The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-03-11
CHARLES .DANA'S ADDRESS
DELIVERED BEFORE 4 LARGE AU-
 DIENCE LAST EVENING.

 Second in the Course Before the New Ha-
 ven Colony Historical Society Abraham
 Lincoln and His Cabinet-Interesting
 Personal Experience inthe Making of
 History-Lincoln's Peculiar Qualities of
 Greatnes4--Mr. Dana the Guest of Ex-
 Judge Harrison.
 The lecture hall in the Connecticut Historical society building was com pletely filled last evening with an audi ence representing the refinement and intelligence of New Haven to hear Charles A. Dana, the eminent journal ist and man of letters, and editor of the New York Sun. MT. Dana spoke on Abraham Lincoln and His Cabinet" a subject for the setting forth of which he is peculiarly fitted, owing to his per sonal experience as assistant secretary |of war under President Lincoln's ad- ministration.
 MT Dana said that he considered it the duty of those who were personally connected with MT. Lincoln's adminis- tration, and who knew the men under the administration face to face, to mar rate the facts of that time. He then said:
 ''rhe election of Abraham Lincoln was brought about by dissensions in the democratic party, while at the same time the republican party was united. The great question at issue in that elec- tion, though not formally stated in the party platforms of the time, was as to whether or not the owners of slaves should enjoy the privilege of taking their slaves into free states. The slave owners claimed this right on the ground that the slaves were their chattels and that they should be allowed to take them into free state as much as if they were oxen or other cattle.
 When Lincoln was elected the whole south claimed that the refusal of the fright to take their property with them wherever they went was sufficient req son for withdrawal from the Union and for breaking up the government. Im- lmediately after Lincolns inauguration preparations for war were begun.
 ''In making up his cabinet MT. Lin- coin appointed those men who had com- peted with him for the nomination. William H. Seward of New York had been the most prominent competitor in the convention. Then there was Cam eron of Pennsylvania, an able man, a practical man of resources, one of the first statesmen to embrace the republi- can doctrine. He held office only lit- | tie over a year. Thers was a great outcry against him, because it was said | that he paid out too much money for arms and preparations for war. Noth- l ing was, however, proved against him except that he was a thorough Ameri- can and that his capacity was equal to the danger at hand. He finally obtain ed the credit due him as wise and |provident statesman. MT. Bates of Mis- souri, the attorney general, had also been a prominent candidate for the nomination. He was competent gen. | tleman, a good speaker and a good lawyer, and served with entire satisfac- tion to the end of his term.
 When Cameron went out of the cab- inet President Lincoln, following the advice of MT. Cameron himself and Charles Sumner, selected Edward M. Stanton, an old state rights democrat, for the position. Through him I came to be put into the war department. MT. Stanton was q short, thick-set, dark man, with a large head and black hair. He was one of the most eloquent men T Ir,,n was almost superhuman and when he took hold of the war department the army seemed to grow at once. The time of preparation, which before had seemed long, came finally to an end and the time of action began. As an example of MT Stanton's eloquence will relate a little incident. A peddle1 had received permission from the wal 1 department to sell his goods within the rebel lines, and we incidentally picked up much valuable information as to the enemys movements from him. He bought his stock in Baltimore and the stock was always looked over before he went through the lines to see if it con tained any contraband articles Final 1 ly department detective, in giving the i stock a little closer inspection thar | had been done on previous occasions found certain prohibited articles in it
 The peddler was arrested and on his bill of goods were found the names ot certain merchants in Baltimore who | had connived with him to get the arti. cles through the lines. The merchants were then imprisoned This the people l of Baltimore did not like and a depIIta
 tion of citizens of that city, consisting of bankers and prominent men, came to MT. Stanton protesting. They stated
 their case and then MT. Stanton began
 to talk His answer was eloquent 1T the extreme He described the begin. ming of the war. He said that one mil 1 lion young men had been laid in un- l timely graves in the war. He then de. scribed the outrage of the peddler aid ed by the merchants of Baltimore The
 gentlemen, without another word, go
 up and went away. It was the only
 eloquent speech I ever listened tc
 which cleared the entire audience out
 q have never known a man who coult
 do so much in little time. He was
 man utterly absorbed in the idea of
 republic, one and indivisable. Shortl,
 after he ceased to hold office he wen
 into another world.
 These are the kind of men LincoIl
 had around him, not all like Stanton
 and Cameron. Seward was reachiny
 out toward the future and dwellin,
 upon it. Through him we acquires
 Alaska, and he had nearly complete, ! Er c.s