The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-25

was invited 10 I'M tts. place. HIS position thus rem
dered vacant was oss> - 70 h =. stanton who &C
All once hs great admin. strative power asserted
ITSELF II IL singular thing mat President
buchanan should have brougtis consp'cnousy before
the public the man VINO was W WIN imperish-
able renown as Secretary % war curing
great rebellion. But 80 It WA. AZ attorney
General he displayed all The clemcDLs OF leader.
He endeavored to infuse into the expifhK auninis-
tratiOn OF the President some part OF the hat
he possessed lie urged the reinforcement " Fort
sumter and provisioning or the garrison, ana mad
his ADVICE been taken at the time 1t was made the
story OF Anderson's futile defence would proDaDV
never have been told. But Mr.. Buchanan was I'M
equal TO the emergency. Weeks and months passed,
and then came the day when Mir. Lincoln was In
stalled Then Mr. Stanton left the oice OF Attorney
General and retired TO private life. He had done his
best 70 make the last few months OF his CHEFS oncia
career honorable, II not glorious. He had failed.
and when he resumed the practice OF ms profession
1t did appear as II the entire CABINET OF President
Buchanan, sharing with him all Of pubic odium. had
doomed the foture Secretary to lifelong political
oDseurity.
CAREER AS SECRETARY OF WAR.
:, II would be interesting to learn What influenced
War, and who first proposed his name. Certainly
he had done nothing that we are aware OF to show
Others, at the time was the most important In the
Cabinet. Al any rate when on the 18th Of January,
1852, Mr.. Cameron retired from the War once peo-
pie were taken by surprise upon hearing that Ed
win Nj. stanton mad been appointed his successor.
He entered upon the duties at an hour when the
affairs OF the country were In deDorable condition.
The army, dispirlted by defeat and the vigorous
front presented by tue VICTORIOUS COnfederates, was
In poor state OF organization Everywhere doubt
and ''Organized victory" Into every branch OF his
department he Infused tireless, resstless energy
derrul rapidity and sent to the field the ordnance
ana comnlssarat were well supplied ana placed
upon an efficient footing. The army moved
possible, but to certain triumph. Defeat
after defeat gould not shake the nrmness Of the
Secretary OF War. When, In 1852, the COlfederate5
swept everything before them and the dark gloom
0verspread the North, MIR. stanton renamed
unappaIled energetic determined lie pur-
blame upon him for disasters. and he shrugged his
abused him, and he locked them up III prison.
i Is undenlable that In those days Mr. stan
;n " Vas Aa to sHa ne was ala
hesitate to snap his fingers at tue Law aud to exer
else his WILL II suspicion tell upon any person
lere dc cac.et went out from the War oice and the
suspected person soon found himself IN cell. lie
might have been innocent; he might have been
guilty; 1t made no particle Of difference to Mr. Stan
relentless despot during the war. But had no been
anything else the South would have gained her inde
pendence. The time demanded extraordinary mea-
sures; yacation or strict observance OF constitu-
tlonal prerOgatives would have eliminated In the
dissolution OF the Union None knew this better than
And when after three years Of hard fighting the
end came, TO the Secrearysol War mucn OF the glory
belonged. All supporters OF the Union united In
lauding his praises. 1t mattered little whether he
had blasted the reputation OF this or that general
for whom he entertained hostile sentiments. That
was question Tor time and history to decide. But
in the exutatOn OF the hour only the great result
could be recognized. Grant and Meade. sheridan
ana Hancock bore testimony TO the great service
Sherman stood aiooi, and his voice was silent be
Stant0n's lrascbillty had displayed itself upon
INN. OF many things regarding Mr.. Stanton's
career as Secretary OF War II would be useless TO
Ss5 fs az s
sibe for the non-exchanRe or prisoners and conse-
quent horrors OF Andcrsonvile; neither snail we
inquire whether he sacrificed Mcclellan aud HOOKER
az has been repeatedly asserted. Bearing In mind
only the greaG result We have nothing Of reproaces
and everything Oh praise ior nun.
II IL almost unnecessary to refer to the events that
closed Mr.. Stanton's career IN the War ONCE.
tremendous Importance That all persons are
familiar with them. A brief recapltulation
me ac e abna, nv Jhnscn Ne
Stanton hestated for awhile whether 10 support his
plan OF reconstruction or TO esponse the cause Of
Congress- Finally he decided against the President,
and from that time the two were enemies The
Tenure of ONCE law was passed evidently for tho
purpose OF keeping Mr. Stanton in ONCE 1t being i'm
portant TO Congress that tue War Department should
be in the hands OF an ally. Mr.. johnson attempted
TO remove the obnoxious Secretary, who resisted,
Thomas TO take charge Then followed the
%s and nsn e s ss vps
announced MT. Stanton retired from the
| Department AZ defiant as ever. 1t is undenablJ
true Lnat llT0uxu0uL Iueat uTaIuutlC proceedings
he mad erred in clngng to his position even though
urged to IL by all the party leaders. He should have
Withdrawn from the Cabinet the moment he discov.
cred that his presence In disagreeabe to the
Chief Magistrate OF the nation. This opinion we
expressed ut the time and events have not since
induced us TO change It, II Is, however, simple
justice to Mr. Stanton to state expressly that he
in measure persuaded INTO resisting the President.
The radicals were determined carry out success
fully their plan OF reconstruction, ana much de-
pended upon the Secretary OF war they prevailed
upon that Official TO 'stck' In spite OF all tue efforts
to remove him.
Mr. Stantons health had been much impaired by
turnedb private life for the last time was with
constitution weak and broken For some time past
he had been ang. But a few days ago he was
nominated for a Judgeshp OF the Supreme Court OF
the United States anu confirmed by the senate vita
out the usual reference. Death prevented his assuns-
ing the robes OF Office HIS career was great and
glorious one. Aeratefu people Will long cherish his
memory, and viii twIne around 1t the iaurels OF tn
mortality.