Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-10-04
THE LATE SECRETARY STANTON.
Incidents OF His Life.

our public men, written by Col. Forney,
none possess more interest to patriots than
the following just tribute to the character
of the great War Minister, endeared to
every loyal citizens by his untiring devo-
ton and Incompatible services to the
Union:
No modern character possesses more in
terest than Stanton. The time has not
come when his biography may be faithful
ly and dispassionately written. Up to the
rebellion he lived II life of singular trans
quillity. describing Office and avoiding
politics, his ambition was in the line of the
law, in which he soon became giant. A
close student a clear, compact logician, a
bold and impetuous advocate his best pow
ers were given to his profession. Sought
after far and near, and employed in most
of the great cases, his reputation and large
influence in his native State of Ohio and
in his adopted State of Pennsylvania as
summed national proportions when he re-
moved to the city of Washington. He
lowered in the Supreme Court a leader of
leaders, An authority of wide accepta-
ton, he was genius of his school. Forced
| finally into public position at the close of
Buchanan's administration, his bearing as
Attorney General was so fearless and con-
scientious that when General Cameron re-
tired from the War Department popular
| for that responsible post, and when Presi-
dent Lincoln selected him the whole
country cried Amen.
/ knew him well. Long before his name
was cited in the catalogue of great LAWYERS
/ met and learned to love him, wondered
at his mind and gathered instruction from
| his counsels. He had strong convictions
He hated slavery from the start, although
cooperating with the Democratic party
| Once he was sent to Columbus as a dele
gate to Young Mems State Convention,
| and when the chairman endeavored to dis
regard the sentiment to which the MAORI
| ty were pledged, Stanton was in the Sec
ond or third tier, and made several efforts
to obtain a hearing. AT last he caught the
chairman's eye, and commanded his atten-
| ton by beginning his speech as follows:
. | address you to-day as the meanest man
| among the thousands of young men of
Ohio whom you have attempted to betray."
When he accepted the portfolio of War
Minister, it was in the same spirit of the
generals of Cromwells Puritan army. The
! first thing he did was to put himself out of
sight, In the long catalogue of calumnies
| heaped by bad men upon his honored
| nome, not even a suspicion of personal am
bition is found. They hated him because
he loved his country-because that love
was sincere, vigilant, eXacting. He was
rough in his manners to those he had rea-
summer to the poor, the humble and the
brave. BY his own example he conquered.
| Asking nothing for himself, he refused
everything to others that was not just. AZ
ter several Generals had failed, / heard
him say, more than once " will find a
leader for these armies, if he must be taken
from the ranks"
The intensity with which he was iden-
titled with his clients cause was in ac-
cordance with his intense devotion to the
Republic. | have seen him more than
once order back the laggard to camp in
tones of stern rebulie, and Immediately af-
terward take the mother of a private SOL
der by the hand and cheer her for the loss
of her son. Utterly regardless of social
! pleasure, he had no hope, no object, no
| time but for the cause. He worked harder
| than any of his subordinates,. and stayed
longer in his department. 1t was aston
ishing how this man, who had never par
ticipated in party warfare, comprehended
the political situation. Fertile of sugges-
ton, he was mine of information to an
editor. He thought quickly and wrote
strongly. He would give keynote for q
campaign, which, sounded in the columns
of newspaper, would thrill continent
He was no respector of persons. FIRE.
quently, to provoke his iron impartiality,
he reproached his nearest friends when he
feared they were faltering. He studiously
abstained from public speaking. His re-
| ports were brief, but clear and cogent his
letters were few and simple his gazettes
announcing victory were marked by all
| the COvenanter's fire. L reproduce that in
which he promulgated the decisive Yicto-
ries of Grant before Richmond
WAR DEPARTMENT WASHINGTON, d. c.,
April 9, 1o65-9;30 p. NJ.
| Lieutenant General Grant.
Thanks be TO Almighty God for the great vic
tory with which He has this day crowned you
and the gallant army under your command
The thanks of this Department, and of the Gov
ernment and of the people of the United States,
their reverence and honor, have been deserved
and will be rendered to you and the brave and
gallant officers and soldiers of your army for all
time. EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
In these two sentences you have an in
sight into the character of Edwin NJ. Stan
ton. Every word seems to have been coined
out of the purest gold and weighed in the
incest scales of gratitude. They are short,
but how ponderOusl Written for the living
millions, they will be read by the coming
millions. AS we ponder them and recollect
that in five little days Abraham Lincoln
slept in death, and that little more than
five years later-after that terrible struggle
with Andrew Johnson, which may be said
to have literally crushed the heart of the
great 5tatesman-StAnton himself was sum-
moned to his last account, let us never
cease to cherish and follow his matchless
example. Had he lived to take his seat
upon the bench of the Supreme Court of
the United States, the words of Daniel