Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-28
EXIT sFANFON.

The country IS not YET oat o. tiouOioi
bat it is no longer in the Valley Of the
Shadow Of Stanton. Promptly within an
hour or two after the verdict acquitting
the President Of criminality in ordering
him to surrender the War Office, and
more decorously than it was thought
possible he conld DO so, he abdieated
in a brief note addressed to the Presi-
dent and Is to-day what he should have
been long time since--a private citizen.
Nothing in all his official life SO became
him as the leaving it. He retires, how
ever. the most Inundated and degraded
man that ever held high Office in the
government. Heacccded TO the position
ON the price of detection to principles he
had hut recently protested, and after the
manner Of all aposlatcs, he was hot ana
eager to merit his wages, and earn the
approval eff his purchasers. Gifted with
vigorous administrative capacity, COM
bined with the unscrupulousness requia
site for furnishing the sinows to war
which its originators had just began to
peryert from its formally declaredpurpOse,
to one ofrapino upon institutions and pro-
perty, he soon commended himself as an
ant and well-chosen instrument Secure
in the vantage Of popularity thus gained,
he swelled with "the insolenee Of Office,
and by moulding the plastic and iacile
Lincoln rs the potter does clay, over
awning the timid and cautious Seward,
heetoring the "Old man Of the Sea who
sent out ships of war, eozenng Chase
into his support, and driving Blair and
Caleb Smith from the Cabinet, he made
himself the virtual President for the
time. He put up andput down Generals
at will, and dictated to armies at his
Measure. lie erected bastiles for private
citizens, and held paramount sway over
friend and Zoe alike. His word and his
nod could do and undo more than any
mans In bearing, he was abrupt and
supercilious, and when opposition was
attempted, brutal. The frown and
shaking of the shaggy locks surmonntmg
the bull neck of the war minister, was
terrible indeed. But that day has
passed, and is past forever.
When Andrew Johnson became has
official chief, he met stuff as stern as he.
As soon az the President perceived that
Stanton was squaring himself to assert
AGAINST him the ait Cesar ant RutlHs
attitude which had made him the anto-
crat Of his predecessors reign, he took
an the gauntlet. That he did not
retire him earlier, indeed in the first few
months Of his administration, was great
and ineomprchonsible error lie delayed
ituntil the naughty and domineering
minister, finding he could not control IN
the councils, had taken to craft and so
enmesbed him, that he was almost pow
erless. Having deceived the President
successfully, he commenced to defy him,
and then the contest which ended on
Monday, fairly opened The strategy
and skill on both sides has been mag
nifcient. Ont Of Office once for n lew
months, he was remanded back by a
Senate servile TO him. Ordered out
again, he refused compliance, and made
a House of Representatives, still more
seryile demand the Presidents election
as punishment For three months,
every energy of his nature has been
brought TO the aid Of the colossal COM
binatiou he had formed for the dtstruc-
ton Of his adversary, but in vain lie
staked has official head on the die, and
when it was east against him he yielded;
and now the monster voluninous and
vast, lies at length, full many rood
floating in the pit Of political Perdition