Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-06-25

More Testimony OF HEs sympathy
with the KebelliOn-A "Reminiscences
Of Washington sn March, 1851.

More Testimony OF FHfs sympathy
| wtth the RebelItOn-A KeEninlscenes
Of Washington sn March, 1851.
From the Easton PENN Argus. 1.
1t would be the simplest thing in
the world to show, by the testimony
OF scores of witnesses who were
thrown into Edwin NJ. Stanton's
society during the spring and sum
mer of 1861, that he was, at that
time, in the habit of denouneing
Mr. Lincoln, bis cabinet, his policy,
his politics, and the men and meas
ures of the Radical party, in the
most profane and violent terms.
We shall confine ourselves to-day
to a single case which came within
our personal knowledge, and which
illustrates, happily, the ardor of his
loyalty at the date referred to. To-
ward the close of the month of
March, 1861, there died in the city
of Washington a gentleman of
Georgia birth, of high character
and fine talents, who had spent the
greater part of his life Che was
upward of sixty at the time
of his death) in the United
States Navy. Like many
other brave and gallant officers, he
had fallen victim to the Infamous
Retiring Board, established under
the administration of Pearce, and
had been robbed of his bread and
stripped of his sword, in the decline
of life, to crafty the malaee of Ger
tain members Of that hateful and
hated inquisition. Circumstances
not necessary to the purpose of.our
story threw him into intimate asso-
citation with Mr.. Stanton, who. was
with him in his last hours, and fol-
lowed his remains to the grave as
his nearest friend. It happened
shortly after the funeral that we had
occasion to visit Washington, and,
encounter;ng Mr.. Stanton, fell into
conversation with him concerning
the death of Lieutenant with
whom, I'VE, too, had been closely as
sociated. He gave US the particu-
lars of his illness and the circum-
stances which attended his depar-
ture-speaking with much feeling,
and added, "Alas, poor -!
What pity that he should have
been cut off in the very hour when
a new, brilliant career, in which he
would have distinguished himself,
was just opening upon him." We
inquired, with some surprise, to
what career he referred. "Why,
didn't you know" said he, "that
while was ill, he received an
offer of appointment of Commander
in the Confederate navy, and ifhehad
lived, could have gone at once into
active service ?" This incident is as
fresh in our mind as when it oc-
Cured. We recall, not only the
words Of the speaker, but the very
spot. 'af ..ea 81. .r
''The day. the hour. the sunshine and the shade
All things relating to that place and time,
as vividly as when we heard them
uttered. When it is remembered
that this was in April, 1S6l--that
the war was impending-and that
the seeded States were in fiat
armed rebellion-as defiant as at
any succeeding period of the power
of the United States government
it is not surprising that gentleman
who then foresaw for a friend a
"brilliant career" under what he
was afterward pleased to call ''the
flag of treason" should have been
writing letters approving of the
stand taken by the South, and avow
ing his sympathy with their strug-
Srla -