_Washington, D.C., February 11, 1868_.
His Excellency A. JOHNSON,
_President of the United States_.
SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication
of the 10th instant,[46] accompanied by statements of five Cabinet
ministers of their recollection of what occurred in Cabinet meeting on
the 14th of January. Without admitting anything in these statements
where they differ from anything heretofore stated by me, I propose to
notice only that portion of your communication wherein I am charged with
insubordination. I think it will be plain to the reader of my letter of
the 30th of January[47] that I did not propose to disobey any legal
order of the President distinctly given, but only gave an interpretation
of what would be regarded as satisfactory evidence of the President's
sanction to orders communicated by the Secretary of War. I will say here
that your letter of the 10th instant[48] contains the first intimation
I have had that you did not accept that interpretation.
Now for reasons for giving that interpretation. It was clear to me
before my letter of January 30[47] was written that I, the person having
more public business to transact with the Secretary of War than any
other of the President's subordinates, was the only one who had been
instructed to disregard the authority of Mr. Stanton where his authority
was derived as agent of the President.
On the 27th of January I received a letter from the Secretary of War
(copy herewith) directing me to furnish escort to public treasure from
the Rio Grande to New Orleans, etc., at the request of the Secretary
of the Treasury to him. I also send two other inclosures, showing
recognition of Mr. Stanton as Secretary of War by both the Secretary
of the Treasury and the Postmaster-General, in all of which cases the
Secretary of War had to call upon me to make the orders requested or
give the information desired, and where his authority to do so is
derived, in my view, as agent of the President.
With an order so clearly ambiguous as that of the President here
referred to, it was my duty to inform the President of my interpretation
of it and to abide by that interpretation until I received other orders.
Disclaiming any intention, now or heretofore, of disobeying any legal
order of the President distinctly communicated,