New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-12
GRANT IN PEACE.
GRANT. SHERMAN AND JOHNSON.
ny GENERAL ADAM BADEAU,

h;s censures Of Sherman's terms IN North 0aro.
Ina General Grant told me at the time ' II'1
the President called sherman h a"'. authorized
The publication OF the comments OF Stah. t
which called down on the great soidicr ',c
denunciations of the country he had helpcu ", w.
ave. But when It became deslrapic 10 nssho
,sc of Sherman johnson could assume uilei .
ont tone He resorted to every Involvement OIL
faitery. confidence and tempting advancemc,',
and offered him in turn the command OF 'l'e
army The brevet of General, and the position VI
Secretary of War, so that he might el1ner copo
with, supplant OF surpass Grant. But ohcin'"
was proof against all his wiles. .o,,-
Johnsons first attempt to pit the greast. oon nf
radcs against each other was In me MAJ, told
the mission to Mexico. have already Nrcs sent
theme. The President ordered Grant " o Sue
i"r lc did net s"G inform the General-jn
Chief of the purpose OF, INC ,o,e ~
This, however, Grant suspected, ana WIZ TSc'c
Sherman to come direct TO his house, ,;r;stra.
he told his friend of the plot of the Admimso,a IRA
ton TO send himself out OF the co"nn ~ the
to nut Sherman in his pace IN D.
interim. Sherman at once wal,cd on ono iIo
dcnt and protested against 'ne scnu, no, 70
rcnrescnted the determination OF GRANT no, 10
leave the country the needlessncss 10 sehu hlln,
and the danger of insisting. FINALLY ne oncic9
himself TO 90 to Mexico, and was Supsu'uteo
for Grant Beyond all doubt 1T was the earnest
N x, y
tions. and above all the discovery of his loyalty
to Grant that changed the purpose OF the frcs-
;dcnt Sherman, however, like Grant at inc
ontset. was completely subordinate In his inter
views with the President and strove TO eAplcSs
no opinions offensive to his superior
year after these events the time came loT
Johnson 10 report his reasons for the suspen-
sion of Stanton. Sherman was then on dutN
at Washington rs president oil BOARD 10 reVise
the regulations of the Army. HIS relations
intln
cusscd in advance the conduct Of Grant In case
the Senate should disapproye the action OF the
President On the 18th OF January, two DAYS
before the Senate decided, Grant told sherman
that he would not retain the office OF Secretary
of War after the disapproval OF the senate {;
and Sherman urged him to make known THIS
intention promptly TO the President. IL was
partly because Of this urgency OF Sherman That
Grant went the same day TO johnson 10 an
nonncc his determination. 1t was also Shcr-
man who first suggested the name OF Governor
Cox as a substitute, when Grant should give
ND the Office and Grant urged Sherman TO re-
peat the suggestion to the President. lhcN
were thus in complete accord. Neither at inns
junctuTc deemed 1T proper mat SCintOh shouu
return TO his office.
But Stanton resumed his place, and his first
act was to send a message to Grant mat thc
Secretary of War desired to see him. This re-
ouired Grant to leave his own Office on the OPP
nositc side OF the street to wait on his superior.
Of announcing that Stanton was IN his seat
especially to The man who had treated INN
with 50 much delcacy few months before
when their positions were reversed lheh
Grant had gone to StantOn's house and told hlln
in advance what he meant to do. and aftcrward
sent formal and highly complimentary
letter before he entered upon his functions
Grant now dislikcd extremely the behavior
Of Stanton and said so to Sherman, as well as
to his own confidential officers.
hc con,p day Grant and Shprn1n went 10
1cthcr 10 the President There had already
appeared in the journal which served as John,
sons m0uthDece accusations OF Glant want
Of faith. and he was loath to enter the En-
ccntivc presence. Tut he put under foot all per-
sonal considerations. Thelposlion OF stanton
was discussed and it was suggested that Grant
should advise him to resign. TIE President
maintained that StantOn'S orders were not valid
while he held Office against the will OF the Head
of the State, and Grant replied that II the
President wished him to dlsobcy stanton, he
should give a written. order TO that erect;
This order Johnson did not give. lie wished
Grant TO take the responsibility OF diS0Wying'
bat was himself unwilling TO take the response
bility of directing the disobcdlcncc.
Grant and Sherman now held frequent con-
fcrcnccS, neither taking any step without the
concurrence Of the other. sherman, hike Grant
subordjnatcd all personal feeling at this Juno
tnrc TO public interests. He forgot any re,
mains of resentment he may have retained
toward Stanton, and offered to go TO hlm with
Grant to discuss the situation but for some
reason the interview did not occur. Grant.
however, visited Stanton, intending TO recon-
mend him to resign, but he soon perceived that
the advice would he useless, and cOunsellcd
Sherman not TO offer IT.
Meanwhile the controversy between Grant
and the President was approaching culmlna-
ton. Twice Grant received important orders
from Stanton requiring immediate action, and
inclOsing communications from the Treasury
that recognized Stanton as Secretary of War
and yet the President had verbally Instructed
him TO disregard Stant0nS authority. Tn the
"a h of January Grant formally requested that
the President would put into writing these
verbal directions. This was not done, and
Grant was placed in a very embarrassing ST.
uaton 1t was the old deyice-to make some
one else do the unauthorized work and take
the responsibility, by which johnson was to
profit without burning his fingers. At the
sumo t;rlc the mputatiOns OF Grants tad fmlh
were continued Finally. on the 2Sth of Jan
uary. Grant renewed his request for written
instructions to disobcy Stanton, and in the
same letter catcgOrcally denied the assertion
of any promise on his part to remain IN Office
after the Senate reinStatcd Stanton.
This brought matters 10 Il head. Within
two days Sherman was offered the position OF
Secretary Of War As soon as 1t became cyl
dent that he could not use Grant, the crafty
politician turned to the next in command.
On the Both Of January Sherman had long
interview with Johnson, in which the Pres
ident proposed either to put Stanton ont by
force. or TO remove him Legally by submitting
Sherman's name to the Senate as Secretary Of
War But to both these measures sherman
was avcrsc. He wrote on the 31st a
letter to the President, full Of wisdom, patriot
ism and cloNucnce. copy of which he gave
70 Grant. In this no said: "To bring me
to Washington would put three heads to the
amy-yOurscf, General Grant and myself and
we would lie more than human if we were not
10 differ. In my Judgment it would ruin the
army, and would be fatal TO one. or two, of
Us" "With nv consent he said, emphatic
ally. Washington, never
The next day the Board of Officers. of which
Sherman was president, concluded It's labors.
and he set out Immediately fol, 81: Louis. to
avoid if possible being caught in the political
storm. johnson caioled him, tempted him and
Hattcrcd him in vain Repeatedly the Pres