The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-09-23

General siekles on Secretary ssansoa.
Gaaersl Daniel z. Siekles delivered the
address at the opening Of the fair of the
fair Of the American Institute in New
York City. In it he thus Justly referred
o the character and services Of Secrstary
StAntSn:
"Here LET me pause to nav a tribute TO
ons upon whom, more THAI upon anV
otner P9onc servant, has rested the vast
eno varied responsibilities which the con-
duct oi our great war imposed. When the
reoelfion declared itself, towards the close
Of the administration Of Pre.ident R,cbs,,-
an, an eminent lawyer, who had neither
held office nor been conspicuous a. A parti-
san in politics, was called into the Cabinet
as Attorney General His presence vas
instantly felt in the vigorous measures
taken TO enforce the authority Of the gov
ernment. At the critical moment which
followed the occupation Of Fort Sumter,
when it seemed As if the government would
yield TO the audacity and vigor of rsVolu-
tionAry pressure, his fearless counsels his
indomitsble viii, his sturdy, loyal nature,
contributed mainly to that modification Of
the pacific policy of President Buchanan
WnAch was followed by measures to resist
me iurther sggressions Of insurgents To-
Wsro evening" On one Of the gloomy days
IN the winter of 1851, the Attorney Gener-
Al sent Tor one Ut the representatives
in Congress from New York. and
informed him that unless the public
opinion of the North was instantly mani.
tested, the President would yield to the de-
mand Of South Carolina and order Msior
Anderson back from Sumter to Moultrie.
It wss decided at once that an envoy
should go to the principal northern cities
and announce that the President hsd de-
cided TO maintain Anderson in Sumter st
all hazards. Sire some powder" said
Stanton; 'al We can do yet is to fire blank
cartridges . thousand bullets or bale Of
hemp would save "a from 3 bloody rebel.
liSn; the President VIII not strike blow,
but he will resist if he sees the temper Of
the people demands resistance; 90 and fire
some cannon, and let the echoes come to
the White House." The next day salHtes
were fred in New York, Philadelphia,
Albany and other cities, in honor of Presi.
dent Buchsnan's determination to sustain
the gallant Anderson; co6grasulstorY tele.
thesa cities to the President; the corporate
authorities Of New York passed earnest
resolutions Of support; several journalism
leading articles Of remarkable power, en-.
dorsed ana commended the decision of the
President The next dsy the decision was
made. The demand of South Oarolins
for the evacuation of Fort Sumter
was refused it remained only for the
South to recede or make war. President
Lincoln Wss inaugurated; war followed.
The Attorney General of President Bu-
chsnan became, after brief interval, the
War Minister of President Lincoln. His
electric influence was instantly felt through
out the army and all over the country,
Commanding generals were ordered to put
their columns in motion and attack the
enemy. The irresolution and lethargy
which are insepsrsble from 6 defensive
policy vanished before the universal nitfa
tive, inspired by s positive and earnest
character, who would neither rest himself
nor allow the enemies of his country 70
rest while the means of attack were in his
hands Alternating successes snd defeats
colossal yet indecisiVe combats-enor-
nous consumption Of tressure-the proba-
bility Of foreign recognition and aid to the
MISUNDERSTANDING hostility TO the
measures of the administration, finally
eliminating in sedition, riots and revolts-
the dehsnt overturss of aid and comfort to
the enemy from public journals and public
men-these were some Of the eaceumulsting
embsrrassments that brought the Union
cause to the crisis of overthrow. The
dauntless heart Of the iron Secretary, him.
self the object OF measurlless obloquy and
hate, never tailed. To despair he opposed
revolution; to defeated army he sent q
more successful general; to the mobs he
spoke from the mouths of csnnons; inso-
lent traitors and spies within our lines were
silenced and secured in the dungeons Of the
Old Capitol, or within the ponderous walls
Of Lafayette and Warren. Tbs President
was, of all men, gentle and conciliato-
~. The Secretary Of State wss absorbed
in the unparalleled difficulties of our for
eign relations. The Secretary Of the Treas
ury was laboriously directing sll tho cur
rents OF nssSonal wealth into his exhaust
iaB exeheq 1er. ThS 9eo1etaFyo of the Navy
was building and manning his fleets. The
Attorney General never emerged from the
mszes OF his briefs. It was necessary, nav
1t was vital, that the underlined and illimit-
able powers Of government, for its own
preservation, should be welded by bold,
honest and skillful hand; by that sponta-
neous concession Of authority accorded tot
self reliant and Commanding character, in
al great emergencies, it deVolved upon
Edwin II. Stanton, in the darkest hours of
danger, TO see that the republic suffered no
detriment. as times when the idea was
Tolerated that any citizen, during the war,
might assail the government as he pleased
and with impunity, it became necessary to
silence sedition and bsfls tresson by ter
ror. It was fortunate that the Government
possessed man, armed with power to en-
force his will, who inspired fear enough to
reinforce doubtful authority. Not Richie
leu himself, when France mad no hiding
place or power that could save one of his
victims, was more dreaded than an order of
arrest signed by the Secretary of War, after
he writ Of hGbeas corpus was suspended.
Lay be the Anal judgment Of
urists upon the legal questions involved
in these arrests, the effect was sslutary.
Traitors, fraudulent contractors, spies, dis
honest officials in the service, st length felt
hat there was somebody in authority to be
afraid Of"