The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-14
GreuiNs Telegraph
WEDNESDAY, DBcBMDxR "a, lsS4.
rhe man Of she war Department.

The man Of the Wnr Department.
The public will learn with unusual pleasure
mat the reports Of Secretary Stantons intended
Eesignaton-reports that grew out Of transient
Illness, the result of overwork-are altogether
unfounded. Mr.. Stanton will continue 10 dis
charge the arduous duties OF his position so long
Ss he shall have strength for Che work. No man
tn the Administration has had more onerous
and difficult task than he no one has had to deal
with more novel, comp icated, and embarrassing
uuestions and no one has had 70 meet such
variety OF walls, on 70 dispose OF such mass OF
hmpraCtiCable suggestions as he has, in his inter-
course with the numerous officers and agents of
the army but it is doing injustice 10 Others 10
say that no one has discharged his duty with
greater promptitudc, energy, discernment and
justice.
Is such that 1t has suggested to competent Judges
a comparison OF his name with that Of CarnOt.
He has answered the two chief requisites Of bis
position during a great war-he Is thoroughly
efficient, and he is thoroughly honest. His
method has been 80 perfect, that since he entered
the War Department we have ceased TO hear
complaints of lack OF supplies. Beef, bread,
shoes, clothing, powder, shot, shell, firearms,
whatever an army has wanted t has had, nc the
proper time, in tue proper quantities, ana IN the
proper place.
The public has scarcely had occasion to think
what an immense business this Of the war Oili e
rs the difficulties have been 80 completely over
come that we have not thought of their existence
But consider what il is to buy and despatch sup
plies OF all kinds for an army of half million
men, operating on q line a thousand miles long,
at a distance sometimes of two hundred miles
from their depots; consider what it is TO keep on
hand relays Of animals, stores Of subsistence,
reserves of troops; TO maintain all as near as
possible at the various points where the quick
mutations OF war may make them necessary.
And then consider that to organize this vast busi-
ness 10 select trustworthy and capable agents, to
discover and oust rogues and incapaOles, to put
everywhere the right man in the right place, to
keep the rcins In the hands constantly and the
team going-to do all thiss to perform but part
OF the duties Of the Secretary OF War.
For besides this he must select the ablest COM
mandeTs for the various armies he must give his
mind 10 the plans of campaign presented by these (;
he must oversee the whole field, and his quick
eye must deiect and his sure hand punish every
default of duty, every piece OF neglect or inett-
cheney by which one of q thousand subOrdinates
may imperil a campaign, or cause the failure Of a
movement. More, he must be ready TO repair
disasters which are inevitable to toresee en-
gencics, to appreciate and reward merit, TO m lin
tain discipline; all the endless aud multiiariOus
details OF the most numerous army ever kept in
the field must pass through his hands.
All this, for three years, Mr.. stanton has done,
and done so we'll, that the nation owes him q
heavy debt of gratitude for his faithful and able
service. His power Of organization, which we
have likened 10 CarnOt's, is a singular and rare
quality. lie has eXered il to the utmost; and he
has not, in his performance Of his responsible
duties, spared himself No man in the country,
perhaps, has made so many personal enemies as
Mr.. Stanton; his manner is brusque, if not
abrupt; he decides with such rapidly, that, in
the multiplicity of business, he cannot help but
make a mistake sometimes; he has the impa-
tience of trihers and of petty grievances natural
to man of active temperament and decisive
character, overwhelmed with affairs of real i'm
portauce. Besides this, he is apt to be a little
sarcastic in speech, he is a lover of epigram, and
what is called in New England "shOrt tempered.
With these qualities he has an irreprcssibc
contempt and hatred Of self-seeking; he is capa-
BILE OF banging a fraudulent contractor, or OF
cAsbiering out OF hand an ambitious incapable and
he is less than any American statesman, since
Andrew Jackson, politician. He neither knows
nor practises the arts by which politicians seek
to conciliate favor; he knows how TO say mo,
and he says it, on occasions In way which does
not admit of argument or discussion.
A man, such as we have described him, unset
fsh, honest, patriotic, capable, peremptOry, and
selfwilled, may offend many individuals; he
may resort at times to methods more arbitrary
than the circumstances require or justify, but he
Is an invaluable servant u any nation, and par
tieuaTly TO such an one as ours, in which good
natured complasanCe is the vice of rulers. IL i
eTeditable also to Mr.. Lincoln that he had dis
sernment TO select and firmness to retain in Office
man OF such capacity, courage, and faithful
Ress-N. Y. EreHitg Post.