Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-12-01
FUDGE BLACK ON STANTON.

70 the CINCINNATI COMMERCIALS, gives
interesting table-talk with Judge Blacl
of Pennsylvanis, which will prove intel
esting to those VINO have paid any stter
ton to the Stanton controversy. 81
says:
For several mornings we have break
tasted together, and the intellectual trea
afforded me makes an epoch in my life
l violate no confidence IN giving some O
this to the public, for the brave old maj
has few opinions he cares to conceal.
said to him one morning:
SIT Is shame, Mr.. Black, that will
your knowledge of events, and clear,
forcible style, you do not devote por
ton of your time TO write up the history
of the late troubled period"
''Thank you," he responded, ''anG
when done 1t would be Jerry Blacks
| opinion, and so pass as history, ehl Bul
have little paper now prepared that ]
want to show you, touching this contro-
versy over Stanton"
ga most unfortunate controversy, Mr..
Black. The late Secretary of War suf.
fers at the hands of his friends"
'cNo more than l suffer to see facts
brought out that / never dreamed Of"
''Are you certain of the facts7"
81 have had legal training, and can
not shut my eyes to evidences, however
unpleasant 1t may be-"
'tBut is It evidence9 Now you knew
Edwin NJ. Stanton through lifetime, al
most, and you were warm, cherished, CEN
fiding friends. Can you not say that you
know him as well as Senator Wilson OF
Chief Justice Chase?n
"CannOt say that. To know a man
one must listen to his enemies as well as
his friends. To wife and children, for
example, many convict is saint and a
martyr. 1t is always unsafe to run ON
ones prejudices, be they for OF against q
man. Now when il is proven that a man
has been double-sided, held with the
hounds when running with the hare, I am
forced to accept the proof, however pain
full it may be. For example, when Sum-
ner tells me of Stanton's consorting with
AbolitioDisis at DR.. Bailey's house at
Washington, at the very time he was ex-
pressing an utter adherence of them,
am amazed and panied, but l accept the
fact.D
(Which is not the fact, / don't care
who asserts it. knew Mr.. Stanton and
DR.. Bailey, intimately. Stanton had a
great admiration for DR.. Bailey, person
ally, regarding him as pure, heightened
man, of remarkable intellect, but he did
not sympathize with bis party, and I'll
venture to say was never in his house but
once, snd that was when that great and
good man was carried out to be buried.
He and rode In the same carriage to the
cemetery, and in that ride he expressed
himself freely in eulogy of the Doctor,
and his condemnation of the party"
THAT is one instance-these fellows
give me mary"
Yes, precisely such as are embodied
in the Chief Justices letter, in which he
says Mr.. Stanton was an antf-slsvery man
when he knew him in Columbus-sc were
you, so were the entire Democratic party
at that time. But Stanton did not SYM
pathize with the men who proposed to cut
down The tree to get clear of the cater.
pillars"
Mr.. Black shook bis head; then said,
after pause:
81 think his course toward Lincoln was
the most remarkable. was cognizant OF
all that. remember well Stanton tell,
ing, on his return from the trial OF ar
important railroad case, in Cincinnati, oil
the attempt made to force in buffoon Of
q man oaI1aJ ;1oolu f-or,, Tli;u.;o anf
how he shOuldered him ont. Stanton
called him baboon. 1t was his favoritt
| term before he became Secretary of War
Gentlemen told me afterward that Lin
coin, On his return to Springfield, com.
4 planned of the treatment, and said that h'
had never before been treated with sucl
brutality"
''Yes, the late Col Key, of Cincinnati
witnessed the scene. He said that Lin
coin appeared in light summer coat
through which the perspiration had run
and his long, lsnk, queer appearance wa
really startling"
81 was present when Lincoln and Stan
ton met for the first time after that event
Stanton was cool and quiet, while Lin
coin was excited, and could see, littl'
tlurried. He seized Stanton by the arm
and shaking it nervously, said, yes, yes
here's man | know know Stanton.
But l could see underneath q futter tina
came of a keen remembrance of the in
suit"
''DO you think so7 / doubt Whethe
anything ever reached him. he lacket
sensibility. While Stanton, Thomas, Lee
and now Chase, suffered through III
dreadful wear and tear of those days
Lincoln remained unmoVed, and had b
escaped assassination, would have live
to an old age"
l 'THe was a wonderful man. He is IN
derrated because not understood. To con
troll men and influence events he has n
equal in history"
'sHe had a cunning that amounted t
| genius, and no sensitiveness to interfer
| with his designs. What other man woul
have received Stanton kindly, and mad
| him Secretary of War, after the insult
that Edwin NJ. had hesped upon him z
81 could not, for one. But hisdismlsss
! of Cameron was of the same sort. Tn
cool, quiet way in which he kicked Came
| ron out of the Cabinet was an event un
surpassed up to that time"
"You were right, too, IN your historI
| of that event. The idea that Cameron
selected and designated Stanton as hi
successor is prepOsterous. l never hear
Stanton speak of Cameron that he di
not denounce him, and Cameron mus
have known of it..
eff he had not, it was not Stanton
fault. / heard an officer once complain
ing to Stanton that he could not get in t
see Cameron while Secretary of War, a
! though he had been kicking his heels
the ante-chamber for week. That
because, said Stanton, you are an homes
man and gentleman
"About Cameron's successor Camera
| was never consulted. The appointmeI
hung between Holt and Stanton for som
| time, and the scales were turned in fave
| of Stsnton by Chase and Mcclellan. Star
| ton had been McClellan's adviser thong
| after Little Macs extraordinary elevation
he was above taking advice. l aske
Stanton a few days before he went il
| what he proposed doing, and he said b
| intended dropping ThOmas-subsequentl
Gd interim-out of the nearest window
| with pair of tOngs, and then make Lii
coin President and Mcclellan fight"
"Just like him; and that correspondent
between Lincoln and Cameron was cote
| up to plaster the wounds that come OF Il
| kicking"
Il These are but specimens of the talk {
the inner events of the past that are cor
sidered beneath the dignity Of historI
The paper prepared by Judge Black
trust will be speedily published, for no
much soeyer we may differ in opinion
| the view from his side is as necessary I
clear knowledge of events, as the on
from ours, and both may be true. d. P.
AGOOD JOKE ON EDITORS.
/ goon after thief J1atioo Chaao (than