R. J. Meigs called
on me by request of the President in relation to Captain Meade, who is under
suspension, having been convicted and sentenced last May. He now, through his
friend Meigs, appeals to the President. I told him there was no appeal. He
could have a pardon from the President, or perhaps he could order the
proceedings to be set aside.
A late general order
prohibiting officers from coming to Washington without permission troubles
Meade, who claims this is his residence and that he is here on private
business. Fox protests against his being here intriguing and annoying the
President, Department, Congress, and others, and has appealed to me earnestly
and emphatically to order Meade to leave Washington, but it is one of those
cases which we cannot enforce arbitrarily, although no injustice would be done.
He has some excuse for being in Washington, and we must not be tyrants.
Governor Pease left
to-day. His brother John went three or four days since. Yesterday, when all the
others had withdrawn from the Cabinet council but the President, Seward, and
myself, and perhaps Chandler, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, who had been
present, Seward inquired if there was any truth in the report or rumor that
Stanton had left, or was about to leave, the Cabinet. The President replied
warmly, as it seemed to me, that he had not heard of any such rumor. Seward
said it was so stated in some of the papers, but he had supposed there was
nothing in it, for he and Stanton had an understanding to the effect that
Stanton would remain as long as he did, or would give him notice if he changed.
The President said he presumed it was only rumor, that he reckoned there was
not much in it; he had heard nothing lately and we might as well keep on for
the present without any fuss. Seward said he knew Stanton had talked this some
time ago. "I reckon that is all," said the President.
Seward had an object
in this talk. He knows Stanton's views and thoughts better than the President
does. The inquiry was not, therefore, for information on that specific point.
If it was to sound the President, or to draw out any expression from me, he
wholly failed, for neither gave him an explicit reply.
