The Republican journal., 1871-02-16

consciences. They neither adopted the executive
recommendation, nor gave reason for refusing.
If any measure having the least tendency either to
restore peace or prepare for got far as to be
proposed it was uniformly referred to committee,
where it was sure to be quietly stranged. The is
sues of life and death to the nation hung upon their
action, and they would not lift finger to save it.
No legislative body, since the beginning OF the
world ever behaved in a great crisis with such
scandaous disregard of its duty.
| But if there were no statesmen among the mana
gers OF that Congress- there were plenty OF dema-
gogres; if they were Indifferent to the fate of the
nation, they were intensely alive to the interests Of
their faction if The regular committees slept Supine
y on the great questions submitted to them, the
cret committee, spawned by caucus, went browt-
ing about with activity as ncessant as it was
stealthy and malignant. You could not gainsay
the views which the Administration took of their
own duty or yours, nor deny the wisdom Of the
concentrations they made; but You could, and did,
| answer them with storm of personal detractiOn
The air was filled with falsehood the atmosphere
was saturated with SANDER; the voice of truth was
drowned in ''the loud roar of foaming caumny."
| This crusade was conducted with so much yigor and
success. that some members of the Administration
were pursued into private life by the rage of the
partisan mob, and thousands of the worthiest men
in the land were actually imprisoned and persecutCd
almost to ieah for nothing worse than expressing
a friendly opinion Of them. The messages of the
| President will stand forever monument to the
WISDOM tore> ght, and honest patriotism of the ex-
ecutivc Administration, while history will proclaim
through all time the dishonor of that Congress
which could answer such appeals with nothing bur
Vhuneratlon and insult
1t was at such Il iuncurc that Mr. Stanton was
appointed to take high and most confidential place
in the Administration. His language glowed with
gratitude, his words spoke all the ervor of person
| III devotion to his chief and his colleagues; he gave
his thorough approval to the measures which they
thought necessary to preserve the unity of the
ton in the bonds of peace. let you inform that
he did Immediately put himself in communication
with the opposition; sought out you and others
whom he had never known before. and sought you
solely because you were enemies of the Admins
traton offered himself as your spy. and did act for
you in the capacity of false delator; went skuk-
ing about at midnight to aid you in defeating the
measures which with us he pretended to support;
tOr-gathcred with YOUR secret committee, and gave
you assistance in carrying on your personal war
fare against his benefactors; nay, worse than all
that, he helped you to trump up charge of treason
against one of his coleaguesa charge which he
knew to be alse-a charge for which, if it had been
true, that trusting friend might lawfully and would
deservediy, have been hanged by the neck until he
was dead. Oh it was too foul; it was beyond the
| lowest reach of comparison. Ii your story be un-
tounled-if Stanton, after all, a true and hon
orabe mum how will you answer i'll the judgment
day for this horrible outrage on his memory and
on the feelings OF his friends
II thou dost slander him and torture us
Never pray more abandon all remorse;
On horrors head horrors accumulate
Fer nothing canst thou TO iamnailon add
Deeper than that.
But let Justice be bone though the heavens should
fall. Some at least of Your statements are true, un-
less Mr.. Dawes, Mr.. Howard, Mr.. Seward and Mr.
| nave
the character of 1.-THE great Secretary"
| | will not waste time upon the details which your
witnesses have given OF his treachery. 1t appears
to have been reewill offering of his own but ten
dercd by himself er mere D10tR. The moment he
inducted into office he looked about to ascertain
who were the htterest and most malignant enemies
! of the men to whom he owed all his public import
lance and much of his private prosperity He found
them quickly, and though they were entire strangers
| to him. he put himself Immediately into ret com
munication with them, took service under them A.
| bpi MI Al iliUapt
| in that base vocation, making reports to them dai-
| lv, and sometimes twice day, until the close of
his official term, when his occupation necessarily
| ceased. This mean employment must have taken
up most of the time which should have been deyo-
ted to the duties of an office on which the public
| business, always heavy, was then pressing with
unusual weight.
He did not communicate any knowledge which
necessary to guide YOU in the discharge of your
duties, for every fact Of that kind was as accessible
to YOU as TO him. the Administration kept nothing
back the President volunteered to give all he knew
concerning the state OF the IniOn no department
was closed against your Investigations every call
| for information was promptly and fully answered.
II that had not been enough, every member OF the
| Cabinet would have been perfectly free to speak
with any member of Congress, 20 III person be-
fore amy committee. Mr.. Seward did confer with
me fully at the state Department in open daylight
without any dodging about it; and he was always
welcome, q he is now, to tell every thing that
passed, for he neither asked nor could have asked
any qurStloA, II the country hat an interest i'll il,
which was not willing to answer With all the
channels of truthful information thus open and un-
tS,t % u1''' ,p " ~ W. i"t you "n,ite
~ ti V ; H. 81 t' M =. Va , " i @ ~. ~ Pio ": ,"ii .
u'tt , u ~ ' ~ " i; iii ol,i'il''oe, !he'eIu
VI @ a. '!n1 ~" h'' '"il o'"cnte' he
Sehl H"lu'iW; 10 lris SttIrt u.lollii't' VINO ul m
HNcr'' =. 7lHli2 'tl.on Va Sicl !lh;ol ta'ce
puI lllS ~, 'o''9 NV'' '"'H' '''''t an"
'hohN NOUS
| If there be one sentence IN your whole article
which j. mari ked more than another with your
characteristic hardlhooi of assertion 1t Is that in
which You try to make merit OF Stanton treach-
cry. 1t l. curOu>y reckless, and for that reason
worth giving in your very words. These facts"
say YOU, "Were stated to illustrate Mr.. Stanton's
exalted PATRIOTISM, which prompted him to rise
above the claims and ciamors OF partsanshlp, and
to invoke the AID OF loyal men beyond the lines OF
his own pattv, and outside of the Administration
OF which he was member to serve ms lnperllled
country, mcnaced with Il lou ana wicked revolt
Why, tins Is precisely what the President and all
the honest members OF MS Cabinet We're DONG
openly and aboVe-boaid. lhey hal no legal power
which could avail 10 serve the llnleriied country
without the cooperation OF Congress, winch was
wholly ruled by The opposition. They invoked
1.-THE aId OF loyal men beyond the lines OF their own
party ana outside OF the ADMINISTRATORS because
1t was rom TN nee only that a'd cOuld come. But
with you anu your associates the HclAns ana
camorS oi parti>tnshIp were 50 muchhiSher than
considerations OF puDllc duty, that you not only re-
fused all and to the country but you lnsulted and
abused and vill!lled the President ana his friends
! for asking it. Was Stanton, like the other mem
bers Of the Administration, invoking aid for the
impeilIed country: l''ti ne Skulk about IN secret
pliSh by an open ,'PpeHa 10 tie reason ahu con,
science Oh lii'I PoHlrti oioucil.s ~ 80 now ulu
NC sucotc"' ii III" He w ''loIt MUS anu i''ui
itt' w ~ ~: 'nc SiiSuteSt