Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-01-07
EDWIN N. STANTON.
Incidents in the Life and Career O
the Great War Minister.

EDWIN M. STANTON.
Incidents in the Life and Career of
the Great War Minister.
The Editor of the New York Sun,
Mr.. Charles A. Dana, who was AS
sistant Secretary of War with Mr..
Stanton and therefore on terms Of in
timsey with him, relates the following
"reminiscences Of the Secretary
Mr. Stanton was about Eve feet sew
en- inches in height, with broad should
ers and frame Of Websterian solidi-
~. His features were full and rather
SocraGIc, his complexion salloW, his
hair and beard dark, though of late
years they had become quite grizzled ::
his eye full and exceedingly brilliant
his forehead broad rather than high :;
his mouth indicative of both frmness
and kindness his presence Weighty,
dignifed, and impressive. His ordin-
ary expression of eountenance was
grave, but it easily gave way to mirth,
and his smile, which was always ready
at any sally Of humor, was exceeding
~ sweet and tender. His eye would
kindle with a peculiar light at the
presence of children. of whose com
pany he was fond, and with whom he
was always gentle and playful He
was very foBd of the society of his
friends, and took great delight In dis
eussing with them the history of pub
lie sfairs or principles of law, or re.
calling events of the war or of poll
tics that were little known and under
stood. He had enjoyed the acquaint-
anee of many leading and influential
men of all parties, aud took pleasure
in analyzing their abilities, character,
aud career. He liked anecdotes, toId
a story with effect, and had no objec-
tion to joke. But he had no pa
tienee with levity when serious busi-
ness was on hand. On she night of
Mr.. Lincoln's second election few
confidential friends of the President
were gathered at the War Department.
to see the returns as they came in by
telegraph. Between the dispatches,
Mr.. Lincoln took out of his pocket a
little pamphlet, by the Rev. Petroleum
v. Nasby, and read aloud one extract
after another to one sf the gentlemen
present.
This was utterly repugnant to Mr..
StantOn's s solemn interest in the event
Of the day. During one of the pauses
he beckOned the Presidents auditor
into the next room, aud there express
ed his indignation In language of such
Yehemence, after which they went
back and resumed the study of the re-
turns.
Mr.. Stanton was man of great
natural independence and courage.
His opinions were. his OVID, and we're
expressed with frankness and force.
Hostility to slavery was one Of the
most marked traits Of his mind, and
one Of his faV0rite books was Arthur
Helps Spanish Conquest. He used
to speak of the chapters on the histo-
ry Of slavery rs one Of the most valu-
able expesitIono Of that subject which
he had ever met with. His inpatience
with the slowuess of President Lin
c0Ea TO proclaim emancipation was
great, and was expressed more freely
to the President than TO any orc else.
When the proclamation finally came.
his delight and his gratitude to God
were uDbounded. Now at last he felt
that no blunder and no disaster would
avert the ultimate triumph of our
arms. He at once took measures to
organize negro regiments and no
member of the administration cared
more faithfully than he for those hum
bic defenders of the Union. He pro 1
tected their interests at every point.
and long refused to exchange prison
ers with the rebel authorities because
they would not include our black
soldiers In the exchanges. Perhaps
there was no point in all the eompli-
cations Of the war which subjected
ga nk~tvr fs4 Il
this but. as In everything else. hel
would not turn from his work to de 1
fend himself, and left the vindicatioB
Of his conduct to time and the hands
of others.
Although not member OF any
chUrck-unlsss he may have recently
become one-religious feeling was one
of Mr.. StantOn's s most striking clare
teristics. The imagery of the Old
Testament was familiar to him, and he
often undesignedly used it IN illustra-
tinD Of military occurrences during
the war. He believed instinctively
IN the presence of God In human af- /
fairs, and that Right must always tri- /
umph az last because of that presence. |
Though not. We suppose habituaily
devout man, the sentiment Of dev6ut- \
ness was setive with him. In 1864 al
party of Quakers came to Washington
upon business connected with the vel /
fare of the freedmen Among them
was a lady from New Bedford remark 1
able not only for her ability as n
preacher, but for a sanity beauty.
They visited the Secretary Of War all
his house. When the matter was dis-
posed Of. about which they had called
and as they were sbout to ake leave
this lady moved by the spirit Of the
occasion, and by something in the nan
before her, said, Let US pray :; and
contrary 60 the usual Quaker custom.
she uttered aloud a petition to the Di-
vine Father for guidance and support
for those who were charged with such
great responsibilities. The scene was
as affecting ae il was beautiful.
The assassination of Mr.. Liuooln
brought out in powerful relief the re-
sources OF MT. Stanton's intellipence
and character. Every one else CON
neeted with the Government scanned
for the time TO be stunned. Mr. Sew
ard, the other victim of that mvsteri-
GUS scheme of murder, lay helpless in
his own house, uncertain whether he
was to live or die, The whole burden
Of the administrntion dovolved upon
the Secretary of War Though his
soul was bowed with grief at the as
asssination of his friend and his ooun-
try's benefactor, he did not neglect for
moment the duties Of the hour. Sit |