The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-08-12

|
erhSbd, Stanton Went under, and il
despair and gloom found death Will
his own hand.
His course in the Surratt TRIAL, ant
later in the Impeachment Of Presi
dent johnson, only exemplifed VIVA,
is stated more generally above: H.
forced the trial of Mrs. Surratt te
the result it took, and then With 6
mercy, seddlously guarded all ave.
nues for Communication or reprievc
1t was his auxiliary, Preston King,
who met poor Annie Surratt on the
steps Of the White House, going up
to lntercede with the President fol-
her mothers life, and when he knew
her errand, pushed her away and told
her she could not see Mr.. johnson.
Ard when she threw herself on her
knees, and imploied for hearing. it
was Preston King who threw her of,
and thus intercepted the petition of
the pleading daughter.
May not the them6ry Of that poor
cid woman hurried intb eternity from
the scaffold; have pursued King and
his chief like shadowy; ever HAUNT
ing Nemesis, until both were driven
to suicide. King, in the New York
Custom House, with chteer before
him which had not q cloud in it,
filled his pockets with shot and drop
ped from a pier into East River.
Stanton, with place upon the Su.
preme Bench just bestowed upon him
In recognition of what he had been,
in the midst Of the national capitals
gaiety, drew a razor across his throat
and ended his existence.
With the execution of Mrs. Sur
raft, Stanton saw his unlimited ALL
thority begin to depart. Men began
to look at matters more dispassion-
ately. Calm minds perceived that
the General Government had usurp-
ed powers in war times which must
be recalled in peace, or the safety of
the Republic would be threatened.
The Secretary of War felt the restric-
lions more bitterly than the head Of
any other department. The author
| ity which he loved so dearly was
slipping away from him. In the
South, under. the force of so-called
reconstruction, he still maintained
his rule with the iron rod. But the
spirit of reconciliation and fraternal
reunion was at work, and it was not
long before the War Secretary and
the President were at Issue.
JOHNSON recognized early tie true
policy to be pursued toward the
Southern States, and by virtue of
his position began to shape the course
of the administration in the way Of
amnesty and reconciliation. Stan
ton, clinging to lis bayonet rule, op-
posed the Executive. Then came
the clash in the winter of 1868. The
attempt Of the President to suspend
the Secretary, was followed by arti-
cles of impeachment, behind the
prosecution of which Stanton stood
as man who had staked all On a
card. He lost on the turn, and the
policy Of peace and brotherly love
won. Stanton's power was gone, and
in the spring of 1868, he left the War
Department, where he had ruled as
supreme master for six of the most
eventful years in American history.
He was poor in purse, and broken in
spirits, and now that the craved ex-
citement was gone he was plunged in
gloom. Doubtless he lived over the
post, and the terrible secrets which
he alone Of the living knew, came
back with oppressive power.
It was said that he had resumed
the practice of law, but it was only a
saying. Old party leaders felt that
he must havea place for what he had
done: When Grant came into power;
in the spring of 1859, Stanton was
spoken of for foreign ministry, but
nothing came Of it. Finally, in De-
cember, the President and Congress
did what they had done for other
men who had outlived their useful
ness shelved the poor old War Secre
tary upon the Supreme Bench as an
associate justice. They had fixed
him for life, and the country accepted
it as an assured fact. This was on
the 10th Of December. Two or three
days later the President condescen.
ded to call on Mr.. Stanton, and ten
dered him the position, and it was
accepted. Perhaps the circumstan-