Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-05-16

sherman.
From the Nashville r4nss
We have gained pessesson cf shs important |
letter published below, and give i to enr read /
eFs, who, after peTnsiBg it, will know ucrs Of /
ths temper and character Of the conmandsr al |
he grand militia division Of the Mississippi |
than they hsve known heret0feTs. The lsster
was net designed ioI publicsti0n, having besn
addressed te bis sdlatant- general, ia reply to
csrtain inieTrogktories relsfiva to tho eonEss to
be'pureued by sRb0rdinats casasnsaders of mill.
ssry districts toYayd Sisloyhl inhabitants We
viii add That as sa eonEider our readers sensible
men and women, no cowmsrts are Eecessary:
AEADeRs p1PARrxEET ov .pENEEssEE,(
Vieksburgs JanuAfy D.
Majar R. NJ. Sawyer A. A. @. Army Of the Tennessee,
Huntsville
DEAR SAWYER: In my former letter I have
answered AL youy questions save one. and that
relstss to the tregmsnt Of inhabitants known,
or suspected 70 be hostile OF 50 seeesh,' This is
in ruth the most difficult business OF our army,
AZ Il advances and occupies the Southern conn
try. Il is alrnost impossible to lay down rules,
and / invariably leave this whole subject to the
locsI commanders, bus am wiling to give Them
The benefit of my acquired kSa1iedse and eIpe-
riencs.
! la Europe, whence wsderive our principles
of wsr. ss developed by thsir histories, wsTs
4 are l1tNttH' AADko A2totof SaA~@ @-A--
/ ies. and not between peoples. These rsmEin, as
| Il vysre, neutra and Sell their produce 70 what
/ ever army isin pOsseHaien-
Maoolscn, when at war with Prussia, Austria
and Russia, bought forage and provisions OF
/ fha inhabitants, and consequently bad an inter
est "a proteet farms and factories which 2ainiE-
| tars5 10 his wants. In like mEnusf, the allied
] armies In France, could saY Of the French
whatever they nesded, the produce Of the soii cr
/ manufactures Of the country lhefeleTo the
Tnle was and is, that ware are eonhned TO tho
armies, and should not visit the homes OF faiRi-
/ lies or privs.es interests.
But ip other examples = different rule abssin.
| ed the sanction Of historical auiheIiiy, will
only instance that, when in the re gD q William
| and Nary, the Enelish army occupied kroiEao,
/ theu IN a stale OF reFolt, the inhabitants were
setually driven into foreign lands, and were ac-
tuslly disyossesssd of their property and new
| gouuiatlsn il Introduced. To this day large p@Tt
| af the North OF Ireland 10 held By the descend
| ants of the Scotch emgTBnts sent there by vii
/ lisul's order and an act of Parliament.
The war which prevails n our land is esssn-
| tisjIv war of races The Southern people sD-
fsred into clesr compact Of government, but
still maintained species Of sepArste interests,
| history and pTejudiees. These latter became
| stronesr and stronger, TIL they have led te q
war. which has developed the fruits Of the bit
1 teTsst kind.
we az the North are, beyond al question,
right in our lawful cause, but we are not bound
/ 10 ignore the fact that the people Of tina South
have ureiudicss which lOIm part OF thsiT nature,
| and WHICH they cannOi throw off without an
Effort of reason or the slower process OF natural
/ change. Now sha question arises, should we
/ treat as absolute enemies all IN the South who
difFer from Us in opinion or pre- judiees-kill OF
bsuish thsrni Or should We give them time to
/ think. and gradually change their conduct so
AZ 10 conform to the new order OF things which
& slowly and gradually creeping into their
couatrYl
When men take arms 10 resist our rightful au-
! thoritv. we are compelled to use foTcs, because
al reason and argument ceases when arms are
r,sortsd 70. When the provisions, forage hoTses,
! mnles. wagons, etc, ara used by our enany, il
| is clearly our duty ana nght 10 take them, be-
| cause, otherwise they might be used against us
In like manner, al houses left vacant by an
ipimical people are clearly our night, or such ss
I are needed As storehouses, hospitals and quar-
rsrg. But qusstion arises as 70 Dwellings usEd
| bv women, children and non-combatsnts. Sc
long as non-combaiants Temsin in thsir houses
and keen to their accustomed business, theiI
[ oninious and uTeiudices can in no Wise influence
f6e vsT. and therefore, should not be Dotiesd
But If suy one comes out into the public streets
| and creates dieorder he or she should be pun
ished restrained OF bAnished, either to the real
M froat, as the officer in command sGjudgeS
II the people, or any OF them, keep up oore-
spor dsncs with parties IN hostility, they are
soies and can be punished with death or minol
punithment. .-,e
and the psople of the South having sppesled I'd
per. arc barred from sppealing 70 our CoDstitu
tion, which ihsy have practically and publicly
ds6ed TheT have appealed 30 war, and mus
sbide liz rules Rnd laws. The United Ststes, a
. beIHgerent party claiming righin the soil as
the ultimate sovereign, have night to change
; the population, and It may be and is, both poll
D tie and best we should do go in certain districts
; When the inhabitants persist too long 10 hos
tility, il may be both polite and rgAt thai We
, should Danish them and appropriate theiT lGndl
to more loyal and useful population. No maT
viii deny that the United States would be bene
D fted By dispossessing single pTejudieed, hard
hesded and disloysl planter and substitute IL
his place dozsn or more patient, industrious
good iemiIies, even If they be Of foreign birth
/ think it does good to present this view Of thl
case to many Southern gentlemen, who grow
rich and wealthy, not by virtue alone of ihei
industry and skill, but by reason Of the protee
ton snd impetus to prosperity given BY Oul
hitherto moderate and nagnAuimOus Govern
nent Il Is all idle nonsense FOR these S3atherr
p planters tSasAy that they made the Souih shs
. they own It., aud that they can do as slsy
! plssss-esen to break up our GovsFnmeut, sDt
: TO shat up the natural sTenees Of trade, inter
course snd commerce.
3 We know, and they know if they are intsll
, gent beings, that, aG compared with the Who'll
t world. they are but as FIVE millions are 20 on
e | Thousand milli0ns-.hat they did aOt oisste tn
o land---hat their only title 10 It's use and enjoy
q ment is the deed of the United States and
they appeal 70 war, they hold their all by sver
= insecure tenure
: For my part believe that this war = the p
suit OF false politicsi doctrine, for which re 81
all as people responsible, VIZ that any an
every people has night b sell-govsrnmeni; an
- would give 81 chance 20 reflect aud whs
" in error to Teesnt l know, slave owners Gnd
- ing themselves in possession of species
u property in opposition to the growing ssnt
Z mens Of the whole civiliEed wosid, conceive
their properly in danger, and fooiishlv sppeais
to WSi and By sEilitul political hRndhug II
vOived with themselves the whole S0uih On n
r deelrine Of eTTor and prejadiee- / believe tbs
n some Of the rich and slavshoiding are preir
/. diced 10 an exient thss nothing but death an
ruin will sxhnguisb, bat hope that as the poore
Of aud industrial classes Of she South realize the
K relative weakness, and their dependence upo
,e the fruits of the earth and good will Of thai
I. fellow men, they wjll not only discover the 9
- ror Of their wsys, and repent Of thsir h4sty s,
e tiOn but bless those who persislently mAintaine
be constitutional Government, s;TOBg enough
. sustain itself, protect its citiHens apd pTomic
peQcefnl homes TO millions yet unborn.
~ In this belief, while I ssseTi for our Govsrr
At msnt the highest military pFereeasves, 81
ID willing TO bear in patience thst political nor
- senss OF slave rights, State rights, freedom
e0nteisnee, freedom Of press, and such 9th,
N trash, as have deludeG tho Southern people mi
war aaaichy, blOodshsd, and the foulest Grim,
that have disgrseed any lime or any people.
y I wonld advise the Commanding officers ,
l7 Huntsville aud such other towns rs sTe oceuD;s
"a By our troops, to assemble the inhabitants an