_Washington, February 6, 1868_.
The PRESIDENT.
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.[45] 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 nonconcurrence 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'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,