The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-01-03
EDWIN M. STANTON

removal of Stanton from the head of the
War Department. The message we
consider one of the most telling that the
President has yet written, and is COM
plctc Viadication from many of the
charges that have been brought against
him. 1tshouldbo read byall ourcitizens,
not alone on account Of its intrinsic
merit, but because The question OF his
reinstatement will be one Of the most
prominent that will be brought before
Congress when il rcasscmbles.
The World, on this subject, says;
Despite the soberand seasoned gNvi-
~ of its manner, it is as good as comedy.
Its effect on Stanton and his Jealous
Republican luudators, must be ike
that produced on Falstalr by the expo
sure of II is prodigious hcroism against
the men in buckram.
1t is conceivable enough that a man
may differ Nehemently with the Prosi
dent even on points where the Presi-
dent is strong and right, without hav-
ING any cause to blush for his personal
probity or his sense of character. y
mans honest prejudices, be they ever
so violent, do not dishonor and degrade
| him. But when man passes himself
off for a martyr and is presently un-
masked as a hypocrite, he is beyend the
pale of charity. If Mr.. Seward should
turn upon the President and raise n
quarrel on the ground that Mr.. johnson
had consented to squander the public
revenue in the Russian purchase, or II
Mr.. M'Culoch should try to fasten
on him Il quarrel because he iaNor7 Il
contraction of the currency, or Mr.
! Staubery because he Vstoed the Recon-
struction bill, every honest man would
declare without hesitation that these
members of the Cabinet were disgraced.
But if these scarcely supposabc hypo-
theses were facts, they would fade away
before such infamy rs Stanton's. This
perAdious miscreaut had theindecribable
impudonce to tell the President that he
was unfit to be trusted with theappoint-
ment of an dd interim Secretary of War,
when he himself had been not merely
an approvcr, but the aUthor, of the pol
lev for which The President was con-
demncd The reconstruction policy of
Mr.. johnson, which is "the head and
front of his offending" was devised and
put in writing by Stanton himself, be-
fore Mr.. johnson became President. 1t
had the previous approval Of President
Lincoln, and was accepted by Mr.. john
son when he came into Office. These
facts and documentary evidence to
prove them are given by Mr.. johnson
in the message, and the well-driven
nail is clinched by the sworn testimony
of Stanton himself. The North Caro-
lima proclamation, in which President
Johnson's reconstruction policy was
first announced, was cOncoction of
Stanton's brain, and in all its essential
features, the production of his pen
The brazen knave and hypocrite out
did even himself in publicly contesting
the Presidents authority to suspend
him. He rested his remonstrance on
the Constitution" and the claws" but
was prudently tender OF going into par
ticulars. The word "Constitution" in
such connection should have burnt
his pen like vitriol and reddened the
very paper with shame. He, as having
been a former Attorney-G eneral, was
consulted by the President respecting
the constitutionality of the Tenure-of-
Office bill and held it to be in plain con
dict with the Constitution. He suppl.
ed orally all the best points in the veto
of that bill ,and would have written the
veto message had it not been for Il
transient physical infirmity. And yet
he had the amazing etfrontery to plead
the Constitution against the act of the
President. A man capable Of this is
capable of any meanness, and he prob
ably was in collusionwith Congress AT
the very time he was supplying the
President with arguments against their
action. The bill was probably amend
ed so as to include Cabinet officers at
his instigation, ,and hisargu against
its constitutionality were a device for
warding Off suspicion. This snake in
the grass was the only member of the
Cabinet for whom the Republicans had
any tenderness, or whom they had any
motive to keep in Office.
The skulking baseness, the personal
and official treachery of this perfidious
caitiif in connection with the New
Orleans riot, wond alone be sufficient
to blast his reputation as a man Of hon
or. In the very crisis of the danger, be-
fore the riot occurred, II despatch came
to Washington from General Baird ask
ing instructions. This despatch was
concealed by Stanton, and kept from
the knowledge of the President for
many days after the riot. Had the
President received il in time, the riot
would have been prevented. That
scene Of bloody violence was precisely
what the Republicans needed to ena'
BILE them to carry the elections against
the President. 1t spread a sentiment Of
horror and vengeance through the
North which gave the Republicans the
elections. IL thereby emboldened Con-
gress to adopt all the violent measures
which, as the public mind sobers, arc
producing so mighty a reaction. AS g
point Of official duty, quite apart from,
its noXious consequences, there could
be no excuse for Withholding that des
patch from the President. But when
the mischief was done, and the country
blazing from end 10 end with wild in.
dignation against Mr.. Johnson, then il
was that this wretch, Stanton, steepec
his soul in the most Villauous perhdy
BY giving publicity TO the facts, thi'
undutiful Secretary, this spotted anC
skulklng adder, could have turned bach