Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-02-11
Black on Stanton.

Mr., JEREMIAH BLACK, tho Attorney
General during Mr.. Buchanan's admins.
tration, has published = letter, taking ex.
ceptions to some remarks by Attorney
General lloar, in his announcement of
the death of Mr. Stanton, to tho Supreme
Court. 1t is difficult to understand Mr.
Blacks object He states that up to the
time that General Cass left the Cabinet,
MIR. Stanton agreed cordially with tho
course pursued by the administration, and
with Buchanan's views upon secession and
coercion of the States II was because he
so agreed with these, that he was made
Attorncy'General when Black was trans
lcrrcd to the state Department. He also
states that Mr.. Stanton took no part in
the Cabinet discussions beyond sustaining
Mr. Black in his efforts with the Prcsi-
dent
That Mr.. Stanton had been Democrat;
that he had supported the Lecompton pol.
icy of Buchanan that he had supported
breckenridge, and that he was opposed to
Lincoln, and at the outset opposed to the
war, have been matters of history, which
no one has ever thought ofdisputing and
| why MIR. Black should now take the trou-
bic OF writing to the newspapers on the
subject is u mystery, The key, perhaps,
Is furnished in that par OF the letter
wherein, after stating Stanton's appoint.
ment to the Cabinet, Mr. Black says:
We took him for what he profcsscd to
bo--a true friend OF the Constitution a
faithful man who would not violate his
oath of office by willful disobedionce 10
the laws, am still convinced that he did
not deceive us. If he abandoned these
| principles in 1869, the change, howeyey
sudden and unaccountable, is not satisfac.
! tory evidence that he was an imposter and
a hypocrte in 1860"
The change in 1869, towhich reference
is made, is Mr. Stanton's acceptance OF
! the office of Secretary of War under Mr.
Lincoln. This Mr.. Black regards was an
abandonment OF true friendship for the
| Union, and of his refusal to violate his
oath of office by willul disohediencc to
the laws Mr.. Black did not change,
| During the war, when the threats of re-
bellion had become realities, and when
the rebel flag, borne by large armies, could
be seen from the Federal Capitol, he con
| tinued, as he has since done, splitting hairs
upon the constitutional power to "coerce
n State Mr.. Stanton, like thousands of
other Democrats Of 1860, could not remain
indifferent at such time, and he gave his
whole heart and soul TO the service of his
country TO put down that rebellion. Mr..
stanton, fortunately for his country, did
change, and the history of his brilliant
success as Secretary of War will live when
the petty grumblings of the Buchanan
dynasty will have sunk into contempt
and oblivion.
Mr. Black cannot falsify history, and Il
is surprising that even no shsuld persuade
himself that II is possible, That the slave
power was tho aggressive party that il
| aimed AT the extension of slavery all over
the land, and to secure to its supporters
the domination of the government for ali
tnture time that II aroused against itself,
al length, and for these reasons, the popu.
lar feeling of the North, and that TO sup
press that indignant uprising on behalf Of
freedom, and 10 compass its own ends, IL
inaugurated war, are facts OF history, seal.
ed IN the best blood of the nation, which
no chicanery no ingenuity no darkeninp
OF counsel no hlslhcation of facts, can
ever diSprove or successfully gainsay. II
is not strange that Mr. Black and his
compeers should be anxious 10 avoid the
intamy which history has inevitably fixed
apon them, but they would be far wiser
20 escape that intamy, SO far as is possible,
by silence, rather than by attempts To de-
tend their treason by avowing that they
have never repented Of it-C1icdgo Tlr.-
6uae,