The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-06-09

moment seemed to thwart the national cfy
for yen9eance, Sherman's arrangement Dream
ed the spirit Of the dead President but II came
one week too late, or one month TOO carry:
In either contingency Stantons reasons wOu.o
never have been issued. They were his alone,
and are plainly marked with passion, OUT may
have been published without malice.
But il is said, why did Sherman issue TINS
order to his troops3 Why did he assume that
peace was to exist from the Potomac to the
Rio Grande? Why not wait until the arrange.
ment was approved? The answer Is that II
was necessary to announce the truce TO the ar
my to prevent collision and loss of life. The
order was to the army only, and expressly stat:
ed that the truce depended upon the approval val
truce, how could the officers or men perform
their new duties, and in what better terms could
conditional truce be expressed? Sherman
talked to his army alone, merely for their tenn
porary action. Can any man read the order
now without approving it?
Then followed the advice of Halleck to ig-
more Grant, to insult Sherman, and to arrest
the movements of subordinate Ulcers, not on
" without the knowledge but IN defiance of
both of them. And this was accompanied by
the military Offense of Hallecks disregardiug
o truce and actually invading another military
department to assault an enemy under terms
OF surrender. It was fortunate that this order
was countermanded In time or an actual COLI.
sion might have occurred in violation of o
truce between two armies of our noble heroes.
For this, General Halleck alone ought to be
neid responsible. If he was of any service at
an other than an expensive luxury. tied and
Labelled away where he was supposed to be
harmless he should, as writer upon military
law, nave been the hast man to advise the
preach ola truce-the soldiers "higher law"
he knew that Johnston had surrendered, was
awaiting the action of the President upon that
surrender, and that Grant, his superior officer,
was conveying that action to Sherman; and
yet ne ADVISED course that could only be JUS
uned oy the clearly ascertained fact that both
country.
And then, why publish this order7 What
motive could possibly induce this3 II some
grave exigency justified the order, it should
nave oeen Kept secret as the grave. If they
Ioond sherman was playing the traitor, their
precautions should have been concealed. In
any aspect the publication of this paper seems
tne grossest folly or the meanest malice If
!astined by events 1t was blunder to publish
their plans: but when viewed by the light of
eVents IL was most gross public insult heaped
upon soldier while In the successful discharge
OF the highest duties. The writer of this does
not know that either Stanton or Halleck au-
thorized its publication, but he does know the
whitening effect it had upon sherman's reputa.
ton. not for what was alleged in it, but from
what was fairly implied from it. Why is not
this explained? Who published it, Where
was the public censor then2 Why not now
announce in an equally specific order that the
fears upon which 1t was basel proved utterly
groundlese? If Mr.. Stanton pub ished this
order, and will not now openly acknowledge
that 1t was founded in error, he continues an
insult and evinces malice. Then he must ex.
pect open defiance and insult, and neither his
person nor rank can shield him.
1t cannot be denied that after this order was
issued, while the telegraph was under strict
military censorship, the public mind was poi
s0ned sgainst Gen. Sherman by kilograms since
shown to be false, as that he refused to obey
the summons of the Congressional Committee,
and that facts relieving him from blame were
not stated, as that the order of Gen. Weitzel
was approved BY Mr.. Lincoln, but afterwards
Withdrawn. And this, too, while Gen. Sher-
man was beyond the reach of letter or telegram,
actively engaged In his official duties. 1t is
true that MIR. Stanton neither can or ought to
control the press. and is often roughly handled
byn Yet had not an officer in Gen. Sherman's
position the right to expect some effort on the
part OF his department to stay the tide of cal
umny, the very moment the return of Gen.
Grant with the unconditional surrender of
Johnston proved how grOundless and foolish
had been the idle fears at Washington.
Now, 1t Is plain that the true course is to
publish the official report; to respect the natu-
raj resentment of soldier sensitive on account
of palpable wrong; to avoid mingling per.
sonal feelings with the general joy over great
triumphs; to neither force or oppose public
judgment upon the merits of q controversy no
longer important to the nation, and leave to
the country and history to settle the credit due
to the prominent actors in the war. The wri-
ter of this Is not disposed to belittle either the
services of Gen. Sherman or the energy of Mr..
Stanton, and would rather see both expended
on the common enemy.