, 1865-01-13

Secretary Stanton must experience very
comfortable sensations, in view Of the results
Of general military operations. at all events,
the country is in excellent humor over the
stronger in Its confidence of successful ter
mlnafion OF the var. The results of the
movements Of Sherman and Thomas hare
been brilliant, while those operations which
have not realized all that was expected OF
them, including the Wilmington affair, can
not, IN single instsnce, be entered in the
chapter of serious disasters. The public is In
clincd, ln Its pronrness to hcro-worship, to
give NIL the credit for successful achievements
TO the Generals Immediately in command,
while in cases Of lhilure 1t Is equally Inclined
to throw the blame on those having the gen
eral charge Of military affairs. This Is mani
feEt}y unjust. Wilde Sherman and Thomas,
and Sheridan and Grant, should ail have d fuli
measure Of praise, 20 small portion Of the re-
snlts, which have thrown such bsilliancy over
their names can he traced back to tho officer
In the war office at Washington.
II any one doubts this fact, he has but to
refer to the clamor which has, on one or two
wien our military afIairs seemed to be going
baoly. There vast Lime when II was popular
with certain journal and people to talk about
the removal Of Secretary Stanton, bnt tAat
time is Past. It sci sms now 10 be acccptcd
By universal consera, that no one is going to
t. rclinquish 1t himself. In all tho lists VIC
have seen written up for the Cabinet under
the incoming tum, there Is no change Dro-
posed for the War Department. The fact Is,
t'at everybody now comedies that Mr. STAN
ton is master Of the situatlon, aud everybody
Is LED to beiicye IN view Of his past record,
that lc will remain master Of the situation.
II is fair to infcr that Mr.. Stanton ia MS lit.
tie governed By selfish considerations rs apy
man In the public service, from the unosten-
tatious md uncolnpromising manner in which
he has discharged tue duties Of his office but
when he conttlap'ates the magnificent out
come Of lis long md nrduous md often ex-
tremely embasat sing labors, be cannot but
experience IN uncommon degree of gratiaca-
tion. His polity stands yindlcated by the
verdict OF results, after being subjected TO tie
most thorough trial 10 which the plans Of
men can be exposed.
,;1,hre tnere can be no question that history Will
a1tfloute large sl'a'e Of the credit for the
success III this great struggle, to the
management Of the war Office under his
supervision. Howeyer the people NAV
have at times desponled, It is evident that he
never lost heart. He worked on with equal
re,s,steney and equal faith, whether the
te'ligence Of victory or defeat. The
quiet fidelity with which his official duties
pave been prosecuted, would almost in
dlcate the consciousness Of mission,
craving It's inspiration from an ASSURANCE
winch the present seldom affords. Certain 1t |
Is that no man In the war has done more ettl- |
elent work, or more Of it, than Mr. Stanton,
with less apparent regard to popular effect. |
ne furnishes remarkable Instance Of a man |
sso1piag woIniing himself into popularity, without
seeming to have care for It. Tie just con-
elusion undoubtedly Is that be has been |
m"1tza mots than ordinarily governed BY a higher
The entire freedom Of Mr.. stanton's official
taseer IT. rom any taint, or any appearance Of
70 70 tne iact that he is no politician. To this
circumstance can We attribute the remarkable |
Rshen,oamenon lss11,a in American politics, that he
enoula entul bold 2 place IN the Cabinets Of two
and 50 radically at variance in their policies
as Buchanan and Lincoln. This could never
nave "a. happened with decided partisan. The
circumstance is, however, only the more
t1iot. ''