Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-01-25
oenerel ehsrnaa . Reeen !.
ne Southern States ellll n IL
The following letter was writtsq BY Gen
ahanAn. il sanly - es.tain ~inauisiss e.
citizen Of Georgia:
< tAslSGAS Mx2n@IY ~. o. rur Mrs. !
kissrPPi, IN TIE FIELD, :
Savannah, Ga, Jan. 9Th, 1866. J


H. 10. ENFFph1N Hsx q
Dt(&en :-461rs q the Cd H. ri =.
ceiv( Ind, in snswefeo your inquiries,
beg to state am merely military com.
mander, and act only in that capacity nor
can give any assurance or pledges affect.
Ing civil matters in the future. They Will
be adjusted BY Congress when Ueorgia ID
again represented there Is Of old.
\ George il not out Of the Union, and
therefore the tslk Of reconstruction" up.
pears to n inappropriate. some Of thl
people have been and still are in state Of
and organized, the United States must pur.
sue thsm With armiss, and deal with them
according 70 military law. But as soon Al
they break up their armed organizations
and return to their homes, take it they
will be dealt with by the civil courts. Some
" me rebels in Georgia, in my judgment,
deserve death, because they have committed
murder, and other crimes, which are pun.
ished with death BY IN cfviiixed govern
ments on earth. think lhis was the cours>
indicated by Gen. Washington, in sslerdace
to the whisky inshrrections and sliks pm:
ciple seemed % Be recognized at the time'o
the Burr Conspiracy.
As to the union of the States under GU
pgovsrgQeut, Ne have the high authority OF
Gen. Washington, who babe US be jealous
ri c1fchl l(3t, and the still mere emphae-
4 words ofGen. jackson 1.-The Federal
Uai6n, Il must and shall be preserved. -
Certainly Gsosgians cannot question the
authority of such men, and should not sus
pect our motives, who are simply filling
their commatpls. Wherever necessary,
force has been used to carry out that end
And Won may rest assured that the Union
viii be preserved, cost what It may. And
II you srs sensible men, yoy viii conform to
this order Of things or else migrate to some
other country. There is no other alterna.
tive open to tho people Of Georgia.
Ny opinion 10 that no negotiations are
necessary, nor commissioners, nor anything
oflthe kind. Whenever the people oil Geor-
gia quit rebelling against theis government,
and elect members Of Congress and Sena-
tors, and these 20 and take their seats, then
the State Of Georgia will have resumed her
functions in the Union. .ff'as
These are merely my opinions, but in
confirmation Of them, as think, the people
Of Georgia may we'll consider the following
words referring to the people Of the rebel.
liOus States, which l quote from the recent
annual message of President Lincoln to
Congress at its present session:
"They can 1t any moment have peace
simply by laying down their arms and SUBJ
hitting to the national authority under the
Constitution. After so much, the govern
ment could not, if it would, maintain war
agAinlt them. The loyal people would not
sustain or allow it. lfquestions should re-
main, we would adjust them by the peace
full means Of legislation, conference, courts
and votes. Operating only in constitution
al and lawful channels, some certain and
other possible questions are and would be
beyond the executive power to adjust, a
for instance, the admission of members into
Congress and whatsoever might require the
appropriation of money"
The President then alludes to the genera
pardon and amnesty offered for more than .
year past, upon specified and more liberia
forms, to all except certain designated class
es, even these being 'still within contcm
plation Of special clemency," and adds:
ut is still so open to all, but the tim,
may come when public duty shall demand
that it be closed, and that in lieu more Wig
Orous measures than heretofore shall b.
adopted"
1t seems to me that it is time for the PEG
pie OF Georgia to act for themselves, ant
return, in time, to their duty to the gov
eminent of their fathers.
Respectfully, your ob't servant,
w. 7. SHERMAN,
Major General.