The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-02-09
Stanton in 1861.
HIS POLITICAL PostTION-THE LAST DAYS or
8. HACKS CARD. 4

| Since the death of Mr.. Stanton, some
newspaper writer's have revived the scan
dalous accounts. which began 2 to be pro.
pagated, ] think, in 1864, concerning his
conduct while member of Mr.. Buchanan 8
Cabinet. 1t is asserted that he came Into
that A administration with views entirely
opposed to those of the President and the
men VINO were to be his colleagues, nll OF
whom, except Mcssrs. Holt and Dix. were
in favor OF the Southern COnfederacy aud
ready to sacrifice the Union; that, sup
ported by these two, he bu!lied the rest
that he terrified the President. by threats
! OF resignation, into measures which other
wise would not have been thought of
that he urged immediate war upon the
seeding States to crush out The rebellion
that, though defeated in this by the treason
of his associates, he carried with high
hand other points Of sound policy; that
by these hardly displays of hostility to the
Administration which trusted him. he
promoted the interests and won the graft
tude ofits enemies.
nm mt the special defender of Mr..
Stanton, and I certainly would not assail
him. Before he tell away from the Demo-
cratic faith, our friendship was intimate
aud close. There Was n" SEPARATION alter
wards. except the separation which is inc.
vitabie between two persons who differ
widely on public subjects believed by both
to be vitality important. His political
attitude towards the Buchanan Admins.
tration previous to his appointment as
Attorney Grneral is wholly misunderstood
orelse wi|ituliy misrepresented.
He was fully with US at every stage OF
he Kansas question. and no man felt q
mere loa,hing contempt than he did for
the knavery of the Abolitionists in refusing
to vote upon the Lecompton constitution,
when nothing but vote WIS needed to
expel slavery from the new State, aud thus
terminate the dispute by deciding it in the
way which they themselves pretended TO
wish. He wholly denied Mr.. Douslass
notions, and blamed him severely FOE the
unreasonable and 'miSchi5vous schisIn
which he had CREATED in the party. Know
Nothingism of Bell and Everett found no
favor in his eyes. In the canvass of 1860
he regarded The salvation OF the country
as hanging upon the Iorlorn hope OF Brock
inridge's election. ,,,-5,.., .,.-s >,
The 9th Of November came and Mr..
Lincoln was legally chosen President by
the electoral machinery of the constitution,
though the majority of the popular vote
was against him by more than a million.
The danger was greatly aggravated by the
criminal m,sconduct Of large bodies, IN the
South, and particularly in South Carolina,
where preparations were openly made for
resistance. What was the Federal Execu-
tive to do under these circumstances ?
Make war? He had neither authority nor
means to do that. and Congress would not
give him the one or the other. Should he
compromise the dispute? He could offer
no terms and make no pledges which
would lie repudiated by the new Admins.
lratiun. Could he mediate between the
Tor both were as hostile TO him US they
We're to one another.
I The mind ofno man was more deeply
imbued with these opinions than Mr..
Stanton's. The idea never entered his
h-ad-certainly never passed his lips
that the President ought to make war
upon States or put the whole people out
ofthe projections OF the laws, and expose
them all to ndiscrimlnate slaughter as
public enemies, because some individuals
| among them have done, or Threatened 10
do. what was Inconsistent with their obi
cations to the United States. He knew
very we'll that, no such thing was either
legally or physically possible. Nor did be
feel pleasure in the anticipation of any
civil war between the two sections Of his
country. From the standpoint which he
then occupied, he said that war was dis
union; it was blood, confasration, terror
and tears. public debt and general corrup.
ton of mortais, all ending Mt best not in
the union of the States, but in the suhju
CATION of some to The despotic will OF tile
lotiers. He was apt to take q som:,re view
of things. and h. looked at the dark side oil
this subject The glory. profit, and plum
der, the political distinction and pride OF
power which brighten it now. were not
included in his prospective survey.
On the Goth November answered the
Presidents questions concerning his legal
powers and duties. holding that the Ordi
nances of sec ssiOh were mere utilities
that the Speeding States were, and would
be, rs much in the Union as ever that
the Federal Executive was bound there, as
well as elsewhere, to execute the laws, to
hold the public property and to collect the
r. venue that if the means and machinery
furnished by law for these purposes Were
inadequate, he could not adopt others nnt
usurp powers which had not been deleea
ted tnat neither the executive nor lPois
Iative departments bad authority, undel
the constitution, to make war! upon upor
a State, that the military power might tt
used, if necessary, in aiding the judicia
authorities to execute the laws in collect
ing the revenue, in defending or retakin.
the public property. hut not in acts oil in
discriminate, hostility against all the peo
pie of State. This is the "opirion'
which has since been SO often, so mucl
and so we'll abused, denounced and vilied
MIR. Stanton did not stultify him elf b.
denying the plain, obvious and simple
truths which it expressed. The paper wa
shown him before it went to the Presiden
} and after slight alteration. suggested b.
} himself, he not only approved, but ap
} plauded it enthusiastically. = .,i-.,.. "a
It disappointed the President. He hat
hastily taken it for granted that Congress
might make secession a cause tor war; ant
ia the draft of his message already prepar
ed, he had submitted the question OF wa
or peace to their decision. But the ad
vice of the Law De artment, supported b
: powerful argument from Gep. Cass, con
WINGED him of his error, and that part Q
his message was rewritten. The sub<tanc
of the message SO modified received MI
Stantons benrty Endorsements in every
thing that regarded secession, aud tn