on 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,

ALEX W. RANDALL,

_Postmaster-General_.

[Footnote 45: See pp. 615-618.]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

_Washington, D.C., February 6, 1868_.

The PRESIDENT.

SIR: I am in receipt of yours of yesterday, calling my attention to
a correspondance 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 t