The New York herald., 1869-12-26

Stanton was the strong right arm or Lincoln
in the great work of suppressing the rebellion.
When Stanton entered the War Office,
january, 1862, not only was the city Of Wash
ington, with the army of Mcclellan, belea-
guered, and the Potomac river effectively
blockaded by the rebel army of Joe Johnston,
but all the Union armies elsewhere
appeared to be on their good behavior towards
''the confederacy." A month or two months
later and the country was electrified by the
victory of General Thomas at Mill Spring, in
Kentucky; the great victory Of General Grant
at Fort Donelson, in Tennessee, and by Burn
sides victories in North Carolina, and by. the
rebel evacuation Of Manassas and the retreat
of Joe Johnston to Richmond. By these Union
successes and that of Pittsburg Landing the
Northern rebel line in the Mississippi valley
was broken up and moved down from the
heart Of Kentucky into Mississippi and Ala
bama, while on the east side of the mountains
it was moved from the line Of the Potomac
down to the line of the James river. Then
came, after the advance of Mcclellan to the
very gates of Richmond, his terrible reverses,
and then those of Pope. But Stantons initial
series of successes as War Minister established
him firmly in the confidence of Lincoln against
all reverses.
Lincoln and Stanton became like the mega
tive and positive poles of the battery-essen-
tial to each other. If Lincoln was constantly
urged forward by Stanton, Stanton was con-
stantly held under tight rein by Lincoln. The
one would have been too slow and the other
would have been too fast, had not each been
somewhat governed by the spirit of the
other. If the amiability of Lincoln
would have forgiven everything, the
remorseless wrath of Stanton would have
destroyed everything opposed to the Union
cause. Lincoln often, when rough work was
required, left the responsibility with Stanton,
and Stanton in the matter Of clemency, as the
rule, sent his applicants back to Lincoln. 1t
was, however, on the slavery and the emanci-
patton questions that these two men differed at
first most decidedly. Lincoln had still some
Of his Kentucky conservative ideas on the
subject, while Stanton was an Ohio abolition
ist in his war policy. After the issue of the
emancipation proclamation the President and
his war minister thoroughly understood each
other and the war on this grand revolutionary
idea Of emancipation went on brayely to the
end.
Lincoln's assassination and the terrible
wounding of Secretary Seward on the same
night by one of Booths confederate murderers
cast upon Stanton (until Vice President John
son was sworn in next day. the grave respon-
sibilities of the active head of the government.
He was, in fact, the master spirit Of the admin
istration until the assassination consprators
were executed and the rebellion was wholly
suppressed. In this fearful interval, if he
gave us a touch Of the terrible will and earn
estness of Cromwell, it cannot be denied that
the results were positively amazing in strength
ening the public confidence in the government.
But after a while, when Johnson began to
shape his reconstruction policy as candidate
for the Presidency on the Southern conserva-
tive tack he soon found that Stanton was in
his way. Stanton, however, was an ugly Gus
toner as an adversary, and SO Johnson laborcd
first to make him an ally, and next to secure
his neutrality. Failing in both expert
ments, it became necessary to Johnson's
plans to get rid of Stanton-peace-
ably If he could, forcibly if he must. Ap-
prised Of this design, Congress, looking to
Southern reconstruction, strengthened Stanton
with the Tenure of Office law. Johnson, after
the retirement of Congress, suspended Stanton
and put General Grant in his place, not caring
to risk at first fight with Congress on this
new law. With the return of Congress Stanton,
under the law, was declared by the vote of the
Senate renstated, and on his appearance at
the War Office Grant retired in obedience to
the law.
General Grant having thus knocked In the
head the calculations upon which he was ap-
pointed, President Johnson declared war
against him and against Stanton--a war which
eliminated in Johnson's impeachment and
resulted in his escape from expulsion from the
White House by one vote. Now, the inquiry
is suggested, what would have followed had
Stanton or had Grant consented to play policy
with Johnsons 1t is probable that the recon-
struction system Of Congress would have been
upset in the South, and that such state of
disorder would have resulted down there and
in the government as to throw the political
parties in the country and in Congress into
such confusion as to make Johnson first rate
democratic candidate for the Presidency. Thus
it may be said that it was Stanton's opposition
to Johnson's policy in the Cabinet, aided by
Grant, that swamped Johnson and cleared the
track to Grant for the Presidential succession.
A MERRY CHRIsrMAs.-We are quite sure
that the most general, most extensive and
the most hearty celebration of Christmas ever