Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-02-09

u down sctung Tie frst time nc ap.
pcarcd before the Supreme Court, the
Senate has rejected him, and now
Judge Black has given him nut to
crack which will keep him hammer.
ing for some time,
WASHINGTON, Jan. Is. 1870.
Hon. H. r. HoAR, Attorney General.
Sir; ! was not present in court yes.
torday to hear your remarks on Mr.
Stanton, but today | was shown a
newspaper report of them, which
presume TO be perfectly accurate
The following paragraph has struck
me with surprise:
"But Il Is not Of the lawycr, eminent as ho was
in the sernco and practice Of the law. that men
chiefly think Rs they remember him. Ills service
TO mankind was on higher and wider Geld. He
was appointed Attorney General BY Mr.. Brehauan
on the 10th Of December 1860, in ono Of the darn.
est hours Of the couutrys history, when the Union
seemed erumbling to pieces, without an arm raised
for It's support when, without the public counscs
was doubting, and within were fears; when feeble
ness and treRehcry were uniting to yield whatever
defiant rebellion might demand, aud good men
everywhere were ready to despair Of the republic
For ten weeks Of that winter of national agony
and shame, with patriotism that never wayorcd
and courage that never quailod, this true Amer.
can, happily not alone, stood manfuy at his post,
between the living and the dead gave what nerve
he could to timid and trembling iinbcciiity and
met the secret plotters Of their eounrys ruin with
an undauntcd front until before that rcsoule pres
onoe the demons Of treason aud civil dscord up
pcared In their own shape n at the touch Of Thu
ricl's spear, aud 1ed bailed and bowling away"
This statement was carefully and
deliberately written down before you
delivered it. You spoke for the Ameri
can bar as its organ and official head,
and you addressed the highest tribu.
nal in the world, knowing that your
words were to 90 upon its records aud
there TO remain forever. | take il for
granted, under these circumstances,
that no carthl y temptation could make
you defect a hairs breadth from the
facts as you understood and believed
them. The inevitable conclusion is
that you must have in your posses.
sion, or within your reach, some owl.
dence which convinces you that what
you said is the truth. / am sure you
will excuse me for asking you TO say
what that evidence is. The paper |
have transcribed from your address
sounds like the authoritative summary
Of historian, Us he closes the most
interesting chapter OF his book. You
can hardly consider the curiosity i'm.
pertinent that prompts an American
citizen to inquire what your judgment
is founded upon. Besides, have somo
friends whose reputation is deeply 10.
volved in the affairs you pronounce
upon with so much confidence. More.
over, | have personal concern in
your remarks, for am one of Mr..
Stanton's colleagues and am as liable
as any one of them TO be taken on
your statement for one of the ''secret
plotters Of their country's ruin" Be
pleased, therefore, to give me the in.
formation seek.
Do you find on the records Of your
Office anything which shows that Mr..
Stanton was in violent or dangerous
conflict with "demons of treason and
civil dscord, or any other description
of demons Did Mr.. Stanton himself
ever lay claim 20 the heroic character
you ascribe TO him or declare that he
bad performed those prodigious fcats
OF courage while he was In Mr. Blu.
chanan's cabinet las any other
person who was in u condition TO
know the facts ever given you that
version Of them which you repeated
to the court If yes who arc the wit
nessesi what particular danger was
he exposed TO which tested his valor
and made his "undaunted front"
thing so wonderful in the description
ofitg Whose rfcobleness and trcaoh.
cry was it that united to yield what.
ever defiant rebellion might domandf
and how did Mr. StantOn's courage
dissolve the combination or defeat lis
purposes?
You say that for ten weeks "he
stood manfully at bis post, between
the living aud tho dead.' Now. when
the first law officer Of the United
States addressed the Supreme Court
on a special occasion, and after clabo.
rate preparation, he is presumed TO
mean something by what he says. -
How is this TO be understood You
certainly did not intend TO assert
merely that be stuck to his commits.
sion as long as he could, and gave Il
up only when he could not help it,
Standing manfully at n post Of any
kind, and especially when the stand
is made "between the living and
the dead" has, doubtless, deep sig.
nifcance, If one could but manage 10
find out what il is. Who were the
dead and who were the livingY and
how did il happen that Mr.. Stanton
got between them, and why did he
stay there for ten weeksy These
questions you can easily answer, and
the answer is needed for, in the
meantime, coniectural interpretations
are very various and some Of them in.
furious 10 the dead aud living afore.
said, as well as TO Mr.. Stanton, who,
according TO your representation,
stood between them.
! can comprehend the well worn
smile of lthuriel's spear, but do not
see what on earth was the use Of il
unless you thought Il ornamental and
original, for you make Mr.. stanton.
by his mere presence, and without a
spear, do what lthuricl himself could
not do with the aid Of that powerful
instrument The angel with the spear
compelled demon TO lay aside his
disguise, while n mortal man dealt
with many demons, and not only made
them all appear in their proper shape,
but drove them "baffled and bowling
away" out Of his "resolute presence
| do not object to this because the fg.
ures are mixed or because il is an OK
travagant outrage on good taste. The
custom Of the times allows men who
make culogies on their political
friends TO tear theirrhetofic into rags,
and Il you like the tatters you are
welcome to flaunt them. But / call
your attention to il in the hope that
xsnu tuill fnllr hka man of fhia xvnf.ld