Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-01-24
From the Galaxy, for February.

From the Galaxy, for February.
To tn Hon Henry Wilson, Senator from Msssa-
chusetts:
Contrary to my first intentions, and not
without reluctance, l lay aside other bust
ness of far greater importance while l
take brief review of your supplemental
eulogy on Stanton.
WHY JUDGE BLACK DEFENDED STANTON.
] considered myself bound to defend
Mr. Stanton against the praise which de.
scriDed his character as infamous. Down
to the time of his apOstasy We were close
and intimate friends, and thought l
knew him as well as one man could
be known to another. l do not claim
that he owed me anything; for made
no sacrifices of myself or anybody else
TO serve him. / advanced him in his pro-
fession and thereby improved his fortune,
but he got nothing in that way for which
he did not render equivalent services. l
stroVe long, and at last successfully, to
remove the preiudices of Mr.. Buchanan
and others against him, because
/ thought them unjust, aud because
it was announcement for me that the
President should not trust a man in whom
| had unlimited confidence. l recon-
mended him pressingly for Postmaster
General upon the death of Mr.. Brown,
solely for the reason that the exigencies
of the public service in that department
required man of his great ability and
industry. caused him to be appointed
Attorney General, because l knew (or
thought l knew that he and were in
perfect accord on all questions, whether
of law or policy, which he might have
TO deal with, and because l was sure that
he would handle them not only with iidel-
ity, but with consummate skill. But
though he was not in my debt, theapparent
warmth of his nature impelled him to eX-
press his gratitude in most exaggerated
language. After he took Office under the
Lincoln administration our paths diverged
30 widely that did not often see hip.
When | did, he sometimes overwhelmed
me, as before, with hyperbolical demon
strstions of thankfulness and friendship.
III his feelings ever changed, he died
and made no sign" that was visible to me.
Here let me record my solemn declara-
ton, that never saw anything dishonor-
shle in his conduct while was associated
with him. He never disappointed me
while he was employed under me, or
while we were colleagues in Office and
he never failed me in anything which
had a right to expect at his hands. His
enanies spoke evil of him, but that Is
s'the rough brake that virtue must go
through" and | allowed no tale-bearer to
shake my faith. My own personal knoWl-
edge does not enable me TO accuse him OF
any mean or disgraceful act. How tar
you have succeeded, or may hereafter be
able TO succeed, in proving HIM tresch-
erous hyp0crite, Is 3 question to be con-
sidered. Bat / am not one of your wit
nesses; my testimony, IS far as it goes, is
directly against you.
Under these circumstances it was impos.
able for me to be quite silent when | saw
your publication in the 4tJGntjc, or to
confine myself 10 @ mere vindicatiOns OF
the other parties assaulted. 1t was plain
% vue that you had ''WhOlly misunder.
stood ''he character of Mr.. Stanton, anC
GROSSLY in ,'ured him by what you supposed
20 he q paneg(ric." Your description OF
him. if accepted as true, would compe
1ilo belief that his whole political life wa
one Gong imposture; that as d trusted
member of the Buchanan administration
ne acted alternately the incompatible
uarts of q spy and a bully; that while h'
was the chief law officer of the govern
ment, he was engaged il the toulest con