Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-06-12
From the New York sun.
EDWIN VI. STANTON.


Mr.. Stanton was appointed Secretary of
War ou the 1Oth of january. loi2. lie has
held Office nearly six wears and half The
great events Of these years are sill fresh in
every mind
Mr. Stmton's fidelity and power had been
.rled and proved in the latter portion of Mr..
Buchanan administration. On the disrup-
zion of the Cabinet, which occurred on the
l4th of December, 1850, he took Office rs
Attorney General and held that place till the
4th Of March following. To his fiery zeal
and unaagging pcrsi-tcncy, in conjunction
with the efforts of Joseph Holt, jeremiah
Black. and John 4. Dix, loysl members OF
she Administration with him is due the pre-
.eryati1n of the Government through that
yeriod Of unoppoeed treason on and imbccile
tolerance. NJ one, save the few behind the
scenes can imagine what the nation owes 10
these four iaithinl officers. But fer them all
would have been lost. During the same Mr.
Stanton was IN constant communication with
Mr. Seward a. the Secretary of State in the
incoming Administration. and with Mr..
- Chase. Mr. Cameron, and the leading Repu-
lean Senators: and the qualities he then
DISPLAYED were what ledNlr. Lincoln in year
later to select him AZ HE Secretary Of War.
We shall not here attempt to recount the
story of the War Department during the
wears of Mr. Stanton : control. Enough TO
FAY that biz lab0rs were enormous, his de
,otion unwayering, his integrity utterly pure
and incorruptible His great intelligence
and ardent, impulsiyc nature knew no divid-
ed or halting allegiance. With him patriot
isIn was never cold or a calculating senti-
ment. His soul was always at white heat in
his county : cause. Indifferent to his own
interests, neglecting attacks on his reputa-
tien ar he did temptations to swerve from his
duty, he lived only for the Republic Her
liberties. her greatness. her destiny. the au-
-picious future of her free institutions. form
ID the exclusive object of his thoughts. his
roil- his existence. lie loved the American
Democracy. it, ideas, its unity, Its form Of
government, its mission among mankind
with passion whose depth, constaney, and
energy partook Of lauaticism. This was the
inspiration of his career and the source OF hls
extraordinary capacity for the transaction OF
uublic business. The amount of work lie
could perform wae astonishing. He was al
ways ready, always swift, always nntlrlng
always rcsolutc. His faculties were habltu-
ally kept in the most intense activity he
reasoned and acted with the heart as well az
with the brain Il is said that his action
was sometimes precipitate and faulty but
such criticism j. very cheap aud easy now
that the crisis II gone by and its weighty ex-
igencies are forgotten. 70 pretend that he
was never mistaken, would he to make him
more than human but the faithful historian
must ever record that at all times and under
all circumstances he was honest. unselish.
faithful to his country. and gifted with abil-
tiles equal to the occasion. Welding such
powers as few men have ever swaycd, his
most envenOmel enemies cannot pretend that
he has ever used them for his own advantage.
or for the profit Of friends or favorites. lie
goes out Of Office poorer man than he went
in. He has never sought to build up for
himself a political faction The arts Of pop
plarity he despises and has never practiscd,