plete confidence existing between the President and his Secretary of War.

"While the President," says this account, was on his way back from Richmond, and at a point where no telegraph could reach the steamer upon which he was, a dispatch of the utmost importance reached Washington, demanding the immediate decision of the President himself. The dispatch was received by a confidential staff officer, who at once ascertained that Mr. Lincoln could not be reached. Delay was out of the question, as important army movements were involved. The officer having the dispatch went with it directly to Mr. Stanton's office, but the Secretary could not be found. Messengers were hastily dispatched for him in all directions. Their search was useless, and a positive answer had been already too much delayed by the time it had occupied. With great reluctance the staff officer sent a reply in the President's name. Soon after Mr. Stanton entered himself, having learned of the efforts made to find him. The dispatch was produced, and he was informed by the officer sending the answer, of what had been done.

""Did I do right?' said the officer to the Secretary. "Yes, Major,' replied Mr. Stanton, 'I think you have sent the correct reply, but I should hardly have dared to take the responsibility.'

"At this the whole magnitude of the office, and the great responsibility he had taken upon himself, seemed to fall upon the officer, and almost overcame him, and he asked Mr. Stanton what he had better do, and was advised to go directly to the President, on his return, and state the case frankly to him. It was a sleepless

night for this officer, and at the very earliest hour consistent with propriety he went to the White House, Mr. Lincoln having returned late the night before, but was refused admission by the usher, who told him that the President had given strict orders to admit no one upon any pretense till after a certain hour. In vain did the officer urge the importance of his errand; the usher would not take in his name, and he was about turning away when the President's son came down stairs, bade the officer good-morning, and, on hearing he had been refused admission, said that his father would certainly see the Major. Still the usher was not to be moved, till the son went back himself, and returned with the message that the President would see him.

"Mr. Lincoln was reclining on a lounge as the officer entered, looking over a pile of papers. He appeared a little annoyed at the interruption, but stopped at once to hear his visitor's mission. The dispatch was shown him, and the action upon it stated frankly and briefly. The President thought a moment and then said, 'Did you consult the Secretary of War, Major?' The absence of the Secretary at the important moment was then related to Mr. Lincoln, with the subsequent remark of Mr. Stanton that he thought the right answer had been given, but that he himself would have shrunk from the responsibility.

"Mr. Lincoln, on hearing the story, rose, crossed the room, and taking the officer by the hand thanked him cordially, and then spoke earnestly of Mr. Stanton as follows: 'Hereafter, Major, whenever you have Mr. Stanton's sanction in any matter, you have mine, for

so great is my confidence in his judgment and patriotism, that I never wish to take an important step myself without first consulting him.'"

The story of life within the Cabinet during the war is varied with all manner of friendly and unfriendly colorings; but on the whole it is a fine picture of strong and decided men striving to do their best for the country, and to postpone or reconcile personal objects and sentiments so far as they interfered with the common object. Very many of its inside occurrences have all the hearty friendliness of events in a family of grown-up, positive, but kindly brothers. Mr. Carpenter tells a graphic anecdote of the strong regard of Mr. Lincoln for Secretary Stanton. "A few days before the President's death," he says, "Secretary Stanton tendered his resignation of the War Department. He accompanied the act with a heart-felt tribute to Mr. Lincoln's constant friendship and faithful devotion to the country; saying, also, that he as Secretary had accepted the position to hold it only until the war should end, and that now he felt his work was done, and his duty was to resign.

"Mr. Lincoln was greatly moved by the Secretary's words, and tearing in pieces the paper containing the resignation, and throwing his arms about the Secretary, he said: "Stanton, you have been a good friend and a faithful public servant, and it is not for you to say when you will no longer be needed here.' 'Several friends of both parties were present on the occasion, and there was not a dry eye that witnessed the scene."

At the Cabinet meeting which Mr. Carpenter once attended, Mr. Usher, then Secretary of the Interior,

told Mr. Stanton that he had a young friend whom he wished to have appointed a paymaster in the army. "How old is he?" asked Mr. Stanton, gruffly. "About twenty-one, I believe," answered Mr. Usher; "he is of good family and excellent character. "Usher," exclaimed Mr. Stanton, in reply, "I would not appoint the Angel Gabriel a paymaster if he was only twenty-one." A good instance of the kind of influence which Mr. Stanton exerted upon the war, and of the way he used it, is given in the account of a correspondent of the Boston Commonwealth, of the occasion when negotiation upon political matters was forbidden to General Grant. It was at the capital, on the night of March 3d, 1865, and while the last bills from Congress were being read and signed, and the accounts from Grant of the certain speedy destruction of Lee's army were being discussed, that, the story says, "Mr. Lincoln was elated, and the kindness of his heart was manifest in intimations of favorable terms to be granted to the conquered rebels.

"Stanton listened in silence, restraining his emotion, but at length the tide burst forth. Mr. President,' said he, 'to-morrow is inauguration day. If you are not to be the President of an obedient and united people, you had better not be inaugurated. Your work is already done, if any other authority than yours is for one moment to be recognized, or any terms made that do not signify you are the supreme head of the nation. If generals in the field are to negotiate peace, or any other chief magistrate is to be acknowledged on this continent, then you are not needed, and you had better not take the oath of office.',

"Stanton, you are right!' said the President, his whole tone changing. 'Let me have a pen.'

"Mr. Lincoln sat down at the table, and wrote as follows:

"The President directs me to say to you that he wishes you to have no conference with General Lee, unless it be for the capitulation of Lee's army, or on some minor or purely military matter. He instructs me to say that you are not to decide, discuss, or confer upon any political question. Such questions the President holds in his own hands, and will submit them to no military conferences or conventions. In the mean time you are to press to the utmost your military advantages.'

"The President read over what he had written, and then said:

"Now, Stanton, date and sign this paper, and send it to Grant. We'll see about this peace business.'

"The duty was discharged only too gladly by the energetic and far-sighted Secretary; with what effect and renown the country knows full well."

Mr. Stanton's official doings as Secretary of War have been very often and very violently attacked, and charges of every sort, from oppression, cruelty, and official brutality to the grossest and vilest malfeasance and corruption, have been made against him. None of these, however, have ever lived long enough to produce an impression upon the public, and Mr. Stanton himself has treated them with utter neglect. This disregard of cotemporary personal reputation was a habit of his before he became Secretary; for he never took pains to preserve any of his legal productions, and