Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1886-11-03
I,lrEuECks Or PUbtIC MN.


the reconstruction bill was passed over
his veto, although his friends announced
that while no opposed the act and had
| resisted IL passage, IL wAs the law of
the land, and he would fairly execute
l. He appointed Gems. Sheridan,
Sickles, and Pope to carry out its pro-
visions, and he was regarded ~ an OBJ
stinAte man performing an unpleasant
duty. Then he began to doubt, and
Attorney General Stanberry, aided by
Judge Jere. Black, declared that the
reconstruction oct was not legal, and
THAT the military commanders ct the
South were merely policemen. Con-
gress met in midsummer and made the
act more stringent in it's provisions
| The Presidents advisers then counselled
him TO change those who we're executing
1 the provisions Of the act at the South.
Stanton was removed from the War
Department and Grant appointed in
his place. Sheridan was replaced by
Hancock, and Sickles and Pope were
relieved from duty. When the Senate
met it overruled the deposition of Mr..
Stanton, and Gen. Grant gracefully re.
| tired that the "War Secretary" might
resume the duties Of his Office. This
made President johnson very angry.
| He had wanted TO use Gen. Grant as o
cats paw for keeping Stanton out of the
War Department, and had hoped at
the same time to injure him in the est.
nation of the people. He raised .
question Of veracity with the general
commanding, but Congress and the
people speedily decided between the
soldier. whose reputation for veracity
was untarnished, and the President,
who had broken his promises and had
betrayed his friends. The facts were
as follows: Gen. Grant, having learned
on the 18th of January that the Senate
had taken up the subject of Stanton's
suspension, immediately went to the
President and informed him, as he had
pledged himself to do ON a former oc-
casion, Of the change that had taken
place in his views touching his duty
under the tenure-of-office law. The
President did not deny this, but added
that Grant agreed "either to return the
Office to my possession in time to enable
me to appoint successor before final
action by the Senate upon Mr.. Stanton Is
suspension, or would remain at its head,
awaiting decision by judicial pro-
ceedings." In his reply to this Gen.
Grant said, with great explicitness:
"You know that we parted on the
18th ult. without any promise on my
part, expressed or implied, that l would
hold on to the Office Of Secretary of
War, al interim, against the action of
the Senate, or, declining to do so,
would surrender it to Won before such
action was had, or that would see you
again, at any fixed time, on the subject.
The performance of the promises al
legged to have been made by me would
have involved a resistance of the law,
and IN inconsistency with the whole
history of my connection with the sus-
pension of Mr.. Stanton
That is the case as stated by both
parties, and the whole of it. Gen.
Grant said the President knew that such
promise as the President asserted he
made would have been inconsistent with
his whole connection with the suspen-
sion of Mr. Stanton. He had in the
outset protested against his removal
when inevitable he had consented to
act al interim to prevent the appoint
ment OF some one who would, "by OPP
position to the laws relating to the
restoration Of the Southern States to
their proper relation to the Govern.
ment, embarrass the army in the per.
Torrance of the duties especially de.
volved upon it by the laws" and he
had, as agreed, notified the President
of his intention to respect the tenure-of.
Office bill and vacate the War Office the
moment Mr.. Stanton should be rein.
stated. The President did not deny
this, but sought to impugn Grants
good faith by asserting that he further
pledged himself not to vacate without
notifying him in time to appoint his
successor, or to hold on and await O
judicial decision. This involved con-
tradliction in itself. The President did
not deny that Grant ut this interview
on the 18th informed him how he should
act under the law Of Congress if the
Senate non-concurred in Mr.. Stanton's
suspension. He satisfied himself by
this statement, and determined the
question Of veracity in favor of Grant
The General had visited him, as he told
Gen. Sherman that day it was his in
tention to do, for the express purpose
of announcing to the President that he
had changed his opinion of the tenure.
otoiice bill, and should retire if the
Senate reinstated Stanton. He had no
other object i'll view. and the President
could not have been left in doubt of the
course the General would pursue. II
he wanted to anticipate the Senate and
appoint Stanton's successor, lie
should then and there have
demanded Grants resignation. and
made the appointment forthwith
or he could then and there have issued
an order commanding Grant to retain
the Office. President johnson finally
sent to Congress message, written, il
was said, by Judge Black, covering a
copy of his reply to Gen. Grants letter.
The General was charged in his letter
with INSTRUMENTATION, in declining to
obey the Presidents instructions in re-
lation to orders from the Secretary oil
War; and the reasons assigned by the
General for accepting and holding the
Office Of Secretary of War ad interim
were sharply criticised. The message
was accompanied by letters from Secre.
taries Welles, McCulloch, and Brown.
ing, and Postmaster General Randall,
in which the Presidents version of the
conversation between. himself and
Gen. Grant, on 18th oil
January, was very positively
sustained. A letter from Secretary
Seward was also given, which materially
qualified some Of the points made by
Mr.. johnson. The reply Of Gen. Grant
TO this communication was confined te
the charge Of characterization, against
which he defended himself in q moder.
ate sort of way, and expressed readi.
ness to obey all legal orders from the
President when properly informed Of
them.
Daniel Webster was generally eulo
gized after his death, but Theodore
Parker availed himself Of the oppor'
tunity to say hard things about the
lecoased atafaaman in n sprmon which