Year: 1868

| ing my attention 30 the correspondence betweei
yourself aud General Grant published in the Ckr0u


tcte, and especially 20 that part Of the said core


spondenoe which refers to the conversation between


the President and General Grant at the Cabine


meeting on Tuesday the I4th Of January, and re
/ questng me TO state what said in that conves


sation. In reply, submit the following statement


At the Cabinet meeting Tuesday, january tn,
6tbi General Grant appeared and took his aceus
toned place at the board. When he had beer
reached IL be order of business the President asked
him as usuAl if be had anything 70 present In re
ply, the Ganera, after referring % the note which
1 nc had that morning addressed 20 the President
enclosHg copy of the resolution Of the Senate re-
fusing TO concur In bis reasons for the suspension
Of Mr.. Stanton, be proceeded TO SAY he regarded
his duties as Secretary Of War Gd interim as terEli
mated by that resolutions and he could not lawfully
exercise such duties for moment after the adop.
ton Of the resolution. That resolution reached him
| lasg night and this morning be bad gone 20 the
War Department, entered the Secretary's room,
bolted one door on the inside, locked the other on
the outside, delivered the key to the Adiutant Cen
erG szd proceeded to the headquarters of the army
and addressed the note above mentioned to the
President, informing him be was no longer Secre-
bary Gd interim. Tho President expressed great
surprise at the course which General Grant had
thought proper 10 pursue, and addressing himself
to the General proceeded to say in substancg that
he had anticipated such action by the Senate and
being very derous to have the constitutionalty Of
the tenure of office bill tested and his right to sus-
pend or remove g member OF his Cabinet decided
by the highest judicial tribunal Of the countlv 'be
had some time ago and shortly after General
Grants appointment as Secretary Of War ad iaterins
asked the General what his action would be in the
event the Senate should refuse to concur in the sus
pension of Mr.. Stanton, and the General had then
agreed, either to remain at the head ftbe War De-
psrtment till decision could be obtained from the
court or resign the office into the hands Of the
D. H. hof.- bo IL T.
the Senate as 10 place the President in the same
situation he occupied at the time Of Grants appoint
ment. The President further said the conversation
was resumed on the preceding Saturday, at which
time he asked the General what he intended to do
If the Senate should undertake to Te-instste Mr.
Stanton. In reply TO which the General referred
70 their former conversation upon the subject,
and said "You understand my position snd my
conduct to he. cOnformabe TO that understanding
That he, General Grant often expressed bis repug-
nance to being made a party to Judicial proceed
ings, saying he would expose himself TO fine and
imprisonment oy doing so, as his continuing to dis
charge the duties of Secretary OF War al interim
after the Senate should have refused TO concur In
the suspension Of Mr. Stanton, would be viola
tion of the tenure of Office bill That IN reply to
this the President informed General Grant that no
ha1 not suspended Mr. Stanton under the tenure Of
Office bill, but by virtue Of the power conferred on
him by the Constitution and as to fine and in
prisonment the President would pay whatever ine
was imposed and submit TO whatever Imprisonment
mig ht be adiudged against him. The General con-
tinued the conversation for some tima and finally
separated without having reached definite con-
clusion, and with the understanding that the Cen
eral would sec the President again on Monday. In
reply. General Grant sdmitted that the conversa-
ton had occurred and said that at the 6Cst cOnver
saton be had given it rs bis opinion TO the Presi-
dent that in the event Of nOn-concurrence by the
Senate in the action Of the President in respect to
the Secretary of War, the question would have to
be decided by the Court; that Mr.. Stanton would
have TO appeal TO the Court to reinstae him in Of
fee. and that the ins would remain in until they be
displaced and others put in by legal proceedings,
and be then thought so, and had agreed II he should
change his mind, he would notify the Presidant IN
time TO enable him 10 make another appointment;
but at the time of the frat conversation he had not
looked very closely into the law. 1t mad recently
been discussed by the newspapers and this had in
duced him 10 examine IL more carefully, and he
had come to the conclusion that II the Senate should
refuse to concur in the suspension OF Mr.. Stanton
he would thereby be reinstated, and he Grant
could continue thereafter to act as Secretary of War
ad interim without submitting himself TO fine and
He came over on Saturday to in
form the president of this change in bis views and
did 60 inform him. The President replied he had
not suspended Mr. Stanton upder the tenure of Of
nos biil tet under The CoastitntiOn, ant had sP
pointed him Grant) by virtue Of the authority de-
rived from the Constitution, etc They continued
to discuss the matter some time and finally be left
without any conclusion haviDg been reached ex-
pecting TO see the President again on Monday
He then proceeded to explain why he had not call
ed on the President on Monday, saying be had
long interview with General Sherman. Various
little matters had occupied hts sime until late and
he did not think the Senate would act. He was
asked, did not Gen. Sherman call on you on Mon
dsy2 I do not know what passed between the
President and General Grant on Saturday, except
as learned from the conversation between them
at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.


The foregoing is substantially what then occurred.
The precise words used on the occasion are not, Of
course given exactly in the order in which they
were spoken, but the ideas expressed and the facts
stated are faithfully preserved and presented.


have the honor 10 be, sir with great respect,


Your obedent servant


o, II. BROWNINe.