East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-06-28

toiled so long. There was but one
opinion expressed, and if the contrary
ones were entertained they were with
held or indulged in only by that class
who shun the fight and the march,
but are loudest, bravest and fercest,
when danger is past. / again met
General johnson on the 18th, and we
renewed the conversation. lie salts
fed me then of his power 10 disband
the rebel armies in Alabama, Missis-
sippi, Louisiana, and Texas, as we'll
as those in his immediate command,
namely-North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Florida, and Georgia. The points
on which he expressed solicitude were
lest those States were to be dismem-
bered and denied representation in
Congress, or any separate political ex-
istence whatever, and that absolute
disarming of his men would leave the
South powerless and exposed to dep
relations by wicked bands of assassins
and robbers. President Lincoln's
message Of 1864, his amnesty procla-
nation, and General Grants terms to
General Lee, which substantially ex-
tended the benefits of that proclama-
ton to all officers above the rank of
colonel, and the invitation to the Vir-
ginia Legislature to ro-lssemble in
Richmond by General Weitzel, with
the approval of Mr.. Lincoln and Gen
eral Grant, then on the spot; a firm
belief that Ihad been fighting 10 re-estab-
hsh the constitution Of the Uneted States:
and last, and not least the general
and universal desire to close war
any longer without organized resist
ance, were tho leading facts that in
duced me to pen the memorandum
of April Is, signed by myself and
General Johnson. 1t was designed to
be, and SO expressed on its face, as
mere basis for reference to the Pres
ident of the United States and consti-
tutional Commander-in-C Chief, to ena-
BILE him, if he chose, at one blow, to
dissipate the military power of the
Confederacy which had threatened the
national safety for years. Itadmitted
of notifications, alterations, and
change. 1t had no appearance of an
ultimatum, and by no false reasoning
can it be construed into a usurpation
of power on my part. l have my
opinions ON the questions involved,
and will stand by the memorandum.
But this forms no part of u military
report"
General Sherman then proceeds to
say that, even when the news of Pres
idont Lincoln's assassination reached
him, on the 18th of April, he "was
duly impressed with its horrible atroc-
ity and probable effect upon the coun-
try" "a
But" (he goes on to say "when
the property and interests of millions
still living were involved, l saw no
good reason to change my course; but
thought rather to manifest real respect
for his memory by following after his
death that policy which, if living, I
felt certain he would have approved,
or at least not rejected with disdain.
Up to that hour / had never received
one word of instruction, advice or
counsel as to the plan or policy of
the government looking to a restora-
ton of peace on the part of the rebel
States of the South. Whenever asked
for an opinion on the points involved
l had always evaded the subject. My
letter to the Mayor of Atlanta has
been published to the world, and /
was not rebuked by the War Depart
ment for it.p
General Sherman then gives his
ideas upon reconstruction, and refers
to interviews with Mr.. Stanton in
which the latter appeared to approve
his sentiments, and had urged upon
him the Importance Of bringing the
war to close for financial reasons.
On the Doth Major Hitchcock re-
turned, accompanied by General Grant
and member of his staff, bringing
information that the memorandum
was disapproved, and orders to give
at once the forty eight hours notice,
and resume hostilities at the close Of
that time.
General Sherman says:
"I governed myself by the sub
stance Of a dispatch then enclosed,
dated March I'd, II o'clock noon, at
Washington, District of Columbia,
from Secretary Stanton to General
Grant, at City Point, but not accom-
panied by any part of the voluminous
matter so literally lavished upon the
public in the New York journals Of
the 24th of April. That was the first
and only time ever saw that tele-
gram or had one word of instruction
on the important matter involved In !,
it, and it does seem strange to me
that every bar-room loafer in New
York can read in the morning journals
official matter that is withheld from
q General whose command extends
from Kentucky to North Carolina"
Farther OH the General says:
Within an hour courier was
riding from Durham's station toward
Hillsboro, with notice to General
johnson of the suspension of the
truce, and renewing my demand for
the surrender of the armies under his 1
Immediate command. i therefore pub
lishod my Order No. 62 to the troops,
terminating the truce at IL, NJ, on
the 26, and ordered all TO be in readi-
ness to march at that hour on the
routes prescribed in Special Field
Order No. 50, of April IA, from the
positions held April Is.
All things were in readiness to adj
vance, when, on the morning of the
25th, he received another letter from
Gen. Johnson, asking another inter-
view. Under the appreciation of Gen.
Grant, another meeting was arranged
and took place at two o'clock on the
nfternoon of the next dav ave the NJ