Life of Wm Tecumseh Sherman .. . as the coming President, and accord-ingly many of Johnsons friends manifested much jealousyand hostility toward him. Sherman was in the west and sokept aloof from these controversies and intrigues, for whichhe had no love. But he maintained his old friendship withGrant, and inclined toward his side of every disputed ques-tion. While travelling on duty in New Mexico, in September,1866, he was summoned to Washington, in haste. Goingthither, he reported to Grant, who told him he did not knowwhy the President had sent for him, unless in connectionwith Mexican affai
Life of Wm Tecumseh Sherman .. . as the coming President, and accord-ingly many of Johnsons friends manifested much jealousyand hostility toward him. Sherman was in the west and sokept aloof from these controversies and intrigues, for whichhe had no love. But he maintained his old friendship withGrant, and inclined toward his side of every disputed ques-tion. While travelling on duty in New Mexico, in September,1866, he was summoned to Washington, in haste. Goingthither, he reported to Grant, who told him he did not knowwhy the President had sent for him, unless in connectionwith Mexican affairs. Maximilian, supported by Frenchtroops, still held the imperial crown of that country, butwas steadily being driven to the wall by the Republicans,who had elected Juarez President. The United States wasabout to send the Hon. Lewis Campbell thither as Minister,accredited to Juarez as the rightful head of the State, andPresident Johnson had ordered Grant to accompany him asan escort. Grant told Sherman that he would decline to. THE TENURE OF OFFICE AFFAIR. 453 obey this order as an illegal one, on the ground that thePresident had no right to send him out of the country on adiplomatic errand unaccompanied by troops; he believed itwas a trick of Johnsons, to get rid of him. Then Sherman went to the President, who was very gladto see him. Said Johnson : I am sending General Grantto Mexico, and I want you to command the army here inhis absence. But, said Sherman, Grant will not go !That startled Johnson, and he began arguing to show theneed there was of Grants going. Sherman repeated thepositive statement that Grant would riot go, and added thathe did not think the President in that matter could affordto quarrel with the General. The upshot of the matterwas, that Johnson decided to send Sherman instead ofGrant, and Sherman consented to go, believing that thushe was preventing an open rupture between Grant and theAdministration. Sherman and Campbell went to Mexico, and spent somewe
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Keywords: ., bookauthorj, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectgenerals
