Evening star., 1864-12-13
rhe Man Of the War Department.

From the New OTK Evening POST
The public will lesrn " ith unusual pleasure
that the reports OF Secretary Stanton's intend
ed res signatlon-reports that grew out of
transient illness. the result of over work-are
altogether III founded. Mr.. Stanton will coa-
Inue TO discharge the arduous duties of mis-
position SO long as he shall nave strength for
the work Noman in the administration has
had more onercus and difficult TASK than he
10 one has had to deal with more novel, COM
piicated aud embarrassing questions; and no
one has had to meet such a variety ef wills, or
TO dispose of such a mass or impracuca.
with the numerous officers and agents of the
army but 1t is doing DO injustice to others TO
say that no one has discharged his duty with
greater promptitude, energy, discernment aud
AS an organ izer Of war, Mr. Stantons emf
nence is such that it has suggested to compe-
tent judges compa1i ison of his name with
that OF Carnot He has answered the two
chief requisites OF his position during great
war he Is thoroughly efficient, and he is thor.
ougbly honest. His method has been so per-
feet, that since ne entered the War Depart
ment we have ceased to hear com plants of
lack of supplies. Beef, bread, shoes, clio hing,
powder, shot, shell, firearms, whatever an
army has wanted 1t has had, at the proper
time, in the proper quantities, IN the proper
place.
The public has scarcely had occasion TO
think what an immense business this OF the
war Office Is; the difficulties have been so COM
pletely overcome that we have not thought OF
their existence. But consider Whatit is o buy
and despatch supplies of all kinds for an army
OF nalf million men, operating line a
thousand miles long, a. q distance sometimes
OF two hundred miles from their depots; con.
slider what it is TO keep on hand relays OF ami
mails, stores OF subsist nee reserves OF troops;
to maintain all as near aS possible at the va
Tlons points where the quick mutations of
war may make them necessary. And then
consider that to org PaniZe this vast business. to
select trustworthy and capable ag nts, to dis :
cover and oust' rogues and incapables, to put
everywhere the right man in the right place,
to keep the reins in the hands constantly and
the team gojng-to do all this is to perform but
q part of the duties of the Secre ary OF War.
For besides this he must select the ablest
commanders for the various srmies; he must
give his mind to the plans OF campaign pre-
seIted by these; he must oversee the whole
field, and his quick eye must detect and his
sure hand punish every default of duty, eyery
piece of neglect or inefiiciency by which one OF
thousand subOrdinates may imparil q
campaign. or cause the failure Of movement.
More, he must be ready to repair disasters,
which are inevitable; TO forsee emergencies,
to appreciate and reward merit, to maintain
discipline; all the endless and multifarious
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 well that the nation owes
him heavy debt Of gratitude for his faithful
and able service. His power Of organization,
which we have likened to Carnot's, is sim
Pular and rare quality, He has eXerted it to
the utmost; and he has not in his performance CO
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 rapidity, that in the multiplicity OF
business he cannot help but make a mistake
sometimes; he has the impatience Of t.iflers and
of petty grievances, natural to a man Of active
temper ament and decisive character, over
WEelmed with affairs of real importance.
Besides this, he Is apt to be little sarcastic in
speech, he is lover OF epigram, and what is
called in New England s short tempered"
With these Qualities he has an irrepressible
contempt for and hatred OF selt-seeking: he is
capable OF hanging fraudulent contractor, or
of Cashiering ont of hand An ambitious inca
pable; and he is less than any American
statesman since Andrew Jackson, politician
He Ieitfer knows nor practices the arts by
which politicians seek to concilate favor; he
knows how to say sNo," and he says it, on
occasion. in way which does not admit OF ar
gument discussion.
man, such as we have described him, Hn-
selfish, honest, patriotic, capable, premptory
and self willed, may offend many individuals,
he may resort at times to methods more aroi.
tuary than the circumstances require or Justify,
but he is an il valuable servant to any nation,
and particularly to such an one as ours, in
which good -natured complaisance is the wee
OF rulers. II is creditable also to MIR. Lincoln
tEat he had GiscerumeBt TO select and fiji mness
to retain In Office OF -aoh capacity,
courage and faithfulnesS.