The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-11-24
Stanton--The south.

StantOn--The South.
Whatever other good qualities the South
ern newspapers possess, they are not much
troubled with the grace Of rnodestv. A
foreible Illustration Of this is found iu a re-
| cent article in the editorial columns Of the
richmond Enquirer upon the Hon. Edwin
| NJ Stanton, Secretary Of War. Taking for
It's text the substance Of a sensation dispaeh
! from this city, 10 the effect that ''Mr. stan
tons chances OF remaining ia the Cabinet
are improving under the prospect Of inhar-
| mon Gus action Of some Of the Southern
States 1t proceeds 10 ask the following
/ questions:
docs Mr.. Stanton's seat in the Cabinet
| depend on chances or probabilities Isls
not firmly fixed in the principles upon which
the Cabinet is o-ganlzed2 And what is the
character Of the ominous 'ilharuaonfots ae-
non Of some Of the Southern States"
The first Of these inquiries may be an
sWeTed either negatively or sfiirmativelv
according 10 the definition entertained by
the person making them of the phrase
chances or probabilities" We sre all the
creatures Of circumstances. If Mr.. Stan
ton wishes 10 retire from the Cabinet, we
presume he will not be c0erced to remain in
Il but, if he is satisfied with his position.
so lar as we are informed, there is no inten-
hin. In reply 70 the second question, the
editors Of the Enquirer ought 10 know that
If Mr.. Stanton was not ''irmlv fixed in the
principles upon which the Cabinet IS or
gained" his seli-respect would not allow
him 20 remain n member of it. For thean-
swer to the third Interrogat1ry we refer the
querst 10 the dispatches Of the President
and Secretary Seward sent on various occa-
sions TO the Provisional Governors Of the |
late rebeliiou5 States. Hoping that We have |
satisfied our cotemporary ou these points, |
let Us proceed 20 notice the more modest |
portion Of his article. According 10 the |
Enquirer, the following is the estimation in |
which the Secretary Of war is held at the /
South.
Mr.. Stanton has few friends in these |
Southern states-here be Is regarded IS a |
man Of most vi lent passions, which have /
become embIttered by four years Of civil /
war against the people and against the in |
dividusls of these states. HIS removal |
from the Cabinet would be "a source of I
great pleasure throughout the South. |
such removal would be accepted as q good |
will offering to these people; as an earnest /
that peace and harmony, good feeling and /
kindness were really desired on the mart of |
the North, and that to obtain these great OBJ |
jects, even the claims Of Mr.. station were |
not permitted to intervene between the |
Union and the patriotism Of the south"
Possibly Mr.. Stautou's removal would /
be acceptable 20 the people Of the /
South, add perhaps his death would not be /
a source of much lamentati0u IN that sec
ton; but the Northern people, who have /
been more intimately associated with him
during the last four yesrs. consider him a /
GOOD oihce-, and are generally Of the opinion /
that hs cannot be spared Just at present. I
b. k.. N..HH HHraaH a..
surprised ID their extremely modest request /
is not grsntsd. But Why did The Enquirer,
stop with the removal or Mr.. Stautoug Why |
not have good viii ofiering," . appease /
TIE wrath OF the offended South, which |
would include the removal OF President /
johnson, Secretaries Seward Welles and /
MeCulloch, and the cashierine and dis |
charge Of Generals Grsnt, Sherman, Sheri-
dan, aeade, Admiral Farragut, aud an the |
other pr0mine1t men who had 8 share ia |
cushing the rebellion We do not DO /
things by halves. Let Us have a grand sac |
rIfce, 1t we are 10 have any The more
ma niticent the immolstion, the more ef- I
fectual will il be in bringing out ssths patri 4
otism Of the South We are afraid. how- /
ever, that this goodwill offering" has no 1
place 10 toe policy sett cd upon by Presi- /
dent Johnson and his Cabinet for restoring
the Southern States 20 their proper relations /
with the Federal Government, which policy
is said 10 have many advocates at the South. /
as well IS among the 80 ca led Democratic
party at the North. The real desire for Mr..
5tanton's removal, however, is DOUBT ess be-
trayed in the followi, g paragraph from the i
article in question;
"Eyen while sharing with the people Of /
the South tho bitterness Of feeling toward /
the Secretery Of War, We must bear testi- |
mony TO his hrmuess, perhaps stubOorness.
to his untiagging industry, and TO his ievo-
ted sentiment OF Unionism. An earnest II
enemy is more admirable than a vacillnting
and unstable man. Mr. Stanton, durinc
the war, never failed in anything that could !
contribute 10 the success Of his cause
" hen defeat overlook his arms, when the
pub lie spirit waned under repeated military
disasters, and all seemed lost for his cause.
neither his resolution nor his courage failed
him. One commander alier another was
dismissed, as one army after ano4her was
DESTROYED. Mcclellan made wsv for Pom.
who, more unfortunate than his predecessor. |
paid the same penalty. Again Mcclellan |
was superseded by Burnside, and then |
Hooker, and then Meade, and then Grant |
But amidst all the disasters that caused /
these frequent changes, the Secretary re
manned firm and ovable-deiernined |
and unyieiding in defeat. he was Sc dom
tried by victory, but 10 defeat his resolu-
tion never 10 give up the cause was often
made apparenJ. To no one man in the I
Z nitsd States, more than Mr. Stanton, can
the success Of the United States army be
attributed stanton in Wa hnRt0n. coon
craung with exhaustion 10 the South. over
threw the Confederacy. Neither Lincoln,
nor Grant, nor Sherman, contributed more |
20 success than Stanton
Republics are proverbially uugratefuI. I
yet il is not usual Tor even them e. remove
q public servant who has performed his
duty 10 the manner 20 well described above. |
II Secretary Stanton did % much 20 save
the Republic m It's eEtremity-and We agree
with the Enquire thst be dld-what ineffs-
bic efirontery 80 ask for his removal IS
: good viii Offering" 70 the men who aid
their utmost 10 destroy iti Without de-
tracing an iota from the noble labors and
grand achievements Of the men whose
names are forever immortal in the history
Of the Republic for the part they took IN !
the work Of destroying treason and rebell-
ion, We do not hesItats 20 say that the "a tn
ful and impartial historian wIll regard Ed
win N. Stanton rs the Oliver Cromwell Of
the United afes. During the war he oe-
cupied position which above al others re-
CURED the exercise Of great qualities. How
well 10 displayed them, let the argument
could scarcely produce q better defence OF
that part OF he ofieial conduct which hes
been the subject Of uniriendly criticism
q han i furnished 10 the coaeluding para
graph Of the Eagursr's editorial.
81" In the violence Of confiict motives are
often misunderstood and misrepreseuted
the means taken 70 obtain an end are often
necessarily harsh. add sometimes Illegal
and unconstitutional, bus If the end be
worth the sacrifices required for its attain
ment, Of what consequence are the means 3
Alr. stanton has been greatly denounced for
his violent measures aga4nst the Liberties of
speech, the press AID the Pefson. he trsus-
pied under foot these great rghfs ID tse
pursuit q his great end, and AZ s1secsfFe4
On the other hand, Mr.. Davis paid the rDo-t
scrupul0us regard 70 all The pr1pris,ies IN
Magma Charta, and he faxed. II ths riebts
Of persons and Of property, if the unHst,
Of Magma Cha-ia had ben ~.
terry disrsgarded and forgotten. a. NJ
tional independence been pursued via ~
eye si2gle 10 is atisinment a15 4 hand
frIn IN It's purpose, n less regard hsa Beer
psid 70 indiVidual liberty ard more natoual
Independence II these Southern states
could have had stazioa u their War De-
partnsnt, viii Lees, Jsoks9os. and JOKE
seas y he felas the GATED states nigl {