The Republican journal., 1871-02-23

Iuoupt the pooA-makers III the service OF the ab0ll-
lonats have put it into what you call ''contempo.
raheouS history SO far as have seen them all
these accounts differ from another aud none is eX
actly, or even very nearly, like yours. But they
agree IN presenting general picture of Mr.. Stan
ton as engaged i'll some violent conflict which his
colleagues too dull, too unprincipled or too
tmi'' to undertake, though some Of them atterward
lpluckcd up heart enough to follow his lead. They
jdcclare that Stanton took the most porilous rcspo
liabilities. boldly faced the most trghtiul dangers,
and with heroic courage fought Il desperate fight
tagains the most fearful odds that the other
bers Of the Cabinet looked at the awful combat
as spectators of his terrific valor, while the
President frightened by the ''Iierce and fiery
encounter thAt aii he cold do was to "trcnble and
turn pale"
All this is TO use Stanton'5 own taguage) ''a It's
ste of lies; mere cock and bull story; naked in
venton, purely fabulous; Il ialschool as gross and
groundess any in the autobiography OF Baron
lunchausen Nj. Stanton was never exposed to
amy danger whatever while he was N member Of
that Cabinet; never had any occasion to exhibit his
courage; never quarelled with any of his colleagues
never denounced those he differed from and never
led those with whom he agreed. He expressed his
dissent from the Southern members several ques-
tons but no man among us took better care then
than he did to avoid giving cause ofpersonal offence
He acquired no aScendency at the council board,
and claimed none; he proposed no measures of his
own, and when he spoke upon the measures origi-
mated by others, he presented no view that were
new or at all startling. He and never once diff
ered on any question, great small this though
of course accidental, still so Noticeable that he
was there only to give me two votes instead of one
He did not differ with Mr.. Holt on any important
question concerning the South more than once, and
that was when the compact, afterwards called
truce, about Fort Pickens was made; He must have
. agreed with the President, when he agreed with
Mr.. Holt for the latter gentleman declared most
emphaticaly that the President constantly gave him
q firm and generous support lie never insued
the President Mr. Buchanan knew how TO nam
tain the dignity of his place and enforce the respect
due to himself as well any man that ever sat in
+ that chair. 1t is most certain that Mr. Stanton al
! ways treated him with the profoundest Difference
If he had been rash enough to take on the airs OF
; bully, or had ever made the least approach to the
insolent rudene,s for which you desire to credit
! him. he would Instantly have lost his commission,
and you would have lost your spy.
Among the versions which have been given of
T this false tale yours is the most transparent
absurdity; for you give dates and circumstances
I (which make it ridiculous. At time when Floyd
+ Twas in disgrace with the whole Administration
after all his brethren had broken with him, and he
had been notified of the Presidents intention to
Imove him-when he was virtually ont of office and
n completely stripped of all infuence-Major Ander-
a son removed his command from Fort Moultric to
+ | Fort Sumter. You assert that Floyd hearing of
this forthwith arraigned the President and Cabinet
. for the act of Maj Anderson declaring it to be
y lviolaton of their pledges though it was not done
Iby them, and they had given no pledge on the sub
lject That he could or would make an arrangement
! for any cause of the body by which he had himself
/ Lust before been condemned is incredlbe that he
. would arragn it on such charge is beyond the be-
. lief Of any sane being. But such, by your account
i was the occasion which Stanton took to display his
\ lsuperhumau courage. Ii was then that he armed
u his red right hand to execute his patriotic vengeance
p on that fallen, powerle,s, broken man. He must
also have let fall at least part of his horrible dis
+ pleasure on the head of the President; else why
+ Ibid the President "tremble and turn pale! said
= his narrative of yours was III IRE drivelins. and |
J., think paid it lattering compliment.
But, to explode the folly completely. | referred
. you to the record, which said would show that
- Major Anderson acted in strict accordance with
' orders sent him through the War Department, Of
~ which Floyd himself was the head and this you
Is contradict 1t is perfectly manifest that you OK
r anined the record, for you transcribe from il and
a print two kilograms exchanged between Floyd and
# Anderson, after the removal of the latter took
* place. You saw on that same record the same or
. der previously given-tnc order on which Major
~ Anderson was bound to act, and did act-anu you
a have deliberately suppressed it, Nay, you go still
h further, and with the order before your eyes you
It substantially deny the existence of it, copy for
Il your special benefit the words which relate to
J., your point; 1.-The smalness of your force $50 say
= the instructonsW will not permit you, perhaps To
10 OCCUPY than of the three forts; but AN at
10 tack attempt to take possession of either
Of them will be regarded ~ an act OF hostility, and
al you may then put your command into either OF
them which you may deem most proper to increase
it, power Of resistance; on are also authorized
# to take similar steps whenever yon have tangible
l. cvlcnce of design to proceed to hostile 9ct.'
II There is the order in plain English words. To
4 lmakc out your assertion it necessary to con
~ zeal it, aud you did conceal it from your readers
NJ But that is not all. You find telegram from Ma
" jor Anderson, dated on the morning after the re-
IL moval, in which he says simply that he had re
+ moved, but says nothing of the grounds on which
m he acted. On that sane record, and right beside
~ the telegram, you saw a letter from Maor Ander-
r to the War Department. dated the same day, in
" which he does refer to his orders and says; Many
things convinced me that the authorities OF the
!, state designed to proceed to hostile act, and
~ then adds: "Undcr this impression | could not
to hesitate that 1t was my solemn duty to move my
If command from fort which we could not probably
, have held longer than rtyeght sixty hours 10
No this one where my power OF resistance is increased
~ to a very great degree" You totally ignore this
H. letter, III which Major Anderson iustiies his re-
,e moval in the very words of the order, and pick
,l, out hasty telegram in which nothing is said OF
to his ordcrS-an assumption which the record, II
Il honestly cited, would show To be utterly false.
w. You will hardly venture to repeat your denial; /;
for besides the original record there thousands
:, of authentic copies scattered over the nation, and
IN anybody can find it in EX. Doe, H. r., vol vi,
W. No. 70, p. 10. do not trust myself to make any
Al general remarks ON this garns instance of mutat-
# ed evidence. You are Senator, and acknowl
j.. edge the Scriptural obligation of private citizen
,s speak evil of dgnities; but of dignity like
.r YOU it is sometimes difficult to speak well that
20 my only refuge is silence.
y You garble my words rs to make them appear
49, like denial that Mr.. Stanton ever wrote amy let
Iv ter at all on the subject of the Cabinet Scene
- whereas | asserted that no letter written by him
,n would corrobOrae your version Of it, After cool
y striking out from the sentence quoted the words
~ which express my proposition, you proceed to
II tradct by the statement OF Mr. Holt, who says that
if letter was written, but he declines to say what
~ was in it.
" [ knew that Mr.. Sche had addressed Mr. Stan
"A ton with the object of getting hun to tell the truth
-, and tear away the "tssue of lies" which 80 many
u :, hands had woven about the subject. Ifhc answered
u, ~ ut ALL the presumption thHt he would answer
~ truly; aud if he answered truly, instead Of CorrOb
cf Grating you he must have denounced the whole
~ story mere fabrication. DO You think now
=, that the absence of all evidence showing or tend
in ing to show the contents of the letter. ought To
10 assume that Stanton filled it with Dragging liesE
~ | do not mean to let this stand a mere question
y of personal veracity between you and me, though
= have the advantage, which you have not, OF know
i ing whereof | affirm. But my denial throws the
If burden of proof upon you with its whole weight.
- Recollect also that the strength of your evidence
must be proportioned to the original improbability
of the fact YOU seek to establish, and that the
% sons prj0rj for disbelieving this fact
/ whemingly strong. All presumptions are against
~ the idea that man who lodged about among the
~ abolitonists spy and vowed himself to the Sc
- cessionsts rs their ally, and all the time manifested
% a dastardy dread of being discovered, would open
~ ly insult the President, do anything else that was
4 bold and violent. But you have taken the task OF
r. proving it; and how haye you done it:
+. certainly need not say that Mr. Holt proves
IL nothing by writing letter in which he declines to
+. tell what he knows. His expressive silence, on
the contrary, is very convincing that he knew the
d truth to be against you. AS little, nay, less less
It were possible, do you make out OF his speech AT
Charleston He deals there in glittering generali-
c ties, sonorouS periods, and obscure illusions
Il some transaction of which he gives definite idea
except that Stnaton not actor in it, but spec
l. tator: for he mentions him only to say that he
. ''loOked upon that scene." What the was he
t. declared to be secret, which history will perhaps
z. never get chance to record
10 Fano wholly to ANYTHING ont of Mr.. Holt.