The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-01-26

could not then be prostituted to such base
usesl, where no friend could find him, and
whence no complaint Of his could reach the
open air Even in that case, "with all
appliances and means to boot" hisspeedy
liberation would b. extremely probable,
and the condigu punishment OF the male
fsctors almost certain, unless they acted
upon the prudent maxim that dead men
ell no tales" The combination Of Booth
and Others to kidnan Mr.. Lincoln was
precisely like this in its original object
and it was pursued. step by step, until It
ended in most brutal murder. Fdctzts
decezsaLs ApeTni.
NICE BUsISEss.
Was this becoming business for sena-
tors and representatives to be engaged in7
In that hour of national agony [" when
hideous destruction stared the county in
the face; when stout men held their breath
in anxious dread; when the cry for relief
came up in congress on the wings of every
wind; when the warning words Of the
President told you that the public safety
required your instant attention-was that
time to De spent IN prosecuting plQ3s
like this? l will not ask you to repent
of the wickedness; tits not wrong In your
eyes; it comes up to your best ideas of 10y
atty. patriotism, and high craftsmanship.
Your witnesses think Of tia yon do; they
take pride and pleasure in their guilt,
and wrap this garment of infamy about
| them with a much complacency as If it
were robe of imperial purple.
WAS STANTON IN THE CONSPIRACY.
But was Stanton in it ? Was the attor-
ney-general art and part in foul conspir-
aey to kidnap the secretary of the navy,
''his own familiar friend, his brother who
trusted IN him and with whom he ate
| bread p If he had sent the paper which
was read under the street lamp, why do
/ you not produce it, or at least show by
secondary evidence that it was inshis hand
writing2 If Mr. Watson was the medi-
um through whom he communicated his
verbal directions to he.commlttee or other
| persons confederated with him, why does
not Mr.. Watson~ appear and. say so? To
lasten this great guilt on Stanton will re-
quire evidence far better than Mr.. How
ards small and silly talk about bird
which few directly from some cabinet
minister" and stronger than his belief
founded on the fact that Stanton was a
suspicious character" especially as Mr..
Howard admits his own participation in
the crime, and is therefore something
more than a suspicious character himself.
But is not merely the defects in the proof,
4 it is the incredible nature OF the story
which counts against you Stanton knew
/ if you did not, that the contemplated
crime could not be perpetrated with inn
punity Toucey breathed the deep breath
and slept the sound s'eep of Of q freeman
under the guardianship of law which
Stanton at that time did not dare to vio-
late A democratic administration still
| bon, vya,-d ord rvotah oxyAr the tihe ~fxy Of
the citizens. A vulgar tyranny which al
lowed abohtionists so do such things upon
their political opponents was coming, but
it had not come; the reign of the ruftian
and kidnapper was drawing near, but it
had not arrived; the golden age Of the spy
and the false accuser were beginning TO
dawn, but it had not yet risen.
You may think 1t some excuse for TING
false charge against tanton that it is not
much worse than others which you have
proved to be true. But justice requires
J that even bad men shall suffer only for
: those misdeeds which they have actually
J, done. One of the greatest among Ameri-
: can jurists held a slander to be aggravated
I by proof that the victims character was
bad before just as a corporal injury to q
!. . sick man or a cripple is a worse wrong
: | than it would be to one Of sound limbs
4 and vigorous health. - - &
q a "ATIssuE OF LIEs.r2 p aes5a.
y.-Mr Stanton's personal behavior
and bearing in the cabinet have been much
misrepresented By Others besides you.
e am told that Mr.. Seward described the
o supposed scene" in some speech, winch |
# have never read 1t was given at length,
and very ,clrcums mstantially,a in London
U paper, over the signature of 7. w; MIR.
Attorney General Hoar, IN solemn ora
n ton which he pronounced before the SUI
e preme court, last January, repeated 1t with
d sundry rhetorical embellishments nearly
y all the newspapers of your party have
+ garnished their pointless abuse OF the
q Buchanan administration with illusions &c
Is IT more OF less extended; and no doubt the
Ie book k-makers in the service OF the aboli-
st tionists have pnt it into. what you cal
'contemporaneous history" So far as
Ie have seen them, all these accounts dlt1ei
3 from one another, and none is exactly. o.
al even very nearly like yours, But they
Ill agree in presenting a general picture o
W Mr.. Stanton as engaged IN some Vlolen
le conflict which his colleagues were too dull
ID too unprincipled, or too timid TO undertake
8. though some of them afterward plucke'
le up heart enough to follow his lead. The,
n declare that Stanton took the most peril
in Gus responsibilities, boldly faced the mos
is frightfui dangers, and with heroic courag
le fought 9, desperate fight, against the mos
OF fearful odds: that the other members o
he the cabinet looked on at the awful comba
ed as mere spectators of his terrific valol
ct while the President was so frightened by IN
O. fierce and fiery" encounter that ali h
ch could do was TO "tremble and turn pale"
q, Altthis is Ito use Stanton's own Ian
a. guage) "a tissue of hes Z. o mere cock an
ds bull story; q naked invention, purely faE
re ulous /; a falsehood as gross and greandles
d as any il the autobiography of Baro
tie Munchausen. Mr.. Stanton WAS never e1
ct posed to any danger whatever while
ey was member of that cabinet :. never ha
ne any occasion to exhibit his courage ne'
yal er quarreled with any of his colleagues
mt never denounced those he differed iron
mt and never led those with whom he agree
DIV He expressed his dissent from the soutl
lat ern members on several questions, but !
Ted man among US took better care than
lse did to avoid giving cause Of personal c
Ich fence. He acquired no ascendency at Il
*. council board. and claimed none; he pr
ied posed no measure Of his own, and wht
% he spoke upon the measures originated
ou. Others, he presented no views that we
of new or at all startling. He and l nev
le2 once differed on any question, great
-0u small and this, though Of course accide
the tai, was still 80 noticeable that he said
Or was there only TO give me two votes 4
ian stead of enc. He did not differ with N
aed Holt on any important question concer
ave ing the south more than once, and th
Ice was when the compact, afterwards call
m. q truce, about Fort PIckens was made,
I of He must have agreed with the Preside
Ity. when he agreed with Mr.. Holt. for I
an latter gentleman declared most empha
en- cally that the president constantly ga
Sor him u "6Im and generous support. 7"
ave never insulted the President. Mr. Buc
US anan knew how to maintain the dignity
rhe his place and enforce the respect due
Ugh himself us well as any man that ever {
out In that chair. 1t is most certain that \
of Stanton always treated him with the pi
ore foundest difference If he had been "a
ith enough to take on the AIRS of a bully &