
disastrous conflict was ayerted.
The conversation also drifted into consldera'
tion of his relations with President Andrew
johnson and his narrative of this period was one
of the most graphic descriptions to which ever
listened and it is unfortunate for history anu
told l said in my address that Gen. Grant per
formed services to his country, and wmcn were
unwritten, quite as important as any that We're
recorded, and think this narrative Will bear me
out This is the substance OF the story:
johnson began the day after the ASSASSINATION
of Lincoln to loudly proclaim at an ZINES aaa
sTreason Is course and must be punished and
chief rebels shall be hung" To give effect to this
sentiment as T as esrts NJ n Vga finding
dictments against all the leading members OF the
Confederacy. He also wanted the ofiicers III the
rebel army who had left the regular army to
ioin the rebellion to be summarily dealt with by
court martial These movements OF the PreSl-
dent produced the greatest CONSERVATION through
out the South and the Confederate leaders appeal
ed to Gen Grant to protect them on the parole he
had given He saw Johnson on the subject only
to be informed that the President was by the con,
stitution the commander-in-chief of the army and
anything done by the commanding general on the
field was done subject to his approval or reJee-
tion and he rejected the terms OF the parole. Gen
Grant urged that the rebels had surrendered on
these conditions disbanded their organizations,
submitted universally to the situation and were
carrying out in good talth thelr part 4I tle agree
expediency demanded equal good faith on the part
of the government. Any other course would nave
led to an endless guerilla warfare conducted IN a
eollntry admirably adapted for it by desperate
and hopeless men. President johnson however,
obstinately adhered to his view and assumed the
authority of commander, when Gen. Grant natly
told him that if there were to be anya court mar
tials one must be called to try Gen. Grant frSt
and that he would by every means IN MS power
protect his parole and appeal to Congress ana
In the halt called by this attitude Of Gen. Grant
very remarkable change occurred IN the views
and policy of President johnson. Gen. Grant
discovered that the most frequent ana favored
visitors to the White House were the men wnom
the President had prescribed. In the GeneraIs $
opinion Mr.. Johns0n's loyalty was subordinate,
if not entirely dependent on his intense hatred OF
the slave-holdng oligarchy. He was poor white,
had been ourneyman tailor ana n9twbtnSId ha aid
he could not break through the class barrier, and
was treated socially with contempt by this proud
he Saw his opportunity. he believed in the pow
er Of the government, and thought the time had
come when he could defeat his enemies, confis,
cate their property, humiliate 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 ollgarchy HAY
ing failed in that and suffered insult and lndlgnl-
ty in the effort, be became one OF the mort vim
dictive of men. He sew them foied in their re-
beon defeated and he and eVw
means to overcome Gen. Grants resistance to
this last purpose the leaders Of the old feudafsm
called on him They ADMITTED thelr former breai
all ages and countries where caste distinctions ex-
isted conditions were always possible which pro-
NOTED men who had achieved success, from
lower into noble order, and as President OF the
United States he became, regardless OF blftn or
ancestry, not only member OF their order Dlll us
leader Johnson was wild with delight; his am
btion and pride were both satisfied, and be be-
came as anxious to sustain and perpetuate in
some form system which aad gem fel tne naese
social and political dlstncton 70 rev great ltll-
lies, as he had been to destroy IT.
Gen Grant did not have long to wait for the
formulation of his plan. The President sent Tor
him and said that the radical measures of Con
gress were revolutionary and would Destroy tlie
country. The war was over and the Republicans
wanted peace, and this was possible only by the
union of all the sections; the provisional govern
ments provided for the seeded States were tehl-
porary expedents and without eonstIutlonai liii
r1 tla of a
should possess all the powers they had before the
war. He had perfected scheme TO accomplish
this result and with Gen a Gant bv
direct the rebel States to send to Washington
their full quota of Senators and Representatives.
He had assurances from enough members irom
the North who united with them, would make a
quorum of one House at least If not both, ana the
Congress thus formed he would recognize and IN
stall at the capitol, and if the other Northern
members did not choose to join they would De a
powerlesS rump meeting in some hail.
To General Grants suggestion that TINS ,li woula
start the civil war afresh, the President replied,
"They who do it will be rebels, but If you sustain
me resistance is impossible" He appealed to
General Grant to stand by him in the Crisis and
they would be the saviours of the republic. At
ter endeavoling for long time In vain 10 convince
the President of the folly of such course and It's
certain failure no matter who sustained 1t. Sen.
Grant finally told him that he would drive the
Congress so constituted out of the capitol at the
point of the bayonet, give possession G1 the buld
ing to the senators and representatives from tne
loyal states and protect them; and ii necessary ne
would appeal to the country and to the army ne
had so recently mustered out of service.
President johnson then asked him II he dld lol
recognize the powers vested In the President by
the constitution and If he would refuse to obey
the commander-in-chief, to which General
Grant said that under such circumstances he mosl
certainly would. Shortly afterward the President
sent for General Grant and said to him that the
relations of our government with Mexico Weft
very delicate and wished him to go to the City Of
Mexico at once on very important mission Inc
General knew this was TO get him out OF the way
and nut it in the power of the President to call as
his successor to Washington some officer upon
whom he could rely, and he replied thai
if the appointment was diplomatic one he de
clined ii and if military one he refused to obey
because a General of the army could not be or
dered to foreign country with which we are al
neace The interview was stormy one, but the
Subject was dropped. One day General GRAM
was sent West on tour of inspection, but he
knew Gen Sherman was to be his successor, ant
in him he had absolute confidence, and the out
spoken LOYALTY of that great soldier prevented tht
project ever being renewed 1t is at this date
needless to speculate on what might have hap
pened had General Grant actively assisted o.
passiyely obeyed the President. No one doubt:
the courage and obstinacy of Andrew johnson
and only q man of equal firmness and deteTnIna
tion could have prevented a most calamtOlS anc
unfortunate strife at the most critical period
reconstruction of the republic
Yours very truly,
fSiqned) CHAUNCEY NJ. DEPEw.
Col. Grant replied to Mr.. Depew that it wal
possible to verify the story.