The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-08-22
SlantOn's Career.

The New York II,orM makes the fol-
lowing statement OF Stanton's career in
the War Department:
The FIRST conspicuous thins Stanton
did after MIR. johnson became President,
was his attempt to ruin General Sherman
and to lower and disparage General Grant.
kilograms were sent to our Generals in
the South to disregard the orders OF Sher-
man. He was publicly accused by the
Secretary of War Of disloyalty and perfdy.
A most elaborate and persistent attempt
was made by Stanton and his satellites to
poison the public mind against that illus
trious soldier, who showed his indignant
resentment. on his return to Washington,
by refusing the hand and repelliDg the
advances of Stanton. Had his attempt
against Sherman succeeded, Grant was to
have been involved in the same ruin
The generosity Of the terms granted to
Lee was spurned by Stanton, whose inge-
nuity suggested method of circumvent-
ing General Grants promise of immunity
to the surrendered rebels.
Stanton sought to ruin those illustrious
soldiers In the very hour of their triumph.
as he had previously ruined General Mo
Ciellan; because he hoped that if the
prestige of military success made anybody
President, it would be himself, whose SER
vile fatterers were pleased to call him the
Carnot of the war, aud the organizer of
Victories
After this ignoble attempt to ruin the
reputation of our great Generals, the next
iniamy perpetrated by Stanton was packing
a military commission to try Mrs. Surratt
and the other alleged conspirators, in time
of peace, and in violation of law. At first,
he had this military commission, which
was packed with his creatures, sit as a Sc
cret star chamber with closed doors; but
after a few days, the public Indignation
compelled him to throw open the proceed
ings to publicity.
"When Stanton saw that the President
was likely to adopt healing and concilia-
tory feeling towards the South, he skunk
out of public view, like snake in the
grass, and plotted the political destruction
of the President and General Grant. 1t
seemed to Stanton, in the autumn of 1868,
that if Mr. Johnson reconstruction policy
succeeded, it would make him President
again, if any civilian while if military
man was preferred no claims could COM
pare to General Grants. In either con-
tingency, Stanton would not be President
himself lie, therefore, used his Influence
with leading Republicans to sour them
against Mr.. johnson and his policy, in
which he succeeded and at the same time
he conducted counter plot to get General
Grant committed to the policy of the Presi-
dent in the hope of thus removing two
supposed rivals at once. General Grant
was sent South on tour of observation
that lie might report favorably on the fit
ness of the South for immediate readmis
sion, while Stevens, Sumner and the radi
cal cabal in Congress were fed with reports
of Indignant Southern disloyalty.
All this time, Stanton, kept out Of
view, pretending to devote himself to
merely administrative duties, and to stand
aloof from politics. He diu not wish to
commit himself until the near approach of
the Presidential election disclosed the final
temper of the public mind. But he is now
suddenly flung out of office against his ex
pectations, and all his aspirations have
miscarred. Even in the recent transac-
ton, Stanton has disclosed the same per-
sistent wish to head off the professions of
every popular General. He feared that il
Sheridan were removed, the removal would
make him the radical candidate. Stanton
therefore angrily demonstrated, hoisted the
radical colors, and made himself as inso-
lent and offensive as possible to the Presi-
dent, for the purpose of dividing and
weakening the radical sympathy for
Sheridan by drawing large part of 1t
to himself"