The Clansman: An Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan
Page 4
CHAPTER III
THE MAN OF WAR
Elsie led Mrs. Cameron direct from the White House to the War Department.
"Well, Mrs. Cameron, what did you think of the President?" she asked.
"I hardly know," was the thoughtful answer. "He is the greatest man I evermet. One feels this instinctively."
When Mrs. Cameron was ushered into the Secretary's Office, Mr. Stanton wasseated at his desk writing.
She handed the order of the President to a clerk, who gave it to theSecretary.
He was a man in the full prime of life, intellectual and physical, low andheavy set, about five feet eight inches in height and inclined to fat. Hismovements, however, were quick, and as he swung in his chair the keenestvigour marked every movement of body and every change of his countenance.
His face was swarthy and covered with a long, dark beard touched withgray. He turned a pair of little black piercing eyes on her and withoutrising said:
"So you are the woman who has a wounded son under sentence of death as aguerilla?"
"I am so unfortunate," she answered.
"Well, I have nothing to say to you," he went on in a louder and sternertone, "and no time to waste on you. If you have raised up men to rebelagainst the best government under the sun, you can take theconsequences----"
"But, my dear sir," broke in the mother, "he is a mere boy of nineteen,who ran away three years ago and entered the service----"
"I don't want to hear another word from you!" he yelled in rage. "I haveno time to waste--go at once. I'll do nothing for you."
"But I bring you an order from the President," protested the mother.
"Yes, I know it," he answered with a sneer, "and I'll do with it what I'vedone with many others--see that it is not executed--now go."
"But the President told me you would give me a pass to the hospital, andthat a full pardon would be issued to my boy!"
"Yes, I see. But let me give you some information. The President is afool--a d---- fool! Now, will you go?"
With a sinking sense of horror, Mrs. Cameron withdrew and reported toElsie the unexpected encounter.
"The brute!" cried the girl. "We'll go back immediately and report thisinsult to the President."
"Why are such men intrusted with power?" the mother sighed.
"It's a mystery to me, I'm sure. They say he is the greatest Secretary ofWar in our history. I don't believe it. Phil hates the sight of him, andso does every army officer I know, from General Grant down. I hope Mr.Lincoln will expel him from the Cabinet for this insult."
When, they were again ushered into the President's office, Elsie hastenedto inform him of the outrageous reply the Secretary of War had made to hisorder.
"Did Stanton say that I was a fool?" he asked, with a quizzical look outof his kindly eyes.
"Yes, he did," snapped Elsie. "And he repeated it with a blanketyprefix."
The President looked good-humouredly out of the window toward the WarOffice and musingly said:
"Well, if Stanton says that I am a blankety fool, it must be so, for Ihave found out that he is nearly always right, and generally means what hesays. I'll just step over and see Stanton."
As he spoke the last sentence, the humour slowly faded from his face, andthe anxious mother saw back of those patient gray eyes the sudden gleam ofthe courage and conscious power of a lion.
He dismissed them with instructions to return the next day for his finalorders and walked over to the War Department alone.
The Secretary of War was in one of his ugliest moods, and made no effortto conceal it when asked his reasons for the refusal to execute theorder.
"The grounds for my action are very simple," he said with bitter emphasis."The execution of this traitor is part of a carefully considered policy ofjustice on which the future security of the Nation depends. If I am toadminister this office, I will not be hamstrung by constant Executiveinterference. Besides, in this particular case, I was urged that justicebe promptly executed by the most powerful man in Congress. I advise you toavoid a quarrel with old Stoneman at this crisis in our history."
The President sat on a sofa with his legs crossed, relapsed into anattitude of resignation, and listened in silence until the last sentence,when suddenly he sat bolt upright, fixed his deep gray eyes intently onStanton and said:
"Mr. Secretary, I reckon you will have to execute that order."
"I cannot do it," came the firm answer. "It is an interference withjustice, and I will not execute it."
Mr. Lincoln held his eyes steadily on Stanton and slowly said:
"Mr. Secretary, it will have to be done."
Stanton wheeled in his chair, seized a pen and wrote very rapidly a fewlines to which he fixed his signature. He rose with the paper in his hand,walked to his chief, and with deep emotion said:
"Mr. President, I wish to thank you for your constant friendship duringthe trying years I have held this office. The war is ended, and my work isdone. I hand you my resignation."
Mr. Lincoln's lips came suddenly together, he slowly rose, and looked downwith surprise into the flushed angry face.
He took the paper, tore it into pieces, slipped one of his long armsaround the Secretary, and said in low accents:
"Stanton, you have been a faithful public servant, and it is not for youto say when you will no longer be needed. Go on with your work. I willhave my way in this matter; but I will attend to it personally."
Stanton resumed his seat, and the President returned to the White House.