special guarantees were necessary in order to restore them to their former relations under the government. President Johnson began, early in the summer, measures of reconstruction in accordance with his own views, while the National Congress pursued its own policy in regard to the reconstruction of the South. The attitude. of the executive and legislative department became constantly more unfriendly. Mr. Stanton, then Secretary of War, did not coincide with the President in his views upon the question of reconstruction in the Southern States, and became peculiarly obnoxious to Johnson. President Johnson determined to remove Stanton from the office of Secretary of War, and appoint General Grant as Secretary ad interim. General Grant remonstrated with the President against the proceeding, but Johnson was not to be influenced, and the next day sent Grant a letter directing him to act as Secretary of War ad interim. It is not our purpose to write a history of the differences between President Johnson and Congress on the question of reconstruction in the rebellious States, except so far as the action of General Grant is concerned. General Grant addressed a letter to Mr. Stanton as soon as he received the notification that he was to supersede that gentleman, which expressed in strong terms his high sense of the valuable services rendered by him to the country, and to the army. On the 17th of August President Johnson requested General Grant to remove from command at New Orleans General Sheridan, who had by a faithful carrying out of the laws in the States of Louisiana and Texas, made himself offensive to the rebel element. He at the same time requested Grant to make any suggestions in regard to the order. Grant unhesitatingly replied: "I am pleased to avail myself of this invitation to urge, earnestly urge, urge in the name of a patriotic people who have sacrificed hundreds of thousands of loyal lives and thousands of millions of treasure to preserve the integrity and union of this country, that this order be not insisted on. It is unmistakably the expressed wish of the country that General Sheridan should not be removed from hia present command. "This is a republic, where the will of the people is the law of the land I beg that their voice may be heard. "General Sheridan has performed his civil duties faithfully and intelligently. His removal will only be regarded as an effort to de feat the laws of Congress." For a time the order was suspended, but General Sher. idan was afterward removed. On the 13th of January the Senate passed the following resolution: "Resolved, That having considered the evidence and reasons given by the President in his report of the 12th of December, 1867, for the suspension, from the office of Secretary of War, of Edwin M. Stanton, the Senate do not concur in such suspension." As soon as General Grant was informed of this action he refused to continue longer to act as Secretary of War ad interim, and surrendered the keys of the office to the Adjutant General, the custodian of the building, and returned to his office at the headquarters of the army. In a letter to the President defending his conduct, he uses the following forcible language: "The course you have understood I agreed to pursue was in violation of law, and that without orders from you; while the course I did pursue, and which I never doubted you fully understood, was in accordance with law, and not in disobedience of any orders of my superior. And now, Mr. President, when my honor as a soldier, and integrity as a man, have been so violently assailed, pardon me for saying that I can but regard this whole matter, from beginning to end, as an attempt to involve me in the resistance of law for which you hesitated to assume the responsibility, in order thus to destroy my character before the country. I am in a measure confirmed in this conclusion by your recent orders directing me to disobey orders from the Secretary of War, my superior, and your subordinate, without having countermanded his authority. I conclude with the assurance, Mr. President, that nothing less than a vindication of my personal honor and character could have induced this correspondence on my part. "I have the honor to be, very respectfully, President Johnson in his message to Congress, Decem ber 12, 1867, giving his reasons for suspending Mr. Stanton, closes with these words: "Salutary reforms have been introduced by the Secretary ad interim (General Grant) and great reductions of expenses have been effected under his administration of the War Department to the saving of millions to the Treasury. ANDREW JOHNSON." From this time forward General Grant confined himself exclusively to his military duties as head of the armies of the United States. The time for holding another Presi dential election was at hand. CHAPTER XVIII. GRANT THE STATESMAN. On May 21, 1868, at the meeting of the National Republican Convention, held at the Opera House, Chicago, General Ulysses S. Grant received on the first ballot and without a dissenting voice, the nomination for the Presidency of the United States. General Logan, Chairman of the Illinois Delegation, since a candidate for the Vice-Presidency, took the floor and said: "In the name of the loyal citizens and soldiers and sailors of this great Republic of the United States of America; in the name of loyalty, liberty, humanity and justice; in the name of the National Union Republican party,-I nominate as candidate for the chief magistracy of this nation Ulysses S. Grant." The Round after round of applause greeted his name. Secretary then began to call the roll of States and Territories, to receive the vote of their delegation. As the call proceeded, State after State in turn gave its unanimous vote for General Grant,-the enthusiasm rising higher and higher until it seemed as though the roof must be lifted up by the surging volume of sound, as Wisconsin, the last State on the roll was reached, and cast her vote for Grant. The President then said: "The roll is completed. Gentlemen of the Convention, you have six hundred and fifty votes, and you have given six hundred and fifty votes for Grant." The scene now was grand and overpowering. The Convention and the vast audience rose to their feet, and greeted the result with tumultuous cheering and every demonstration of applause, without interruption, for several minutes. The same evening a large concourse of the citizens of Washington serenaded General Grant at his house. He was introduced in a few eloquent remarks by Senator Boutwell, and made the following response: GENTLEMEN:-Being entirely unaccustomed to public speaking, and without the desire to cultivate that power [laughter], it is impossible for me to find appropriate language to thank you for this demon. stration. All that I can say is, that, to whatever position I may be called by your will, I shall endeavor to discharge its duties with fidelity and honesty of purpose. Of my rectitude in the performance of public duties, you will have to judge for yourselves by my record before you. On the 29th of May the officers of the Convention visited Washington, and formally made known to General Grant his nomination as President. General Grant replied briefly, but with evident emotion, to the eloquent address of General Hawley, and closed by saying, "If elected President, I shall have no policy of my own to enforce against the will of the people." He subsequently accepted the nomination in a formal letter to General Hawley, which is given in the Appendix. The Democratic Convention nominated Horatio Seymour of New York, as their candidate. The canvass was attended with great excitement. All the States took part in the election except Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas, which had not been reconstructed at that time. General Grant received 214 electoral votes, while his competitor received only So. |