New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-29
GRANT IN PEACE
By GENERAL ADAM BADEAU.
NO. XIII.
GRANT IN TIE GARNET.
Cn...sesalf 1915

CoTU,yh 1850.
1t was August when Grant entered the CAB
met. and he remained there only until January.
The President of course was aware OF the
views of his new Secretary of War. lie nau
Grants protest before him against the suspehi,,
sion of Stanton he had the knowledge OF al
Grants previous acts and could hardly nave
doubted what his subsequent course wonid pc.
But if he had any doubts they were soon dis
PEELED. Within five days after Grant became
Secretary, Sheridan was removed, ana IN ms
new capacity Grant objected more emphaticaiiy
than ever. He was Overruled, but did 20,
cease his efforts to perform what he beneveu
his duty and his whole term OF service IN .lle
Cabinet was marked by disputes and dilier-
ences W it'll the President. -.
Nevertheless. the storm Of indignation that
burst from the mass OF the pee pie at Tue Noa."
on the supersedure of Stanton ana oneriuau On
tended in some degree to Grant, when newas seen
10 take Stanton's place. Some OF MS s'airoun o
est personal friends regretted his course; wnlie
politicians openly proclaimed that 1t inulcateu
sympathy with JOhnsons policy. Crant re-
maiped silent under the unmeIited reproao .a
and continued as far as ne was aoio W ornos;m
the sill of those who thought ne was oPpos.pps
tnem Tie made strenuous efforts 10 induce the
President to retain the other distilct com
mapders at their posts, but Sickies was soon
relieved by Candy, and rope Dy Meaue ootn
for tho same political reasons which had brought
ahont the removal Of Stanton and Sheridan
The two officers who were substituted were,nOw-
ever. thoroughly imbued with the feeling OF their
predecessors
the law paramount to- the will of any one man,
and proceeded to execute the law In the spirit
in which it had been conceived.
Hancock, who followed Sheridan, was the
only one who took n different stand. lie cid
all in his power to thwart the Congressional
policy and support the President. lie issued
proclamations in direct contradiction of the
spirit OF the Reconstruction measures, revoked
important orders of Sheridan that had been
approved by Grant, and defed the popular
feeling of the North. Grant repeatedly over
ruled him, though the President made every
effort to uphold him but the laws had by this
time been so cOntrived that there was no
possibility of frustrating their intention II
Grant exercised his full authority and this ne
did not hesitate to do. Hancock in few
months asked to be relieved, and his request
was granted.
continued; johnson lost no opportunity to
control events and maintain his own authority
in opposition to that of Congress, and Grant
steadily pursued his task of carrying out the
Reconstruction measures as the recognized
law of the land.
All this while as Secretary of War, Grant
was obliged to attend Cabinet meetings and
WAS frequently present at discussions. ana
arrangements the purpose and tenor OF which ne
entirely disapproved This finally became so
dsagreeabe to him that he requested the
President to excuse him from the purely
political duties of a member OF the Govern
ment He represented that as an officer OF the
army he might be called upon to serve under
different Presidents holding opposite views,
and although he was always ready to obey
legal orders or execute legal measures, II was
not his duty to concert policies or ASSIST Ill the
arrangement of partisan plans. lie was
hardly, he said, a civil minister at all he had
not been confirmed by the Senate, and was
cniy holding Office until the reassembllng OF
Congress enabled the President to NOMINATE
permanent successor .
johnson, with his usual policy, paid no
attention to these requests and continued in
Grants presence the discussions TO when ne
was averse, so that Grant might seem to sanction
what he heard Finally Grant determined not
10 DO enanged and committed IN this way
against his will. He attended the meetings TO
which he WAS summoned, submitted the papers
that required the concurrence OF his colleagues
or the approval of the President, but retired
as soon as the business of detail was trans
acted tho plainly indicating to the Admlnls-
tratiOn that he was not in harmony with Its
general views and would not be identified
with its schemes.
1t is proper to state here that when | relate
what occurred in Cabinet meetings or make
other declarations of Grants action that could
only be learned from himself the statement In
every case is made on his authority; generally
upon what he told at the time to me among
Others. Not long after these occurrences !
wrote ont an account OF them, especially OF
Grants relations with Johnson, which he read
and sanctioned and which he knew was to be
given to the world. This is the foundation and
proof of much that am now publishing.
But although he was often obliged to dissent
in terms from what proposed in Cabinet,
he did this as seldom and as unOifensivey as
possible. lie was man who never sought
quarrel, and it sometimes required downright
Ill-treatment to provoke him. lie was there
fore courteous to the chief whom he had not
sought, and TO the associates with whom he
disagreed /; and succeeded as yet in preserving
amicabe relations with them all. The Presi-
dent invited him and Grant OF course accepted
his invitations his colleagues visited him and
he returned the courtesy; all of which pro-
duced the impression upon the country which
Grant believed that johnson desired. LII gave
the appearance of political support of the
Presidents unpopular course; It made many
Republicans hostile and provoked the criticism
that Grant was trimmer. Yet all the while
lie was doing as much as any Republican in the
land to further the views That Republicans
Entertained.
Ho performed meanwhile all the routine
duties of his place with care, and was an ex
cellent Secretary of War He kept the duties
of his two positions distinct, and rs Secretary
sometimes gave orders to the General of the
Army. He visited both offices daily, spending
few hours in the morning at the War Depart
ment, and later went to his old headquarters.
His staff did not accompany him to the War
Departm he was determined to hold the
post only dd interim, and to give no appearance
of pcrmanency to his enforced acceptance of
is functions. The letters to the General of the
Army went to one place, and those of the
Secretary OF War to another. | opened all of
the former, as usual, and submitted those
that required his attention, as any other officer
would IN the room of the Secretary of War.
The two buildings were on opposite sides of
the same street. aud when went across to see
HIM always thought he received me more
Instantly than at other times but on his
return To his headquarters later in the day he
threw of the appearance of Cabinet Minister
and soldier with his staff, as intimate and
unresrained as ever. | think he always gave
me my title when went to the Secretary of
War; but on other occasions he rarely called
me anything but "Badeau." l remember
urging several points upon him at this time
Which he distinctly refused, because-so it
seemed to me-tbey belonged to the province
of the Secretary and Secretary Stanton would
have refused. l was surprised and dsap-
pointed. and thought to myself had he been