Year: 1868

EXECUTIVE MANSION, January 81, 1000.


General,-I have received your commu-
nication of the 18th instant, renewing your
request of the Oath, that should repeat in
written form my verbal instructions of
the 10th instant-viZ., that you obey no
order from the Hon. Edwin NJ. Stanton as
Secretary of War unless you have infor-
nation that it was issued by the Presi-
dents direction.


In submitting this request with which
T complied on the 29th instant) you take
occasion to allude to recent publications in
reference to the circumstances connected
with the vacation by yourself of the office Of
Secretary of War ad interim, and with the
view of correcting statements which you
term "gross misrepresentation" give at
length your own recollection of the facts
under which, without the sanction OF the
President, from whom you had received
and accepted the appointment, you yielded
the Department Of War to the present in
cumbent.


AS stated in your communication some
time after you had assumed the duties of
Secretary of War ad interim, we inter-
changed views respecting the course that
should be pursued in the event of non-con-
currence by the Senate in the suspension
from office of Mr.. Stanton. / sought that in
terview, calling myself ut the War Depart
ment. My sole object in then bringing the
subject to your attention was to ascertain
definitely what would be your own action
should such an attempt be made for his
restoration to the War Department. That
object was accomplished, for the interview
ha licf;p of nm nrct q nHInO
that if, upon reflection, you should prefer
not to become a party to the controversy,
or should conclude that it would be your
duty to surrender the Department to Mr..
Stanton upon action in his favor by the
Senate, you were to return the Office to me
prior to decision by the Senate, in order
that, if desired to do so, might desig-
nate some one to succeed you. 1t must
have been apparent to you that had not
this understanding been reached it was
my purpose to relieve you from the further
discharge of the duties of Secretary OF War
ad interim, and to appoint some other per-
son in that capacity.


Other conversations upon the subject
ensued, all of them having, on my part, the
same object, and leading to the same con-
clusion as the first. 1t is not necessary,
however, to refer to any of them excepting
that of Saturday the 18th instant, men,
toned in your communication. AS 1t was
then known that the Senate had proceeded
to consider the case of Mr.. Stanton, I was
anxious to learn your determination.
After protracted interview, during which
the provisions of the re-of-ofiice bill
were freely discussed, you said that, as
had been agreed upon in our first confer
ence, you would either return the office to
my possession in time to enable me to ap=
point successor before final action by the
Senate upon Mr.. Stanton's suspension, or
would remain as its head, awaiting o
decision of the question by judicial
proceedings. 1t was then understood
that there would be further conference
on Monday by which time I supposed
you would be prepared to inform me
of YOUR final decision. You failed, how
ever, to fulfil the engagement, and on
Tuesday notified me in writing Of the re-
ceipt by you Of official notification Of the
action of the Senate in the case of Mr..
Stanton, and at the same time informed
me that, according to the act regulating
the tenure of certain civil Offices, your