The Mineral argus., 1885-11-12
ANOTHER BIT or HISTORY.
Ex-senator chsfos Tells Of a Conversation He
Had with Cen Gran. Relative 10 the
johnson conss;-scy.

The New York T.itune publishes a letter
from ex senator thgii,e on The Grant
John-on controversy. in whic. the Sena-
tor corroborates fully the statement made
by Channcey NJ. Depew. Mr.. Chafiee saws
the story was given t. him by GEN Grant.
and lac believes every word Off l. true. He
says:
give tie following in the Generals Ian
gtaSe as near as l can recuiiect anu the
Iacis were related to me at least three times
within the last three years, and IMPRESSED
me vividIy. l abbreviate and only give the
material points. Gen. Grant said: One
day President johnson asked me whose
siue should he Oh II lie should have any
diiiicuity with Conprsss ] answered that
would depend upon who MAS in the right
Tie said corsress Was disposed to cncrOach
upon has lreici;atives as president. and he
would be lad Ia KNOW HAT he could de-
pend on my power and influence provided
he had any conflict with congress. | said
u congress attempted to usurp hi, preroya-
lives as president ! should certainly be on
iiis 'iuc, ana that was not ia favor of one
co-ofuiilaic braiich OF the gov ,rnfaent
isurping the power oi another and that
such Il CONDITION could not exist in "A repub-
iicaii So,erniicnt. lie ,tien said the SEN
aiof> ahd representatives from the South
eril States who had just beeii elected or
we're neiis elected, were rightiu.ly elected
ANT "eie legally part of Congress and
ought to Dc recos.D ls,i a. such and seated
tbat lnr states they represented we're States
III ihe tnipii, Just as nlJch as they ever
were that they hai never been on, ot the
Union, and that was the principle upon
winch the Nortn Tough. the rebellion that
the right way To settle the reconstruc,io
representatives, as legally elected and they
wIth the Democratic senators OF the North
"ouId make "a majority, and become the
congress OF the United Sta,es, and il the
rest ulu hot ac'iulcscc ana come in they
would be regarded by him as a rump con-
gres,, whose acts would be illegal aud con-
sequently null and void. | said: MI
Prc,idcnt, that would be an .ncroachment
GA your part upon II coordinate branch OF
the government, that would amount To
high handed usurpation, if not to treason,
which could not endorse or tolerate
that it would plunge the country into an
archy at once, and that no one could for
see the end. aiso said the status of those
states belonged To congress, and / advised
him not To try such an experiment. In "a
lea days he sent for IiIe and said he had ap-
pointed l.. ID. Campbell of Ohio. minister
To Mexico, and that he had fitted up ves-
sci especially and with every thing could
wish, and he desired me To go with Camp
bcil To Vera Cruz, ana IL he was not re-
ceiNed by the authorities of Mexico, come
back to the Rio trande and proceed up as
tar rs Brownsville on tour OF observation
as to the contest between Maximiiian and
Juarez. thanked him bur said did not
Wish To gn. and respectfully declined. 1
saw that 1t was his pdrI",se TO get me out
OF the way, and WAS determined to remain
IN Washington. Shortly amer this | was
sent Tor to attend "a cabinet EicetIng, i ar
riy,d "A little after the time oi meeting, and
alter was seated Mr. Seward began to un-
ioid ana read q PAPER, which proved To be
II y instructions upon this very voyage. |
arose IN my seat and ASKED the secretary to
suspend reading, and l said: "ar. Presi-
dent, You once in conversation said you
desired ine To go on this expedition. and
then res pcctluiiy declined. Aiterwardsyou
"fote me "a ieiter appointing me, and ! |
answered YOU by letter, respectfully but !
ARMY declining the appointment, ANA how |
| say Ia you that l WON except the posi- |
ton The president arose from his chair |
AMI with great NeheiueilCc demanded oi the |
cabinet Ia know whether lie had not the |
authority Us cx-ufliciO conlInander-in-chi2f !
to oIder this man Ia this service. l said: |
Mr. ir,sident, probably | can ans wer that |
question rs well or better than any member |
oi your cabinet. This Is civil position. |
anu you have no power to compel any civil |
piilccr. | then waiket from the room. |
ia short time he again sent for nie and |
MAS a smiling and as pleasant as ever. lie |
asked lac where Gen. Sherman was. re-
i,iiei that he was then ia New Mexico. lie |
requesled me to Telegraph him To come to !
Washington. j Immediately wired General !
Sherman that the presioent desired him To |
coi;e to Washington at once, but to stop AT |
st. Louis and he would lihd a letter from !
me. | then wrote Sherman at St. Louis |
about these occurrences and asked him to |
come to my house immediately upon his |
arrival ia Washington. la due course OF |
iine he called a, my house early one morn
ng, when | told him what had occurred, |
md that the president would probably ask |
ann ,o ga Ia Mexico with Campbell. zen. |
sherman called upon the President, and 1t |
was arranged ior him to 20, and very I
shortly he aid L. y. Caiiipbci! sailed