New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-03-06

servative, and that the thorough Radicasm Of Sher
man could be trusted in any contingency At the
outbreak of the war; Cox in the last months Of his
term State Senator. His warm personal friend Gov
DennsOn, was overwhelmed with the sudden pressure
of the work in organizing the Ohio contingent. Cox
at once abandoned all other work. and brought his
fine capacity for the prompt and correct discharge Of
business to DennsOn's aid. That officer pres emily
appointed him Brigader-General of Ohio Volunteers
about the same time that he made Geo. B. Mcclellan
MajOr-General. Cox was at once set to work under
McClellan's orders, inspecting the State Arsenal,
making estimates for arming and equippng the Ohio
troops, receiving the gathering volunteers at Camp
Jackson. Presently he was sent down to take COM
mand of the newly formed and soOn-to-be-nOted
Camp Dennson. Thence after the reGnlistment of
his three months troops for three years, he was
ordered to West Virginia. to make the advance mp
the Kanawha Valley, which Mcclellan then designed
to be the leading movement of that first successful
campaign of the war.
Into Gen. Coxs subsequent military career we can
not Onter 1t was long and honorable. Beginning
with the first troops enlisted in the State it con-
tinued till the last discharged. 1t comprised
the command Of the Kanawha Valley through Nc
Clellans Rosecrans's, and Fremonts campaigns
in West Virginia the transfer of his division in an
emergency, to the Army of the Potomac, and his
handsome opening of the battle OF Antietam, at
South Mountain, where he succeeded Reno in COM
mand of the Ninth Corps; his return to West Vir
gnia and command of the entire State his transfer
to Burnside's Department, and command of the Dis
trict of Ohio: his command Of tho Twenty-third
Corps under Burnside in the East Tennessee campagn
his transfer to the command of Gen. Schofeld
NOW Secretary of War;, and his participation, under
that officer, in the whole Atlanta campaign from
Pc Tn To I tiei-
patton in the chase of Hoods army through Northern
Georgia and Alabama; his share, under George H.
Thomas, in the subsequent movements that culmi-
mated in the magnificent battle of Nashville; his
transfer, under Schofeld to North Carolina, and his
conduct of the advance on the south side Of the
river from Fort Fisher to Wilmington, and then Of
the corps that pioneered the way from Newbern to
Kingston and GoldsbOrough to effect the junction
with Sherman's army. marching up from the cam
paign of the Carolnas. In this whole career he was
always active, always ready, always trusted, and
always found worthy of trust He not reckoned
great corps commander, but was held always sure
and safe. His advancement was not rapid, but it
was steady and at the end it could be truly said Of
hm-so correct and prudent was he-that on the
day of his muster ont he stood higher in the esteem
Of the Government and the country than he had on
any previous day throughout his military career.
demand of the soldiers for recognition in the poti-
cal field, and their general concurrence in Ohio in
putting Gen. Cox forward as their representative he
had been nominated by the Republican party as their
candidate for Governor. II was now found that the
war had wrought very considerable change IL no
political views. Some of his old Oberlin friends,
hearing of this resolved TO satisfy themselves and
accordingly addressed him letter prOp0unding GER
tain inquiries concerning his views of the negro
problem. and particularly of negro suffrage. With
prompness that gave rise TO the suppOsion that he
had been hoping for some such opportunity,
he replied in q long, polished and scholarly
letter the effect of which was to pro-
duce some Encouragement in the party and to cause
him to run behind his ticket He opposed negro suf-
frage and held that the feeling of the soldiers who
had secured the freedom of the Blacks was such that
they would refuse to tolerate their full enranchise
ment These, however, he took care to say, were his
individual views. But they were held with such
tenacity that two years later, when stamping" the
State for his successor Gov. Hayes on the platform
of the amendment to the State Constitution, sane
tioning negro suffrage he was still unwilling to say
anything in its favor, and confined himself TO the
discussion of financial questions.
Cen Cox's career as Governor of Ohio was I'M
eventual He discharged the duties of the Office
faithfully and was held model Governor. lie was
however, not Gly la sJ'"P~ty With his party, both
because Of his Oberlin letter against Negro Suffrage
and by reason of his subsequent efforts to induce the
Ohio Representatives and Senators in Congress to
avoid break with johnson. At as late day as
after Johnson had vetoed the Civil Rights bill, the
Freedmens Bureau bill, and sundry subsequent
ones, he visited Washington, called meeting OF
Ohio Congressman and read to them long ana
very earnest letter in which he strove to
convince them Of the honesty and purity OF John
sons purposes, and besought them to forego their
opposition and yield somewhat to Johnsons preJu-
dices on Civil Rights and other disputed questions.
The Congressman refused to he governed by his
advice and the party at home sustained their course.
Before the canvass for the next nomination was
opened Gov. Cox announced his intention not to be
n second time a candidate. He was poor-not worth
5000. all told-he was approaching middle age, and
he felt the necessity of making money. lilo accord
ingly removed TO Cincinnati, entered upon the prac
ticc of law and was soon in the enjoyment OF large
and growing business. from which he refused TO be
drawn by any political temptations. Thus he de-
clined the Commssionership OF Internal Revenue
when rendered him by Mr. johnson; and when Grant
urUed Johnson to get over the Stanton difficulty by
Amounting Cox Secretary of War, there was some
reason to believe that lac would decline that
The Friendship Of both Grant and Sherman for
Cox mas always been warm; and to this auued 10 the
conviction of his ability and absolute integrity his ap
pointment to the Interior is doubtless due
lie is for a politician and a soldier, man of singu-
lory studious habits and of wide and varied attain
,nents. Among all the prominent public men of
OHM there is no one his superior land not more than
one his equaD in classical scholarship, in familiarity
with modern literature, and in acquaintance with
the latest results of philosophical thinkers on Polit
cal Economy and Finance. He has methodical,
prompt crisp way of doing business, and is admirably
lifted for the executive work of the Interior or any