Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-08-16
EDWIN M. STANTON.
RecoIlectons of the Great Watchdog OF the +" a
Ofice-A Warrior Tried and True.


flames NJ. ScoviT in Philadelphia Press.
Secretary Stanton was the earliest at
his desk in the morning and the latest to
leave it. Many a night Mr.. Lincoln
would slip out of the front door OF the
White House and go alone over to the
war office, and these two, absorbed In
the conduct of the war, would listen to
the click of the telegraph and read dis
patches till daybreak.
Stanton was III temperament what the
phrenologists called nervous sangmne,
strongly marked Emphatic. He was
short in stature, with the general evil
dence of the English building in his
makeup" But he had heart In him
as big as an OK. He would travel
thousand miles to undo an injury If he
felt sure he had acted unjustly toward a
human being. He knew what war was,
and he never used ottar of roses. He
had no patience with that officer who
would sign a voucher on honor Gas they
do in the army for dollar more than
he had honestly expended, and be was
Ike the wrath of God slow but sure, on
the trail of that man caught robbing his
government In the hour of the countrys
direst need. ''How do you like Sena-
tor -?' I asked, naming a rich man
with the senatorial purple around his
neck, albeit it had cost him a pile of
money to get the purple"
"Like him!" Numbered the big
watch dog of the war Office, "Like
him! Why, / had two of his pals in the
old capitol prison for selling the same
vessel load of oats three times to the
same quartermaster, and if Lincoln had
not been SO kind-hearted / would have
had Senator - in the old capitol jail,
too" But he could be just even in his
wrath. John P. Hale, the most hu
morous and gifted story-teller [ ever
knew, took $4,000 for getting rebel
out of the old capitol prison. Some in
terested parties, possibly hoping to get
the money back, begs proceedings, in
tending at least to disgrace Hale, then
senator from New Hampshire. The
whole matter was left to Secretary STAN
ton. He took whole day to hear the
evidence and his decision was prompt
and in these words:
'sSenator Hale was offered So, 900 for
his legal services. He earned it as a
lawyer. That is all there is IN this
case"
The secretary was very friendly with
John ". Forney, and held him in high
esteem, for Mr.. FOrney's early and con-
slant fidelity to Lincoln's administration
in his "two papers-both daily" Dan
Dougherty was also great favorite with
the war minister. The love of Stanton
and Lincoln for each other was stead
fast and unquestionlng. They were two
minds with but single thought-and
that was to crush out rebellion.
With Stanton the lightning came first,
the thunder afterward. He did not hest
tate to put detectives into the White
House to watch Andy johnson, at which
the tailor of Tennessee has been known
to 'Fcuss a blue streak. 1t was at the
suggestion of Senator Sumner and
other senators, notably Zach Chandler.
that he barricaded the war Office and re-
fused entrance to General Lorenzo
Thomas, the ad interim appointment of
Johnson. 1t was General Lorenzo
Thomas who was told by citizen OF
Delaware "that the eyes of Delaware
were on him, F" and Lorenzo belittled the
occasion, great and historic as it was. by
swearing that he, General Thomas, and
Secretary Stanton had taken drink TO-
gether when " Lorenzo the Brave - de-
manded the Office. This ''soft impeach-
ment was never denied by the secre-
tary It was while "holding the fort -
IN the war Office that Charles Sumner
sent to Stanton the well-remember
telegram-viz:
Senator Chamber-Hon. Edwin Nj. Stanton,
Secretary of War: Stick
CHARLES SUMNER
And he stuck The pressure of these
terrible times told on Stanton's iron
constitution. It would necessarily tell
on anybody not made in all part of
Bessemer steel. Stanton thought Grant
at first sided with Andy Johnson, and a
question of veracity arose between them.
It was hard for Stanton to forgive. and
he never forgave Grant, unless it was
when Grant sent him the ermine of the
supreme court on his deathbed. But
Grant was a proud man-so was Stanton,
and their difference could have been re-
conciled had either been inclined to
yield. While sitting In his sanctum at
the war Office during the eventful sum-
mer of the "blockade " at the war de-
partment, ] suggested that republics
were ungrateful. He replied, with sad
ness, that he never expected to be under
stood while he lived; that the popuIace
had not changed greatly in the centuries
since it cried Z" Hosanna one day and
"Crucify Him the next. He seemed
to feel sure of his place in history, but
ever spoke of the politicians with fine
scorn. He never seemed to me the
same man after the death of Lincoln.
An administration guided by the hand of
a great soldier, rather than a great
statesman, had few charms for trained
intellect like StantOn's-the soldier eIe-
ment pressed to the fore and the civil
ian's place seemed to be IN the rear. He
never murmured, unless it was when he
said: Great deeds are not soon for
gotten, but those who do them NAV be
forgotten any hour
Edwin M. Stanton gloried in his lack
of riches. Millions had touched his
palms, and massive fortunes adhered to
the hands of those who surrounded him.
He once quoted what seemed TO me a
sublime saving of Aristotle, to the effect
that only those :" who were rich because
fhev coI1Id not help It need he ashamed