history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第55节

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Post　Office　Department　Washington；　February　6；　1868。

Sir：I　am　in　receipt　of　your　letter　of　the　5th　of　February；　calling　my　attention　to　the　correspondence　published　in　the　Chronicle　between　the　President　and　General　Grant；　and　especially　to　that　part　of　it　which　refers　to　the　conversation　between　the　President　and　General　Grant　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday；　the　14th　of　January；　with　a　request　that　I　state　what　was　said　in　that　conversation。　In　reply；　I　have　the　honor　to　state　that　I　have　read　carefully　the　correspondence　in　question；　and　particularly　the　letter　of　the　President　to　General　Grant；　dated　January　31；　1868。　The　following　extract　from　your　letter　of　the　31st　January　to　General　Grant　is；　according　to　my　recollection；　a　correct　statement　of　the　conversation　that　took　place　between　the　President　and　General　Grant　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　the　14th　of　January　last。　In　the　presence　of　the　Cabinet　the　President　asked　General　Grant　whether；　〃in　conversation　which　took　place　after　his　appointment　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　he　did　not　agree　either　to　remain　at　the　head　of　the　War　Department　and　abide　any　judicial　proceedings　that　might　follow　the　non…concurrence　by　the　Senate　in　Mr。　Stanton's　suspension；　or；　should　he　wish　not　to　become　involved　in　such　a　controversy；　to　put　the　President　in　the　same　position　with　respect　to　the　office　as　he　occupied　previous　to　General　Grant's　appointment　by　returning　it　to　the　President　in　time　to　anticipate　such　action　by　the　Senate。〃　This　General　Grant　admitted。

The　President　then　asked　General　Grant　if；　at　the　conference　on　the　preceding　Saturday；　he　had　not；　to　avoid　misunderstanding；　requested　General　Grant　to　state　what　he　intended　to　do；　and　further；　if　in　reply　to　that　inquiry　he　（General　Grant）　had　not　referred　to　their　former　conversations；　saying　that　from　them　the　President　understood　his　position；　and　that　his　（General　Grant's）　action　would　be　consistent　with　the　understanding　which　had　been　reached。　To　these　questions　General　Grant　replied　in　the　affirmative。

The　President　asked　General　Grant　if；　at　the　conclusion　of　their　interview　on　Saturday；　it　was　not　understood　that　they　were　to　have　another　conference　on　Monday；　before　final　action　by　the　Senate　in　the　case　of　Mr。　Stanton。

General　Grant　replied　that　such　was　the　understanding；　but　that　he　did　not　suppose　the　Senate　would　act　so　soon；　that　on　Monday　he　had　been　engaged　in　a　conference　with　General　Sherman；　and　was　occupied　with　〃many　little　matters；〃　and　asked　if　General　Sherman　had　not　called　on　that　day。

I　take　this　mode　of　complying　with　the　request　contained　in　the　President　dent's　letter　to　me；　because　my　attention　had　been　called　to　the　subject　before；　when　the　conversation　between　the　President　and　General　Grant　was　under　consideration。

Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；　Alexander　W。　Randall；　Postmaster　General。　To　the　President。

Department　of　the　Interior；　Washington；　D。　C。；　February　6；　1868。

Sir：I　am　in　receipt　of　yours　of　yesterday；　calling　my　attention　to　a　correspondence　between　yourself　and　General　Grant；　published　in　the　Chronicle　newspaper；　and　especially　to　that　part　of　said　correspondence　〃which　refers　to　the　conversation　between　the　President　and　General　Grant　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday；　the　14th　of　January；〃　and　requesting　me　〃to　state　what　was　said　in　that　conversation。〃

In　reply；　I　submit　the　following　statement：　At　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday；　the　14th　of　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　usual；　if　he　had　anything　to　present？

In　reply；　the　General；　after　referring　to　a　note　which　he　had　that　morning　addressed　to　the　President；　inclosing　a　copy　of　the　resolution　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　ad　interim　terminated　by　that　resolution；　and　that　he　could　not　lawfully　exercise　such　duties　for　a　moment　after　the　adoption　of　the　resolution　by　the　Senate。　That　the　resolution　reached　him　last　night；　and　that　this　morning　he　had　gone　to　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　to　the　headquarters　of　the　Army；　and　addressed　the　note　above　mentioned　to　the　President；　informing　him　that　he　（General　Grant）　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；　addressing　himself　to　the　General；　proceeded　to　say；　in　substance；　that　he　had　anticipated　such　action　on　the　part　of　the　Senate；　and　being　very　desirous　to　have　the　constitutionality　of　the　Tenure…of…Office　bill　tested；　and　his　right　to　suspend　or　remove　a　member　of　the　Cabinet　decided　by　the　judicial　tribunals　of　the　country；　he　had　some　time　ago；　and　shortly　after　General　Grant's　appointment　as　Secretary　of　War　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　agreed　either　to　remain　at　the　head　of　the　War　Department　till　a　decision　could　be　obtained　from　the　court　or　resign　the　office　in　the　hands　of　the　President　before　the　case　was　acted　upon　by　the　Senate；　so　as　to　place　the　President　in　the　same　situation　he　occupied　at　the　time　of　his　（Grant's）　appointment。

The　President　further　said　that　the　conversation　was　renewed　on　the　preceding　Sunday；　at　which　time　he　asked　the　General　what　he　intended　to　do　if　the　Senate　should　undertake　to　reinstate　Mr。　Stanton；　in　reply　to　which　the　General　referred　to　their　former　conversation　upon　the　same　subject；　and　said。　〃You　understand　my　position；　and　my　conduct　will　be　conformable　to　that　understanding：〃　that　he　（the　General）　then　expressed　a　repugnance　to　being　made　a　party　to　a　judicial　proceeding；　saying　that　he　would　expose　himself　to　fine　and　imprisonment　by　doing　so；　as　his　continuing　to　discharge　the　duties　of　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　after　the　Senate　should　have　refused　to　concur　in　the　suspension　of　Mr。　Stanton　would　be　a　violation　of　the　Tenure…of…Office　bill。　That　in　reply　to　this　he　（the　President）　informed　General　Grant　he　had　not　suspended　Mr。　Stanton　under　the　Tenure…of…Office　bill；　but　by　virtue　of　the　powers　conferred　on　him　by　the　Constitution：　and　that；　as　to　the　fine　and　imprisonment；　he　（the　President）　would　pay　whatever　fine　was　imposed　and　submit　to　whatever　imprisonment　might　be　adjudged　against　him　（the　General。）　That　they　continued　the　conversation　for　some　time；　discussing　the　law　at　length；　and　that　they　finally　separated　without　having　reached　a　definite　conclusion；　and　with　the　understanding　that　the　General　would　see　the　President　again　on　Monday。

In　reply；　General　Grant　admitted　that　the　conversation　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　he　would　remain　in　till　they　could　be　displaced　and　the　outs　put　in　by　legal　proceeding；　and　that　he　then　thought　so；　and　had　agreed　that　if　he　should　change　his　mind　he　would　notify　the　President　in　time　to　enable　him　to　make　another　appointment；　but　that　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　that　this　had　induced　him　to　examine　it　more　carefully；　and　that　he　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　if　the　Senate　should　refuse　to　concur　in　the；　suspension　Mr。　Stanton　would　thereby　be　reinstated。　and　that　he　（Grant）　could　not　continue　thereafter　to　act　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　without　subjecting　himself　to　fine　and　imprisonment；　and　that　he　came　over　on　Saturday　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　Constitution；　and　appointed　him　（Grant）　by　virtue　of　the　authority　derived　from　the　Constitution；　&c。；　that　they　continued　to　discuss　the　matter　some　time；　and　finally　he　left　without　any　conclusion　having　been　reached；　expecting　to　see　the　President　again　on　Monday。　He　then　proceeded　to　explain　why　he　had　not　called　on　the　President　on　Monday；　saying　that　he　had　had　a　long　interview　with　General　Sherman；　that　various　little　matters　had　occupied　his　time　till　it　was　late；　and　that　he　did　not　think　the　Senate　would　act　so　soon；　and　asked；　〃did　not　General　Sherman　call　on　you　on　Monday？〃

I　do　not　know　what　passed　between　the　President　and　General　Grant　on　Saturday；　except　as　I　learned　it　from　the　conversation　between　them　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday；　and　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　sta