The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-05-29

fused to grant this in any shape or form
until the order Of Weitzel, issued while
| Mr.. Lincoln was present in Richmond
convened the rebel Legislature Of Vir
ginia and recognized the rebel Governor
Smith With this order before him
| without word of the contrary tenor
| Sherman informed Johnston of the order
and waived his previous objection. to re
cognizing the rebel State authorities
Why should Sherman be denounced fol
submitting to the new President pro
position based uponsthis order of the re
vocation of which he had not the least
notice How uniust to arraign him FOL
this, and then conceal the fact that he
was acting in pursuance OF the policy OF
the former administration,
The third objection is that he recog.
nized slavery, and restored the old rela-
tions between master and slave. This Is
simply absurd. Sherman has repeated
ly acted upon the validity of the procla.
nation of emancipation aud the laws OF
Congress. abolishing slavery. and the
idea of repeating or strengthening them
by military arrangement between the
Generals, never entered his, head. The
official papers show that he urged john
ston to announce as fact" the extinc-
ton of slavery-a "fact" that Sherman
not only regarded as fixed, but as unal-
terable. The result was that slavery
was not mentioned, but was left precise
ly where it ought to be left. The nerv-
Gus fear that this question could not he
left 70 the law and the Supreme Court
did not disturb purely military mind.
This was the arrangement about which
so much has been said 1t disbanded the
rebel armies, placed all their arms with
in our power, made. peace UNIVERSAL and
it was purely conditional, having no life
without the approval of the President
Now it is plain that the duty of the Coy
ernment was to simply approve or reject
it, and give no reasons, hut issue its or
ders, and this is precisely Wbdf TaS done by
the President, and he did no more Gen
Grant was sent to convey this order and
did his duty nobly and well, with gen.
ero,,s consideration for his subordinate
and fellow soldier Sherman did not
hesitate a moment, promptly terminated
the truce, made new arrangement with
Johnston, and at once started tor
Charleston and Savannah to send sup
plies to General Wilson. then far in
Georgia, and to close up the scattered
links of his great command. His official
report shows an amount of zeal, activi-
ty, patriotism, and wonderful ability not
surpassed by any portion of his previous
life All this was going on while hewas
in utter ignorance of the wild storm of
denunciation that was sweeping over
the whole country. While he was sup
plying Wilson, arranging to catch Davis,
detaching armies from his command,
and preparing for peace and home, the
press and the telegraph the pulpit and
the rostrum, were ringing with denun-
Citations A letter of a rebel to the Lon
don Times was universally quoted as the
revelation of plot to overthrow the
Government Cromwell and Arnold, and
all that was desperate and violent, was
sudd enly brought to public notice. To
defend Sherman, and even to beg people
to "wait-let US hear from him." was to
invite quarrel and insult. Timid people
were ys plying him and all connected with
their @ beds at night and made money syii
every day during the war, thong ht Gen:
Sherman had joined the "Copperheads,"
and was no better than jeff. Davis, and
even limited that he had got some of jeff.
Davis gold. ' a.
General Sherman first met this chill
ling wind" as he was coming northward
around Cape Henry, to meet his army
and surrender his command. he was
then writing his official report. He firm
" believed that all his fierce and most
unreasonable calumny was organized by
Mr.. Stanton and General Halleck with
the deliberate purpose to insult, humili'
ate, and ruin him. he then first saw
Stanton's reasons and Halleck's insult
ing order. He mixed all the falsehoods
and malignity with these two official
acts. No wonder that this gave tone to
his official report. and under this shadow
il should be read. 1t will soon be made
public, and the writer of this ventures
70 predict that every fair minded man
who contributed to the clamor will, OF
reading it, regret his part
The rejection of the convention and
the reasons of Stanton were given to tn,
public at the same moment. They hat
the appearance of cotemporaneous acts
but they were entirely distinct and sepa
rate. The fact of disapproval was SEN
by Grant, and was entirely legitimate
and resulted we'll Grant even did no
know these reasons" Not shade o
discomfort could have arisen. Why
then, publish these reasons2 The an
swer of Mr.. Stanton is. that Genera
| sherman's order announcing the truce Il
his army made it neoessary-that b.
could not disappoint the hopes of tn,
army, based upon this order. without
giving the reasons that he got COP!
of the order after Grant left, and thel
penned these reasons. The gloom of tn
public mind and his own escape from as
sassination, no doubt colored his state
ment, and suspicion. aroused by des
perate crime, lit upon the most conspicu
| ous person, who. at the moment, sesme,
to thwart the national cry for vengeance
sherman's arrangement breathed tn
spirit of the dead President; but /
came one week too late, or one month to-
early. In either contingency Stanton
reason would never have been issued:-
| They were his alone, and are plainl.
marked with passion. but may have beel
published without malice
But, it is said, why did Sherman issue
this order to his troops3 Why did b
assume that Peace was to exist from tn
Potomac to the Rio Grsnde2 Why no
wait until the arrangement was approx
ed2 The answer is, that it was necessa
nv TO announce the truce to the army +
prevent collision and loss of life Tn
order was to the army only, and expires: