Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-27

the people In the Government creuit tnau
would have been probable by the appoint
ment of any other man OF that Gay. ne
was terror to all the hordes of jobbers and
spectators and camp followers whose appe--
tites had been whetted by great war, and
he enforced the strictest discipline through
out our armies.
He was stern to savagery in his enforce
ment of military law. The wearled sentlnel
who slept at his post found no mercy In the
heart of Stanton, and many times did Lin
coins humanity oYerrule his fery Minister.
He had profound, unfalterlng faith IN tne
Union cause: and, above all, he had unfal-
terinc faith in himself. He believed that he
was in all things except in name Comman-
der-in-Chief of the Armies and the Navy of
the nation, and it was with unconcealed reluc-
tauce that he at times Deferred to the au-
thority of the President. He was great
organizer in theory and harsh to the utmost
in enforcing his theories upon military COM
mrnders. He at times conceived 1mpossl-
Bile things, and peremptorily ordered them
executed and woe to the man who was un-
fortunate enough to demonstrate that Stan
ton was wrong.
His Eatred of the McKibebns.
Stanton's intense and irrepressible hatreds
were his greatest inirmitv and did much to
6eform his brilliant record as War Minister.
A pointed illustration of his bitter and I'M
reasonable preiudices was given in the case
of Jere Mckibben, whom he arbitrarily con-
fined in Old Capitol Prison withosJ even
the semblanee of pretext to excuse the act.
The Constitution of Pennsylvania had been
SO amended during the summer Of 1864 as
90 authorize soldiers to vote if the field.
The Legislature was called in extra session
to provide for holding elections in the
sFmy. It was in the heat Of the Preslden-
tai contest and party bitterness was intensl-
fied TO the uttermost Despite the earnest
Sppeals of Governor Curtin and all my per-
sonsl opportunities with prominent Legis-
latorS of own party, an election law was
passed that was obviously intended to give
fhe minority no rights whatever in holding
army elections. The Governor decided, as
q matter of justice to the Democrats, to ap-
point several Democratic Commissioners,
but it was with difficulty that any could be
prevailed upon to accept.
He requested me to see several prominent
Democrats and obtain their consent to re-
csive his commission and act under it. As
Nckibben had three brothers in the Army
Of the Potomac, 1 supposed 1t would be
pleasant Tor him to make visit there in an
official way, and 1 suggested it to him
He promptly answered: "Why Stanton
would put me in Old Capitol Prison before
! was there a day. He hates cur family for
10 other reason that know of than that my
father was one of his best friends in Pitts
burg when he needed a friend" He finally
consented to &C, having first solemnly
pledged me to protect him in case he got
into any difficulty.
Got Into Prison Very Quickly.
McKibben and the other Commissioners
from Philadelphia were furnished the cleo
tion papers and started down 10 the army,
then quietly resting on the james river
On the second day after he left l received
telegram from him dated Washington. say
ing: stanton has me in Old Capitol Prison;
come at once" / hastened TO Wash
ington, having telegraphed TO Lincoln to
allow me to see him between Ii and II
O'Clock that night, when L would arrive. L
went direct to the White House and told
She President the exact truth. l explained
the character of the law Of cur S ate: that
had personally prevailed upon Mchibben
to 90 as a Commissioner TO give semblance
O. decencv TO its execution; that he was not
only guiltless of any ofenSe as he knew
how delicatelv he was situated, but that he
was powerless to do any wrong, and
insisted upon NcKibben's immediate dis
charge from prison.
Lincoln knew of Stanton's hatred for the
Nchibbeus, as he had been compelled to
protect four of McKibben's brothers to give
them the promotion thev had earned bv
most heroic conduct in battle, and he was
much distressed at Stanton's act. He sent
Immediately to the War Department to get
the charge against Mckibben, and it did not
require five minutes of examination to sat
lsfy him that 1t was utterly groundless and
8 malicious wrong committed by Stanton.
lie said it was a stupid blunder," and at
once proposed to discharge Mckibben on
his parole.
The President Was Cautious.
urged that he should be discharged un-
conditionally, but Lincoln's caution pre-
vented that He said: at seems hardly
fair to discharge McKibben unconditionally
without permitting Stanton to give his e1-
PLANTATION, - and he added, ''You know, Nc
Clure, NcKibben is safe, parole or no
parole, so go and get him out OF prison"
saw that it would be useless to attempt to
change Linc0iH's purpose, but asked him
30 fix an hour the next morning when 1
could meet Stanton in his presence to have
Mckibben discharged from his parole. He
fixed 10 o'clock the next morning for the
meeting ana then wrote. in his own hand,
the order for Nckibben's discharge, which
I hurriedly bore to Old Capitol Prison and
had him released.
Promptly al 10 o'clock the next morning
] went to The White House 10 obtain Nc
Gibben's discharge from his parole. Lin
coin was alone, but Stanton came in few
minutes later. He was pale with anger and
his first expression was: well, Mcclure,
what rebel are you here to get out of
trouble this morning." He evidently
meant to square up some old accounts with
ne over McINibben. l said to him and with
some feeling: Your arrest OF McNibhen
was a cowardlv act; YOU knew Mckibben
was guiltless of any offense and YOU did it
20 CRAFTY brutal hatred" 1 told him also
that 1 had prevailed upon McKibben,
against his Judgment, to act as State Com
missioner TO give a semblance of decency to
what would evidently be q farcal and
fraudulent election in the army, and that if
he had examined the complaint soberly tor
one minute, he would have seen that it was
utterly false.
Never Discharged From Ills Parole.
I told him that L had requested his ap-
peaTance there with the President to have
NcHibben discharged from his parole, and
that now asked him to consent to it. He
turned from me, walked hurriedly back and
forth across the room several times before
he answered. and then he came I'D to me
and in a voice tremulous with passion said:
81 decline 10 discharge Mckib5en from his
parole. You can make formal application
for it if you choose, and 1 will consider and
decide il. -
His manner was as offensive as it was
possible for Stanton to make ii, and 1 re-
eented it by saying: 81 don't know what
Mchibben will do, but if L were Jere Nc
Kibben, as sure as there is God, would
crop your ears before 1 left Washington"
He made no reply, but suddenly whirled
around on his heel and walked out OF the
room. Lincoln had said nothing. He was
used to such ebullitions from Stanton, and