Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-09-20
Did Edwin NJ. Stanton Commit Suicidal

week, : Washington ,S.nfin,F:
The subject matter involved in the above
question deserves more serious con.i,iera-
ton than it has yctreceived. Indeed, i, can
not and will not he passed over lightly. We
have heard the charge made several times.
and as often denied. But neither the charge
nor denial Were based upon tangible proof.
Before, however accepting for fact that the
Secretary of War died by his own hand we
must look for the motive which impclIcd
him TO commit so repulsivc u deed.
stanton was not Il pleasant character TO
contemplate or write about. 1t is very well
understood that his domestic relations were
not pleasant Ills OWN son. II, very amable
young man: who died in III insane asylum Il
few years ago. once said to the writer that
he had very little To thank his father for.
And it is very well known that he left him
nothing i'll his will. Mi. SlHnlon was mo-
rose. Wiliul, cruel and malignant. He was.
III TACT. one of the most dangerous ofmcn to
cntrust with power. In that he w;ls the cy-
act opposite of Mr.. Lincoln. He imagined
enemies instead of cultivutlng friends. Dur
lng the war he had his pet generals and
would advance them over the heads of their
supcrorS. who. for some slight or imaginary
offence. he supposed his enemies. His mind
seemed to be obscurcd by some strange hal
lucnatlon about military matters and mill
tary men.
lit is doubtless true that many of the
harsh acts pcrpclrated by Mr.. Stanton dur
ing the war were the result of bad advice.
urged by mischicvouS politicians. The spar.
INC ol human life WAS something he took no
account Of and he would assert his will no
matter how much blood and treasure it cost.
III is scarcely necessary to say here that
MI. stanton course III the War Department
served to prolong the war, and cost an in
calclll;lblc amount Of blood and treasure.
The future historian will have very little diff
ticulty in liking that fact. TO use no harsh
CT language. Mr. Stanton had revellcd in
blood during the war, and had done all he
could To blast the characters and DESTROY
some of the best generals This of itself
was enough to haunt him in his very
dreams, and TO make his waking moments
troubled.
When the war was over. when we haG
hanged Mrs. Surlatt for keepinga Washing
ton boarding house. and hanged the helpless
WIZ, there was no further Use for Stanton.
Shorn of his power and no longer in a po
sltion where he could oppress and torture
his fellow men. he retired to his gloomy.
ltatc i'll silence and alone OH the sorrow and
suffering he had caused during his reign in
the War Department. The transition was
OF itself enough to work disease on II mind
like Stanton's. Contemplate it rs he would
there was only & DOM in the picture. With
his power gone he was Us helpless as a
child. His law practice was gone and no
one came to wish him we'll Is it any
wonder. then, that nc became weary Of life,
since his home had no attractions and his
countrymcn had no forgiveness for him?
1T Is no secret that Mr.. Stanton while in
the condition described above, became
seized with rcmorsc. and his mind was filled
with gloomy forcbodings, He rarely went
out and saw but few persons. Then it was
reported that he was seriously i'll. but no
one could tell what his complaint was, not
even his confidential surgeon. General
Barnes. Only two days before he died we
met Judge Davies, of New York, an old
friend Of ours and an acquaintance of Stan
ton. He was on his way to the cx-Secre-
tarys house to pay him Il visit and learn
what was the matter with him. 1t was Il
very stormy day. but the Judge promised to
drop i'll OH his return and report the situa-
ton. He kept his promise. In reply to Il
question concerning Mr. Stanton's health
he said his bodily bealth seemed to he good,
but mentally he wasinhrm. He was suffering
from melancholy and had gloomy forebod.
lnSs, from whichitseemed impossible to divert
his mind. The judge said he tried several
times to get him into 4 cheerful mood. but
failed. Judge Davies was himself man of
very cheerful and happy temperament.
what he stated made Il very deep impress
sion on US.
Early on the following morning the peo-
pie OF Washington were shocked at the
news OF the ex-Secretary's death. Exten-
sNc speculation was indulged in, especially
among army officers, as to the cause of it.
\ veil OF mystery hung over it, and the
Stfahge ana unnatural action Of those who
lild charSe OF his remains Servcdto increase
That mystery live were informed right,
ana we think we were, only one member of
his family, the surgeon general and the mn
dertaker. were permitted to see his remains
Cs they lay in that dark and gloomy room,
Even Judge Davies. who called in the after
noon, was not allowed TO see him. This
secrecy and mystery was Of itself enough to
excite the suspicion that he had taken his
own lie, and the rumor 10 that effect was
very soon circulating over the citv Mr.,
stanton was public character. and will
hereafter form prominent figure in the
history Of the great rebellion. Surely there
was was no need Of all this secrecy and mystery
TINS tear of the public gaze: did he die u ma
tural death. Another strange and very sus-
plclous circumstance was the almost indie
cent haste with which he was gotten under
ground. We have 4 very vivid recollection
OF that dark gloomy and turbulent forenoon
SO IKE the dead mans war history, when
that solemn procession moved off with all
that remained of Stanton. to Law him in his