Year: 1868

WAsHISGToN, ID. e. FeO. b, looo-


I am in receipt of yours of yesterday,


calling my attention to q correspondence


between yourself and General Grant, pub
lished in the Chronicle, and especially to
that part of said correspondence which
refers TO the conversation between the
President and General Grant at the Cabi-
net meeting on Tuesday, th0. l4th Of jan
uary, and requesting me to state what was
said in that conversation. In reply, l
submit the following statement: At the
Cabinet meeting, on Tuesday, the l4th
January, 1868, General Grant appeared
and took his accustomed seat at the board.


When he had been reached in the order of
business, the President asked him, as usu-
al, if he had anything to present. In re-
ply, the General, after referring to note
which he had that morning addressed to
the President, enclosing q copy Of the res


olution of the Senate refusing to concur in
the reasons for the suspension of Mr..
Stanton, proceeded TO say that he regarded
his duties as Secretary of War aa interim
terminated by that resolution, and that he
could not lawfully exercise such duties for
q moment after the adoption Of the reso-
luton that the resolution reached him
last night, and that this morning he had
gOno 70 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 Adjutant General,
and proceeded 10 the Headquarters of the
Army and addressed the note above men
toned to the President, informing him
that he was no longer Secretary of War


ad interim. The President expressed great
surprise at the course which General Grant
had thought proper to pursue, and, ad


dressing himself to the General, proceeded


10 say, in substance, that he had antici-
pated such action Of the Senate, and, be-


ing very desirous to have the constitution
ality of the Tenure of Office bill tested,


and his right to suspend or remove a mem


Der of the Cabinet decided by the judicial


tribunals Of the country, he had some time


AGO, and shortly after General Grants ap-
pointment as Secretary ad interim, asked
The General what his action would be in
the event that the Senate should refuse to
concur in the suspension of Mr.. Stanton,
and that the General had then agreed
either to remain at the head Of the War
Department till a decision could be OBJ
tanned from the Court, or resign the office
into the hands of the President before the
case was acted upon by the Senate, so as
to place the President in the same situation
that he occupied at the time of General
Grants appointment. The President fur
ther said thst the conversation was resum-
ed on the preceding Saturday, at which
time he asked the General what he intend
ed to do if the Senate should undertake
TO reinstate NIr. Stanton. In reply to
which. the General referred 10 their for
mer conversation upon the same subject,
and said, 81 You understand my position,
and my conduct will be confornlable to
that understanding" that he, the General,
then expressed a repugnanee to being
made a party TO q Judicial proceeding,
saving that he would expose himself to a
fine and Imprisonment by doing so, as his
continuing to discharge the duties of Sec
retary of War ad interim, after the Senate
shouid have refused to concur in the sus-
pension OF Mr.. Stanton, would be viola
lion of the Tenure of Office bill that, in
reply to this, tie President informed Gen.
Grant that he had 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 the
fine and imprisonment, the President
would nav whatever fine was imposed and
submit TO whatever Imprisonment might
be adiudged against him, the General !
that thew continued the conversation for
some time, discussing the law at length
and finally separated without having
reached definite conclusion, and with the
understanding that the General would see
the President again on Monday. In re-
ply General Grant admitted that the con-
yersation had occurred, and said that. at
the first conversation, he had given it as
his opinion to the President 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 reinstate him in Office; that the tHS
would remain in until they could be dis
placed and the outs put in By legal pro.
eeedings, and that he then thought so, and
lad agreed that, if he should change his
mind, he would notify the President IN
time 10 enable him TO make another ap-
nointment but, at the time of the first
conversation, he had not looked very
closely into the law; that it had recently
been discussed by the newspapers, and thai
thev had induced him to examine it more
carefully, and that he had come to The
conclusion that, if the Senate should re-
fuse TO concur in the suspension, Mr..
Stanton would thereby be reinstated and
that he (Grant) could not continue there
after 10 act as Secretary Of War Gd interim,


without subjectlng himself to fine and
impr sonment; that be came over on Sat
urday to inform the President of this
change in his views and did so inform
him that the President replied that he
had not suspended Mr.. Stanton under the
Tenure of Office bill, but under the Con-
sttusion, and had appointed him Grant
by virtue OF the authority derived from
the Constitution, &c. that they continued
to discuss the matter some time, but finally
he left without any conclusion having
been reached, excepting to see the Presi'
dent again on Monday. He then proceed
ed to explain why he had not called on the
President on Monday, saying that he had