Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-10-16
TERMS or ADvEnTIsrses
An Audience with the Secretary of
: War.

WAsHrNGToN. Oct a 1ss

|
WASHINGTON, Oct. A. 1852
There. is but a small idea abroad Of the
real mode Of performing the practical bn-
slnes OF the Government From distance.
i seems that the President and heads of
departments are like so many oracles, con-
stantly surrounded BY an almost impassabIe
barrier, and only to be consulted BY a IA
vored few. Each is imagined to be dressed
10 nne clothes, seated on throne Of state,
ana being approached in the most abject
manner by the half dozen who are admit
ted to his presence, talking to them with the
meln ola king. Until Washington is en-.
tered. and the Secretary is visited. sucb an
impression prevails, but after the M,itor haa
had his interview, he walks AWAY th;nt;no
what niDny he had been to believe anv.
thing Of the sort.
Since the rebellion began. the Wa n,
partment has been the Mecca of nearly al
who bow at the shrine of power. and everv
day hundreds of visitors enter its doors
The great majority stop on the lower floor
their business being with the Adiutani
General, or Surgeon General or Onarter.
master General, or Chief Commissary. or
Others ofthe subordinates. Very few as.
cend the stairs to the holy of holes above
the Secretary S reception room-and there
they ale again sifted; many calling on the
clerks, or that gen al gentleman of most ar.
bitrary authority, Mr.. Sandford, the MiE.
tary Supervisor Of Army Intelligence. A
fair proportion, however, crosses the thresb
hold OF Mr. Stanton's audience chamber.
Wonderful! as has been the business trans.
acted there, still the room is of the most or
dinary style. The foo- is of plain boards
the edge rounded, and the nails shining
from the multitude that have passed over
them. IL is a small place, about twenty
feet by sixteen. The walls are of no desert
bable color, being, however, anything but
ornate. The paint is dingy from age, and
the ceiling stained by the rain leaking
through from above. On either side. q
door leads into The private rooms of the
Secretary and his clerks, and two unyashed
windows, at the end let in the light. On
the left, is an old fashioned crate and man
telpiece, the former filed with crunched ma.
per and tobacco quids, and stone ink bot
tie, doubtless empty, standing alone ON the
latter. The furniture is about worthy the
character of the room. Ten plain straight
backed chairs, such as can be readily made
for two dollars apiece, and book case of
the plainest character, are distributed about
the floor. and over in one corner is secre-
tary, with an armchair before it, the seat
ofthe chief clerk. A tall desk, in the cen.
tire, Is the Secretary's post, and behind one
OF the doors hangs an aged straw hat and
rusty coat. All bears an air of the sever
est economy, and, were it not for four beau-
titul pictures, of victories achieved in the
Mexican war, one might think such to be
the intention. s.-. - -
Behind his desk Mr. Stanton stands. with
round face and heavy black beard. His
clothes are loose and plain, and his shoes
bear evidence of walk upon the dusty Ay-
enue. At his left hand stands Mr.. Potts,
the chief clerk, large man, with specta-
cless, and moderately profuse in his nous
tache and whiskers. He seems to thor
Oughly understand the routine of the place.
and speaks kindly to all who consult Elm -
In front of the desk are a crowd, each one
awaiting an audience, and anxiously scan
ming the whispering suitor who has attained
the privilege, and is telling his story at the
Secretary right hand. )
To each one Mr.. Stanton listens, saws
word sometimes of explanation or approval,
but often OF dlsapproval or rejection, and,
patiently hearing him out, stands ready for
the next. They are from all parts of the
country, many being of the military line.
and not few disappointed contractors:
some are dressed in their very best clothes.
whilst others do not seem to have paid the
Secretary that honor One man, with the
longest and ugliest pair ofboots ever seen in
polite society, brings out large bundle of
letters Of recommendation, presenting them
to Mr.. Stanton, who looks askance at the
envelope of one, and hands the whole back.
Such things are OF as much use as SO many
pieces of blank paper. A grand looking
parsonage next introduces to the Secretary
a solemn looking man whom he calls judge
The Judge tells his tale and leaves. An
intellectual man, with visionary gaze.
shows numerous drawings to Mr.. Stanton,
who takes side look at one, quickly re-
turning it, and taking another glance at it
in the owners hand. The sutor is an in
ventor, and has scheme which, if adopt
ed, will infallibly bring the war to success
full close. Officers cume-Colonels and
Generals-whisper their story and 60, and
thus, hour after hour, the current runs un-
til the fatig1ed listener retires to the privacy
Of the next room.
This is the daily Office and communion
with the world Of man who controls the
expenditures of nearly four hundred mil
lions of dollars, and commands one Of the
greatest armies in Christendom. The
whole thing denotes the plainness and sim
plicity Of republican institutions, though
not unmixed, however, with much neces-
sary haste and seeming neglect. In that
chamber have been the most wonderful
men of the nation. All have gone to that
desk and conversed with the secretary be-
hind it. They were on a perfect equality
with the most unobtrusive individual in the
land. The humblest preceded them, and
the most unknown would follow. They
were all of them parts OF the nation COM
muning with its Government, and all left
the place, whether successful or not in their
mission with profound respect for the po-
fteness of its occupant.