Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23

| and, having SO intruded, he conducted him
self insolently, making threats to an assist
| tility of the New York - against the ad-
| minstration of the War Department, unless
| he was afforded special privileges and fur
| DiShed intelligence in the department in re-
| spect to cabinet consultations, kilograms,
| official communications, and all news the
| moment it was received by the department
| in advance of all other papers.
| 1.-The War Department is the place where
! the President, commander-in-chief of the
| army and navy, and his subordinates, the
| Secretary of War, and other public officers
| are earnestly engaged in the business Of
| overcoming treason and rebellion against
| the government of the United States; and 1t
| is not place where spies or traitors, any
| person, but for public purposes, can be suf-
| fered to enter or harbor.
| Newspapers are valuable organs Of public
| intelligence and instruction, and every
| proper facility will be afforded to all loyal
| persons to procure. on equal terms, informa-
| ton of such public facts as may be properly
| made known in times of rebellion. But no
matter how useful or powerful the press
| may be, like anything else IT is subordinate
| to national safety. The fate of an army or
the destiny Of a nation may be imperiled by
| spy in the garb of a newspaper agent. The
| ration is in conflict with treason and rebel
| lien, and may be threatened by foreign foes.
| The lives and fortunes of 20.Oo0,OOO of peo-
| ple and the peace ard happiness of their
ECSterity in the loyal states, the fate of pub
| lie liberty and republican government, are
| siaked upon the instant issue. The duties
| of the President his secretary of every Off
| Ger of the government, and especially in the
War Department and military service, are at
! this moment urgent and solemn duties-the
most solemn and urgent that ever fell upon
ran.
mo news gatherer nor any other per
son for sordid and reasonable purposes
| can be suffered to intrude upon them at
such time to procure news by threats or
spy out official acts which the safety of
the nation requires not to be disclosed.
For these the aforesaid Ives has
been arrested and imprisoned, and all per-
sors offending will be dealt with in
like manner.
That day and night the department was
closed against the public. The prohibition
occupied a conspicuous place in The Star
every day, and notice was on the door
| that the day was set apart for Congress |
OF course. the Office open night and |
day to the President the cabinet members |
of the war committee of Congress and the |
general-in-chief Of the army. and some of
them were there every night. But no per- |
son not privileged got into Mr. Stan |
tons rooms at night during the war. The |
Waterman knew nothing of the entrance |
of Ives. but. as there were two entrances. |
one at the west, the main one, and enc on |
the east side of the building, through |
which the President would come, the man |
may have come in as a member of Con- |
gress.
At that time l was in Mr.. Watson's |
| room and had charge of all kilograms that |
"eIe udlly leCelNeu anu gent, anu VI WHICH
told in a chapter in The Star some years
ago.
After this order war correspondents were
very scarce at the War Department, but
the New York - daily Numbered its broad |
sides against Mr.. Stanton. 1t was then the
most powerful and illustrious paper in the
country.
The Order Had Another Meaning.
But this order had far significant
meaning. 1t was intended for the eve of a
suspect in high position in the War De-
partment, and the very remarkable terms
of the order were aimed at him, but his
name was never mentioned, and 1 never
heard any Of the clerks speak of him in
connection with the order.
In after years. when Early came so near
capturing Washington. and communication
by rail with the city cut off by the
burning Of the Gun Powder bridge, that
civilian officer heretofore mentioned as
sent away sent telegram to the Secretary
Offering to send supplies for the people Of
| Washington by water: while in the Secre-
tarys trouble with President Johnson that
high army official took sides with the Pres
! ident against Congress, and wanted to
KICK stanton OUT and to turn the govern
| ment over to the people who wanted to de-
| stroy it.
| The War Department on Fire,
1t was on one of those days when every
| thing went wrong. and after the Secretary
! had gone to dinner, that an orderly dashed
| up to his house, on street, with the
alarming words that the War Office was
| on fire. He sprang from the dinner table
| and told his drive Qrwin, who was always
| in watting) to go quickly to the office"
That carriage dashed down 18th street into
! the avenue and past the White House at
| ful speed for even the horses although a
hlred team had some of the Secretary's
| fire. At the office he found room near
! his own and the corridor filled with smoke
| Inquiry revealed the cause of the smoke to
| re the burning of lot of rubbish and
| papers in a fireplace, which had been set
| IN fire by the pipe of Gen. -. Mr.. STAR
| on was IN rage. He sent for Adjt Gen.
Townsend who was home at dinner. ard.
| coming quickly to the office Mr. Stanton
| toid him to turn out that ID fellow
| with his pipe; find quarters for him outside
| Of the building"
condition OF dry rot. and mad the fire
reached the floor nothing could have saved
| 1t. After that buckets of water were kept
| in all the corridors.
Except on a subsequent occasion, in which
| Mr.. John w. Garrett, president of the Bal
| timore and Ohio Railroad Company, was
| telling Mr.. Stanton how a certain Balti-
morean was abusing him, l never heard
him swear. although there was not a day
in which he did not have to contend with
some harassing trouble in the affairs of his
great department, with armies and with
men.
The Secretary had the control of billions
Of the peoples money, and when he laid
down his commission and left the depart
ment on the demand of Gen. Grant, he had
s4.76 balance from his salary for the
last month he served as Secretary, and by
my confidential rela tons with him I know
he had not another dollar.
The Secretary's SolIcitude for the
President.
The safety Of President Lincoln was al
ways matter of solictude with Mr.. Stan
ton. When the President. in the summer, |
sought relief at the Soldiers Home, two |
miles in the country, the road to which |
was lonely at places and invited the hiding |
of assassins, he had no guard. not even an |
orderly. and soon Mr.. Stanton heard |
of this danger to his great chief. and with |
out the Presidents knowledge, he ordered |
i t,;r