New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-29

was prep0sterOus, aud uran' Po''ii1t h of Ian.
deternination This was on the llth Oh jan
nary. The President still would not accept the
refusal and when Grant left the room sald no
Johnson) would expect to see the uenerai again.
The next day was SUNDAY, anu as IL was
evident that the Senate would not concur In
the suspension of Stanton Grant was greatly
concerned. He was not anxious that Stanton
should be restored, for he felt that his power for
good was now ended md that the workings OF the
Government would Je needlessly thwarted bythe
intrusion of an unwelcOme Cabinet officer upon
the Head of the State. Stanton could hardly be
expected to share this feeling; his personal
triumph was concerned in his restoration; but
this TO Grant was less important consldera-
ton than the public interest. General Sherman
was i'm Washington at this time, and at Grants
request he went on Monday to the President to
urge him TO nominate Secretary who would
be acceptable to the Senate, so that Stanton
might be legally relieved. Grant proposed ex-
Governor Cox, Of Ohio, who was Repu olican
but not so Outspoken in his hostility TO the
President as many of his party Grant thought
that this selection might bridge over the
difficulty. He urged this task on Sherman be-
cause the President had always seemed to
suppose that Sherman was more in accord with
his views than Grant. The Hon. Revcrdy
Johnson also saw the President and recon-
mended the same course; but the President
did not accept the suggestion. Thus Saturday,
Sunday, Monday passed
1t was late on Monday, the 18th of January,
when the Senate resolved that the causes for
removing Stanton were insufficient. Grant
attended levce of the President that night,
but had only formal and unofficial conversation
with him. Early on the 14th Grant went to
the office of the Secretary of War locked and
bolted the door on the outside, and handed the
key to the Adjutant-General of the Army. 81
am to be found at my office" he said, " at army
head0uarters." He then Immediately sent a
formal letter to the President announcing
that he had been notified of the action of the
Senate and that by the terms OF the law his
own functions as Secretary of War ceased from
the moment of the reception OF the notice.
When Grant parted with the President on
the / / tn he supposed that he had given all the
necessary notification to Johnson of his course.
was with hiT, with other stan officers, when he
left his headquarters with this intention, anu
also on his return, when he stated what had
occurred. He declared that he had told Mr..
Johnson that on no account could he consent to
hold the office after the Senate should act.
The President persuaded, and argued. and
would not be satisfied with Grants decision
Johnson was always slow in arriving at Il decision
while Grant was usually instantaneous in acton
when the crisis came johnson could even now
not determine what to do he did not positively
decline to nominate Cox; he delayed on Sun
day, and on Monday but the Senate acted,
and then Grant did exactly what he had said
he would do. He gave up the Office, and
Stanton at once took possession.
This johnson had not intended to allow. lie
meant if possible that Grant should retain the
post so as to enable HIM to test the constitu-
tionality of the law; and Grants prompt
| obedience to the law disconnected his plan.
Still Johnson refused to recognize the action OF
| Grant aud at once summoned MIN TO CAP,
| met meeting. Grant Obeyed the message and
was addressed as Mr.. Secretary" lie
| instantly disclain ed the title, and declared
lie had notified the President that he could
no longer serve in that capacity; but johnson
maintained that Grant had promised to remain
until successor could be appointed. This
whole subject has been so fully discussed that
repetition would be unsuitable to the charac
ter of these papers, have no further
| ey idence to offer than what is already before
the world. The result was direct issue of
| yeracity between Grant and the President.
| Grant positively denied the assertion OF johnson
| and johnson induced three OF his Cabinet
| Ministers to declare that he spoke the truth,
which implied of course that Grant was false.
Grant ne, er spoke TO either OF these men
again, nor allowed his family to visit theirs
On the day when he was inauguratcd as Prcsl-
dent he refused to sit i'll the same carriage with
his predecessor, and during his Administra;;
| ton he manifested the same spirit toward
Johnson's Secretary OF the Treasury:
! McCulloch had returned to his old business of
| banking and was established IN Lona0n
as a partner in the house of Jay Cooke,
McCulOch g. Co. This firm was selected
by the Secretary of the Navy to re-
ceve the deposits made in London for
the payment of naval officers on foreign ser
vice. 1t was purely American firm and its
leading partners were intimate personal friends
of Grant If the McCuloch difficulty was
recOlected at all it was not supposed that it
would affect the appointment. Grant, how
ever, retained his indignant feeling, and only
assented to the appOiut ment after long besita-
ton, on account Vf the public considerations
involved, and his confidence IN the judg-
ment Of Robson. He spoke to me of this
matter years afterward and told how I'M
willingly he had acquiesced Hc always added,
however that though the London house was in
volved by the failure of Jay Cooke & Co. in
this country, and finally suspended payment,
the business was so managed thlt the Govern
ment suffered no loss.
The heated discussion between johnson and
Grant is historical. Letters of an extraOrdi-
nary character were exchanged between them,
and Immediately made public. All the long
series of difficulties and exasperatiOns
eliminated now, and when Grant found his
personal honor impugned he became as angry
rs any tIOtsDur in the land. He had at first
been willing to admit that the President might
have persuaded himself of what he so much
wanted and believed that in another interview
he could induce Grant to take the step he
asked. Johnson had constantly tlattered him
self that he could control Grant, and he
probably had not given up the hope even now
while Grant, with his usual subordination, his
undemOnStIatlve demcanOr, his cbariness of
speech, having said what he intended, saw DO
need to confirm, or repeat, or amplify; and
when Johnson said he would see HIM again.
did not refuse. But neither did he assent If
Congress had not acted sc promptly on Monday
it is probable that he would have seen Johnson
again, for he was profoundly anxious to
trahquize the situation. But Congress
acted, and Grant with his usual decision acted
also. Then when Johnson charged him with
actual deception, he never forgave him.
The letter which terminated their intercourse
was Grants. He had written one with less
acrmOny than he felt and which admitted the
possibility of the Presidents misconstructon
but Rawlins, who was a politician by nature,
and who had long forcseen the result of all the
political complications, felt that now the time
had come. He had enormous force, and ut
intervals enormous influence with Grant lie
took the letter that Grant had written and
said: "This will not do. 1t is not enough"
and then prepared the draft of the important
the President. This was afterward cOnsld-