The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-30

When ex-Secretary of War Stanton ad-
dressed his friends and fellow citizens of Ohio,
near Steubenville, the other day, in the centre
of the agricultural district which surrounds
the bridge uniting the Buckeye State with
West Virginia, he said good many excellent
things but he left a good many other things
unsaid, which may be regarded as of some i'm
portance in the history of the war which he APP
parently attempted to illustrate in his discourse.
For example, he did not say anything about
the Outrages upon the rights and liberties Of
citizens, directed by himself and carried out
under his instructions during his term of office
He was solemnly silent about the numbers of
American citizens locked up in Fortress Mon
roe, Fort Lafayette and Fort Warren without
warrans or without any charge Of crime being
registered against them. He had no explana-
ton TO give about these matters, but skinned
them over as gracefully as swan goes over
the water. In the same way he skilfully
avoided telling by what intrgues he procured
the Office of Secretary of War, or to what extent
he cheated and deceived everybody in order to
keep himself in that position 80 long, despite
the will Of the Executive and the desire of the
people. Now, all these little revelations would
have given considerable zest TO Mr.. Stanton's
speech, because the public would naturally like
10 hear by what means, and more especially
for what purpose, he kept the authority of the
Executive at bay, and only condescended to
acknowledge the existence Of General Lorenzo
Thomas, the Presidents appointee to the War
Department, by inviting him to take drink,
while he kept the key of the War Department
archives in his pocket and defied the authority
of the President. None of this, although
people would be delighted to hear the fairy
tale from the lips of its author
Mr.. Stanton gives in this speech Homeric
picture of the services and valor Of the gene
rails engaged In the war. He forgets that the
public were a. watchful observers of their
career as Secretary Stanton, and know Just
how to allot to each their full modicum of
praise for services well rendered to the re-
public. What Mr.. Stanton omis to explain
in his speech is the reason why 80 many
private citizens were seized and incarcerated
by his order while he was Secretary Of War
upon what charges they were so ncarcerated
and minute description of the pains, penal
ties and indignities they were compelled to
suffer at his direction. This would have
made the most interesting speech of the cam
paign If these points were supplied, and there
Is no one so competent to deliver such a dis
course as ex-Secrctary Stanton himself. The
chief Jesuit among political Jesuits the feeble
but mischevous imitator Of Machiavel, aspir-
ing to the rank without possessing the quail
ties of the bold, bad Italian politician, Mr.
Stanton has attempted TO follow the Machia-
veian policy, forgetting that the atmosphere
was wholly uncongenial for the growth of such
plant
He undertook TO grapple with the press but
he took hold Of the irresponsible suhordinates
and dared not touch the principals. Reporters
were the game he sought for the exercise of
his spite. The proprietors of leading journals
which did not sustain the weakness and COR
ruption Of the War Department he may have
threatened, but did not attempt to punish. Now,
TO have said so much in his late stump speech
about the war and the generals who fought II
out so gallantly, which everybody knew be-
fore, and not 10 say word about all these facts
which we have Indicated must be regarded as
q grave sin Of omission on the part Of Mr..
Stanton