history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第50部分

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ion　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　stated　are　faithfully　preserved　and　presented。　I　have　the　honor　to　be；　sir；　with　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant。

O。　H。　Browning。　The　President。


Department　of　State；　Washington；　February　6；　1868。

Sir：　The　meeting　to　which　you　refer　in　your　letter　was　a　regular　Cabinet　meeting。　While　the　members　were　assembling；　and　before　the　President　had　entered　the　Council　Chamber；　General　Grant；　on　coming　in；　said　to　me　that　he　was　in　attendance　there；　not　as　a　member　of　the　Cabinet；　but　upon　invitation；　and　I　replied　by　the　inquiry　whether　there　was　a　change　in　the　War　Department。　After　the　President　had　taken　his　seat　business　went　on　in　the　usual　way　of　hearing　matters　submitted　by　the　several　secretaries。　When　the　time　came　for　the　Secretary　of　War　General　Grant　said　that　he　was　now　there　not　as　Secretary　of　War；　but　upon　the　President's　invitation；　that　he　had　retired　from　the　War　Department。　A　Blight　difference　then　appeared　about　the　supposed　invitation；　General　Grant　saying　that　the　officer　who　had　borne　his　letter　to　the　President　that　morning；　announcing　his　retirement　from　the　War　Department；　had　told　him　that　the　President　desired　to　see　him　at　the　Cabinet；　to　which　the　President　answered；　that　when　General　Grant's　communication　was　delivered　to　him　the　President　simply　replied　that　he　supposed　General　Grant　would　be　very　soon　at　the　Cabinet　meeting。　I　regarded　the　conversation　thus　begun　as　an　incidental　one。　It　went　on　quite　informally；　and　consisted　of　a　statement；　on　your　part；　of　your　views　in　regard　to　the　understanding　of　the　tenure　upon　which　General　Grant　had　assented　to　hold　the　War　Department　ad　interim；　and　of　his　replies　by　way　of　answer　and　explanation。　It　was　respectful　and　courteous　on　both　sides。　Being　in　this　conversational　form；　its　details　could　only　have　been　preserved　by　verbatim　report。　So　far　as　I　know；　no　such　report　was　made　at　the　time。　I　can　give　only　the　general　effect　of　the　conversation。

Certainly　you　stated　that　although　you　had　reported　the　reasons　for　Mr。　Stanton's　suspension　to　the　Senate；　you　nevertheless　held　that　he　would　not　be　entitled　to　resume　the　office　of　Secretary　of　War；　even　if　the　Senate　should　disapprove　of　his　suspension。　and　that　you　had　proposed　to　have　the　question　tested　by　judicial　process；　to　be　applied　to　the　person　who　should　be　the　incumbent　of　the　Department；　under　your　designation　of　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim　in　the　place　of　Mr。　Stanton。　You　contended　that　this　was　well　understood　between　yourself　and　Gen。　Grant；　that　when　he　entered　the　War　Department　as　Secretary　ad　interim　he　expressed　his　concurrence　in　a　belief　that　the　question　of　Mr。　Stanton's　restoration　would　be　a　question　for　the　courts；　that　in　a　subsequent　conversation　with　General　Grant　you　had　adverted　to　the　understanding　thus　had；　and　that　General　Grant　expressed　his　concurrence　in　it：　that　at　some　conversation　which　had　been　previously　held　General　Grant　said　he　still　adhered　to　the　same　construction　of　the　law；　but　said　if　he　should　change　his　opinion　he　would　give　you　seasonable　notice　of　it；　so　that　you　should　in　any　case；　be　placed　in　the　same　position　in　regard　to　the　War　Department　that　you　were　while　General　Grant　held　it　ad　interim。　I　did　not　understand　General　Grant　as　denying；　nor　as　explicitly　admitting；　these　statements　in　the　form　and　full　extent　to　which　you　made　them。　The　admission　of　them　was　rather　indirect　and　circumstantial。　though　I　did　not　understand　it　to　be　an　evasive　one。　He　said　that；　reasoning　from　what　occurred　in　the　case　of　the　police　in　Maryland；　which　he　regarded　as　a　parallel　one；　he　was　of　opinion；　and　so　assured　you；　that　it　would　be　his　right　and　duty；　under　your　instructions；　to　hold　the　War　Office　after　the　Senate　should　disapprove　of　Mr。　Stanton's　suspension　until　the　question　should　be　decided　upon　by　the　courts；　that　he　remained　until　very　recently　of　that　opinion；　and　that　on　the　Saturday　before　the　Cabinet　meeting　a　conversation　was　held　between　yourself　and　him　in　which　the　subject　was　generally　discussed。

General　Grant's　statement　was；　that　in　that　conversation　he　had　stated　to　you　the　legal　difficulties　which　might　arise；　involving　fine　and　imprisonment　under　the　civil　tenure　bill；　and　that　he　did　not　care　to　subject　himself　to　those　penalties；　that　you　replied　to　this　remark；　that　you　regarded　the　civil　tenure　bill　as　unconstitutional。　and　did　not　think　its　penalties　were　to　be　feared；　or　that　you　would　voluntarily　assume　them；　and　you　insisted　that　General　Grant　should　either　retain　the　office　until　relieved　by　yourself　according　to　what　you　claimed　was　the　original　understanding；　between　yourself　and　him；　or；　by　seasonable　notice　of　change　of　purpose　on　his　part；　put　you　in　the　same　situation　which　you　would　be　if　he　adhered。　You　claimed　that　General　Grant　finally　said　in　that　Saturday's　conversation　that　you　understood　his　views；　and　his　proceedings　thereafter　would　be　consistent　with　what　had　been　so　understood。　General　Grant　did　not　controvert　nor　can　I　say　that　he　admitted　this　last　statement。　Certainly　General　Grant　did　not　at　any　time　in　the　Cabinet　meeting　insist　that　he　had　in　the　Saturday'