, 1865-06-08
The Secretary or var 6nd General
sherman.
from UaYnarfs weekJv 1sp 7

| With the exception Of President Lincoln
| and General Grant, no men in the country
| hare doEe more for the suppression Of the re-
bel1ion than Mr. Stanton and General Sher
1aan, and every good cit3zon sees with regret
misnndel standing between them.
! Gcae,al Shcrmau's military services wers SO
illpsirio':s and Important; he directed with
snch corsuu1matc skill operations % exten.
| sive and conclusive; he had added such re.
nown tn The arms Of the United States, aud
had turre ed to sueh signal dtsmay the s1eer-
tng skeptic:sm Of our enen!ts, that it was ln-
cumbcus on the Government to guard his
lame even against himself, to interpret any
inconpsehaasibIe action kindly, snd not cy.
en- to appear to doubt the perfect patriotism
OF 20 faithful an officer. Indeed lis conduct
II relation 10 The extraordinary couyeptiou-
The 1act That he did not assume, except In the
matter Of the aTuisticc, to act INDEPENDENTS
--tlat hc sent . confidential aid to Fortress
M1nToe to lay the convention before the Coy
esEment and to receive Its decision, might
Justly have led lin to expect that if his
course were disapproEed, the 1!sapproya1
would have been quietly and Instantly com
E,unicated to him and not published to the
country, exposing him to injurious criticism
and suspicion.
So much mar fairly he said for Gen. she.-
any other moment Of the war, such would
doubtless have been the course Of tho Coy
eFnMent.
But Oh the other hand, was It surprising,
onght 1t TO astonish Gen. Sherman when be
reviews all til. circumstances, that the Csbi-
mel should hare beeu confouudeda at receIyin.
the news Of 50 inezpllcable an oct ut 80 crit
1cal q moment? The body Of the late PresI.
dent still My unbnried. The country was
1uivcsiDg with wrath at his murder, end at
the final proof 1t furnished of tho ghastlr
spirit Of the rebellion. Doubt, suspicion,
t'ielnny, were aroused upon every side; ana
IN the very crisis Of the painful excitement
rebel military chief then In Immediate inter
course With the rebel leaders, which DISTINCT
ly recognized the rebel authority by referring
the agreement for notification, not to TIC
Government Of the United States, but also to
tie MN called the Confederate Government:
while in his address to his army Sherman
spoke Of the convention us made not only
with General Johnston, but with other "high
6fllctals "-meauiug, Of course, civil author
tiles Of some kind. His convention also cs-
tnblished an arnnstice, and this after the
shor!, final ca.n1niEn Gcfofe Petersburg, in
which Shesman's superior officer had refused
any delsy to Johnston's superior, and had In
ed. The armist!cc WIS also In direct oppost-
tion to the unyarying policy Of President
Lincoln's administration, never to gcknoWl-
edge the rebels as lawful bcl1ige1ents what
ever action tie necessity of any particular
case, such as tho exchange Of prisoners, might
impose 60 that when the President himself
went to Hampton Roads to meet the rebel
agtnts seeking peace. he expressly told Gen,
Giant not to susperd his military operations
for on linur. The terms Of the convention,
also, were inexpllcable atteer tho fill Of Rich
mond and the rout and surrender Of Lee.
The convention, moreover, was made BIZ
Gen. Sherman, aud 1t ID undenlable that,
from all be had written during his magnll-
q mt campaign, 1t was evidont that, with nll
hi5 military genins and success. he had not
WAS understood by the government and the
people. He had treated It naerely al a military
question, while 1t .eds great deal more. How
just thls impression OF his tcunt Of s,mnposhy
with TIE rkh struggle was, is now apparent
from bis letter 10 Gen. Johnston, written
while the decision upon the convention was
still pending, in which he speaks Of the de- |
bates upon slavery as ''thc Benseless discus
1fty years ~
Now certainly such q convention made at
such time By commander holding such !
views must hare profoundly startled the !
government. That it could be kept Alto |
gether secret was impossible. In the opinion |
Of the government, therefore, 1t was in1pera-
lively necessary to obviate the effect Of its
publication, of the painful and |
1umors which we're sure to attend !
il by officially announcing 1t, and accompany. |
Ing the announcement with m emphatic re-. |
pndiation Of the act, and final assurance Of |
harmony md tranquility by the departure Of /
Ihc Lieutenant General to the heaIquartera |
II Gen. Sherman.