Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-01-05

/ lady, moved by the spirit OF the Occa'
sion, and by something in the man
before her, said, "Let US pray;;n and
contrary to the usual Quaker custom
she uttered aloud petition to the
Divine Father for guidance and sup.
port for those who were charged with
such great responsibility. The scene
was as affecting as it was beautiful.
AN UNTRUE CHARGE.
Mr.. Stanton has been charged with
intriguing against Mcclellan, Buell.,
and Rosecrans. The charge is untrue
He intrigued against nobody; intrigue
was not his style. AT first, he had q
profound faith in all of those Gener.
ais; but when his faith was weaken
ed, and even after 1t had been changed
into positive distrust and anxiety, he
continued zealOusly doing everything
in his power to strengthen and ad.
vance their operations against the en-
emy. Nor was it his practice pertina-
ciously to urge upon the President the
removal of General in whom he had
confidence no longer. Having fully
expressed his opinion to Mr.. Lincoln,
he would wait until the President had
himself come to the same conclusion
and it repeatedly happened that Mr..
Stanton was credited with the with
drawal of an officer from his command
when that event was due to other
causes. Thus, we believe the removal
Of General Roseerans from the Army
of the Cumberland was effected, not
by the Secretary of War, but through
/ the advice of the Secretary of the
/ Treasury, who had become alarmed
/ by the private accounts which he re-
ceived from Chattanooga, from a mil
itary friend of high station in that
army. The friends of General Rose
Grams. however, and We dare say the
. General himself, attributed the event
to Mr.. Stanton; and We are bound to
add that he cordially approved of it,
although he had not brought it about.
Mr.. STANTON AND GENERAL GRANT.
! Toward General Grant Mr.. Stanton
/ entertained a hearty confidence and
admiration, from the capture of Fort
/ Donelson till the end of the war. Dur
! ing the canal-digging campaign in
front of Vicksburg, efforts were made
TO secure Grants removal, but Mr..
Stanton never acceded to them. 1t
was afterward suggested that General
Banks should relieve Grant during
the siege of Vicksburg, but to this the
War Department did not agree
/ Subsequently, when the President
( had determined to remove Rose
Grams from Chattanooga, Mr.. Stan
! ton was the first to propose that
Grant should be put in his place
with extended authority. He also fav-
81
chief command, with rank of Lieu
tenant General, and his influence had
much to do in securing the passage of
that measure though Congress. The
creation of the full rank of General at
later period, however, we believe he
did not approve, thinking it unneces-
sary as a reward to Grant, and not
whOlesome'in its relation TO republic
can institutions.
THE ASSASSINATION.
The assassination of Mr.. Lincoln
brought out in powerful relief the re-
sources of Mr., Stanton's intelligence
and character. Every one else con-
nected with the government seemed
for the time to be stunned. Mr.. Sew
ard, the other victim Of that mysteri-
Gus scheme of murder, lay helpless in
his own house, uncertain whether he
was to live or die. The whole burden
of the administration devoIved upon
the Secretary of War. Though his
soul was bowed with grief at the as
sassination of his friend and his coun-
try's benefactOr, he did not neglect
for moment the duties of the hour.
Sitting in the Rnteroom of the dying
President, with several adjutants and
assistants to aid him, he gave in low
uTes for the pursuit of the assassin and
the detection of their accomplices /;
sent kilograms to military comman-
ders in every direction wrote with
his own hand dispatches for our min
listers abroad {; provided for the public
security at all doubtful points; thought
Of everything and did everything
with wisdom and fertility never sur
passed. Next day, Vice President
Johnson took the oath of Office as
President, and his first act, most be-
comingly performed, was earnestly
to thank the Secretary of War for all
that he had accomplished during that
memorable night, and to ask him,
while they held each other by the
hand, to stand by him as he had stood
by Mr.. Lincoln. Mr.. Stanton prom
ised, and kept his word as long as Mr..
Johnson kept Mr.. Lincoln's princi-
pies.
The Washington special to the New
York Sun contains the following,
IMPOVERISHED BY THE WAR.
Beyond the house in which they
1--we there is not a dollars worth of
property left to feed, clothe or educate
the children of Mr.. Stanton. When
Mr.. Stanton went into the cabinet of
Mr.. Lincoln his law practice was
worth $20,0OO per annum. He was
six years Secretary of War, and in all
that time he spent his salary and drew
upon his private fortune so largely
that when, about two years ago, he
left the Department, he found his
property all gone but his dwelling,
and for the last two years he has had
to resort to his profession to secure the
means to live. He was too sensitive
to let any one know his circumstances,
and toiled when he should have rested
and recuperated. Two weeks ago he
made an argument before Justice
Swayne, that the latter pronounced
one of the best and ablest he ever
heard in his life. He would not take
a case without earning his fee, and
did not charge one third the value of
his services