Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-04-27
PUT DOWN AGAIN.

Soon alter the death OF LuWln VI
Stanton, Secretary of War under Mr..
Lincoln, some puerile scamp gave
currency to an unfOunded rumor,
that he had, on account of remorse
of eonsciouse, cut his own throat
with a razor. At first no man of
intelligence or responsibility believed
the foolish story, but its reiteratiOn
tiekled the fancy of a certain class
of men who hated Mr. Stanton on
account of his efficient services at
the head of the war department
during the rebellion, and they soon
affected to believe it. Gen. Richard
Taylor, who died few days ago, and
Ofwhom we will notnoW say unchari-
table things. wrote book which
has recently been published, in
which he roiterates the falshood. 1t
came to the notice of Hon. Ed
ward Mcpherson, now editor Of the
Philadelphia Press, who sat down
and wrote to Surgeon General
Barnes, of the United States army,
calling attention to the charge above
mentioned, and adding:
"'It is my impression that you were
in professional attendance upon the
late Secretary Stanton, and l will be
glad. if you feel al liberty to write on
the subjecf, if you will state what you
know of the cause of his DEATH
ain due time the following reply was
received:
WASHINGTON, April Is, 1879.
Hon. EdlgJTd NcPherS0n, Phiia-
deLDhia:
DEAR SIR: In reply to your in
quirv, the late MIR. Edwin NJ. Station
was for many years subject to asthma
in a very severe form, and when he
retired from the War Department was
completely broken down in health.
In November of 1869 the 'DFOpsy of
Cardiac Disease manifested Itself (af-
ter a very exhaustiDg argument in
chambers in q legal easel, and from
that time he did not leave his house,
rarely his bed. For many days before
his death / was with him almost con.
stantly, and at no time was he without
most careful attendance by mem bers
Of his family or nurses. On the night
of December % dTopsical effusiOn into
the pericardium had Increased to such
an extent, and the symptoms were so
alarming, that the Rev. DIR. StaTkey,
rector of the Church of the Epiphany,
was summoned and read the service
appointed for such occasions. He,
with Mrs. Stanton, Mr.. l.. L. Stanton,
the three younger children, Miss
Bowie, the childTen's goveTness, myself
and several of the servants were by
his bedside until he died; at a. m, on
December 24, 1869, After the pulse
became imperceptible at the wrist, l
placed a finger on the carotid artery,
afterward my hand over his heart, and
when its action ceased l announced il
to those present.
"'It is incOmprehensible to me how
any suspicion or report of suicide
could have originated, except through
sheer and intentional malice, as there
was not the slightest incident before,
or during, his long sickness, indica-
tive of such tendency, nor 8 posi-
bility of such an act. Fully aware of
his critical condition, he was calm and
composed, not wishing 10 die, while
unteTTified at the prospect of death.
During the lifetime of his widow ana
OF his son, Mr.. Z. J.. Stanton, L did
not feel called upon TO make any writ
ten contradiction of the infamous and
malignant falshOod you sllude 20; but
now, in view of your letter OF April
IA, and in behalf OF Mr.. SlaDtOn's mi
nor children, / do most mphatically
and unequivOcally assert that there is
not any foundation whatever for the
report that Mr.. Edwin NJ. Stanton
died from other than natural causes,
or that he attempted or committed
suicide. Very respectfully yOnrs,
"'JOS. K. BARNES Nj. d.
Thus the lie is put down once
more, and we should think forever
settled. 1t is of the same charac-
ter as a story started by a SANDER
Gus minister of the Gospel, that
Gen. George II. Thomas died in a
drunken fit, and like the assertion
of General D. H. Hill, that Gen
eral Canby's death at the hands of
a savage Modoc was only a righteous
retribution.
The impression sought to be made
is, that a just and unerring Provi-
dence is engaged in fighting the bat
ties of the Lost Cause, and that an
avenging God is in pursuit of
prominent Union Generals and |
civilians. Any one who has so de-
graded an opinion of Deity as to
indulge in such Authorizations, may
do SO, but as they are based upon
unmitigated, barefaced falsehoo9s,
it becomes necessary to expose the
L. 81 Ioova Kbair ou4borc cFonJ;no. |