The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-05-11
From the.IIOns ThomWs Ewing.

The public papers which defend Gen.
eral Sherman against tho attacks made
on him for his transaciion with John
ston, including the capture and sur
render oftheF rebel army generally
assume IL as. a foregono conclusion
that'ho made . p,istake, yet no one has
shown us wherein the mistake consist
ed, and | venture to say that no one
can show anything in the matter, eth
erin prineiple or in detail, inception
or result, TO which the most punctiious
can object. refer, as matter Of
course, to what he in fact did, not to
What is assumed for him, or falsely i'm
puted TO him. The actual facts, plainly
told, are these.:---l RfaiHuG
On the 18th of April Sherman had
Johnston so hcmmed in that he must
either fight OF surrender On that
day, in this condition Of things, the
two Generals met and discussed not
only the surrender Of the army under
Johnston, but the other Rebel forces
in the South pun West, in tho expressed
hope that they might save further effu-
sion of blood. AS the proposed action,
except as far as concerned forces under
the command Of each was beyond
their power, they agreed to Il suspcn-
sion of hostlitics, their armies remains
ing in statu quo, until each could con-
suit with and obtain the instruction
Of those in power, Sherman, of course,
that of the President Of the United
States and his Cabinet. lie reported
at once, and received instructions to
confnc himself to the nero military
surrender of the rebel troops in his
power. lie accordingly received the
surrender Of Johnston with his 27,000
men with their arms and munitions of
war, precisely what he would have
done had the Cabinet directed him not
to negotiate, but without any attempt
to excite a public clamor. This is all
Sherman did and all he proposed to do
until he should receive instructions
from the Department. He held John
ston and his army firmly, he lost no
advantage which he could have gain
cd had he attacked Johnston immodi-
Ntcly without negotiating, but saved
no doubt the cffusion of blood. -
Now | am at q loss to find the mis-
take. Was it in the propositions which
wcrc sent to the President and Cabi-
net? Ihey arc greatly misreprcsentcd
in the Sccrctarys Bulletin. But it is
no matter what they were, they came
without authority. Sherman assumed
none, but simply sent the proposition
to be passed upon by the Cabinet
Stigma" very able writer in the
Commercial, and one who represents
the case fairly, is of opinion that the
propositions were themselves the best
praC tcal. 1t may be SO and probably
is, but years experience will show
us.
But in this matter General Sherman
could hardly be charged with thinking
for himself The propositions sub
mittod were conceived in the spirit OF
Mr.. Lincoln's last speech, while Cen
cral Sherman no doubt had seen as il
was in oil the public prints-and there
is no proof and indeed no prctcncc that
he had seen Mr.. Lincoln's instructions
to General Grant. with which the pro.
positions are so tlaboratcly contrastcd
in the Socrctary's Bulletin. The pro.
positions ""y DO tho bost, or tho worst
possible, but in either case have YET
20 learn that there was q mistake in
making them known to tho President
L. EWING.