The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-11-17


Black was made Secretary of State
and Edwin NJ. Stanton, Attorney
General Stanton instantly saw thro'
the condition Of things and the designs
Of the traitors. who still held control
of the Cabinet, and he waged open
war against them. He exposed the
robbery of the Department Of the In
terror by Cabinet ministers and com
PEELED Floyd to resign to avoid public
exposure. He called On me nightly
for ten or twelve nights when the
struggle was in progress, reported the
condition Of things, and consulted as
to future measures. In the whole
struggle he bore himself manfully,
and what is much to his credit, all
save one, on whom he cast suspicion,
are now open traitors.
Floyd resigned-a loyal man was
appointed in his place, and the Exec
utive and Executive Departments
were no longer instruments in the
hands of those who mcditated the
overthrow of the Government. AS to
Buchanan himself, his vice was not
tredchery but lmJecihty. lie had no
sclf-rcliance was timid and mind de-
pendent; and thus he was made the
instrument of bad men, whom q com
bination of traitors selected and placed
around him; and the country suffered
as much by his imbecility, as it would
, have suffered by his treachery, ex-
cept in the single fact that the Capitol
was not delivered over to the traitors,
as were the arsenals, the arms and the
tortresses All these things were done
before any State, except South Caro-
lima. had seeded, in form; ard when
their Convention met, their halls OF
delibcration were filled with assem-
bled rufiians, convened for the pur-
pose of ovcrawing members, and com,
polling secession. Such | know to
have been the case in Virginia, where
members, friends Of the Union were
driven from their seats, and actually
compelled to escape from the city to
avoid threatened violence. The
= Knights of the Golden Circle thus
passed the Virginia resolutions of &C.
cession, and the same was the case
directly or indirectly. in most of the
other seeding States. But the seccs-
sion took place, and the war was i'm
mediately commenced, contrary to the
usual forms in civilized nations, with
out provOcation, without declaration
without notice, other than that which
was given at the cannon's mouth.
Such were the passing events, and
such the condition ofthings when Mr.
Lincoln assumed the Presidential
chair, and during the first two months
of his Presidency.
He came to the Presidential chair
new to its surroundings, and not in.
, formed. How could he be informed tc
the full extent of the disturbed condi
ton of tho country? And if he had
: been informed he had no immediate
5 means of protection, and l have won
t dercd much that Washington was no
seized by q rebel force within this pc
p riod of unprcparcd inactivity. Within
this time Gen. Sherman, then in civi
life, offered himself to the President
for such military service as he might
assign him.
$ The President replied that he hopcC
l to dispense with military force
Sherman knew better, but he had hi,
Q answer, and did not press his suit
| The President was far from being
: harsh or hasty in urging on hostiities
| His fault was too much forbearance--
G too much hope of Cancellation ant
peace. Even Seward, with all hi
knowledge of their violent leaders il
the Senate, and afterward of The
! strength of their organization, declar
, ed repeatedly that sixty days woulc
end the conflict, but the battle of Bul
1 Run put an end TO the delusion.
chanced to be in Washington on the
t day of that battle. Sherman, with thu
rank ofColoncl, commanded brigade
{ He was the last to quit the field, anC
: the only General officer who held +
portion of his men in hand during
= their retreat, and halted them at thcil
0 Notifications on the south side of The
0 Potomac.
The city was full of dishcartcnet
1 politicians and dcmoralized troops =
Then, for the first time, the Presiden
became impressed with the magnitude
! of the task before him, perhaps no
, even fully then. Much that we OBJ
icct to, arose from the novel condition
of the country, new to him, new to III
, all. and which takes long to realize
: and familiarize to our habits and opin
| ions.
' But when the ncophitcs of our con
dition began to be understood, and ar
, mics were raised, We had no tried
Generals to take command. Genera
1 Scott was past the age of vigorous OK
{ ertion, and each selection was an eXpe
t riment. Gen. Mcclellan was placed in
!. command, and the public, of whom
f was one, hoped much from his reputej
, capacity. lie was put in command Of
, n powerful and well appointed army
: and we hoped much from him, but he
, remained inactive, and he withheld
0 the troops from action in other sections
t of the country, where their services
: were needed
What principle or policy dictated
. his movements, and especially his ac.