The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-02-14
Talk with Gen. Sherman.
His Plan or Governing Conquered Cltles-His
Opinion Of Cotton Spectators, etc.

Some one who. recently visited Sat +
vannah on business, and was PERSONAL.
ly acquainted with Gen. Sherman, call
ed on him, and gives the following very
interesting account of the interview: ~
On my entrance in the room, he rose .,
from his seat, and taking Inc by the
hand" What is the matter with you,
Ar What brings you here? Specu-
lation? Oh! understand, you are a
cotton shark. Take care Ihave de- d
cided to hang every one can lay my Il
hands On. Cotton sharks have brought
ruin on the country and on the army,
and will not permit them to carry on
their schemes in Savannah" oo3s bni
l disabused the General of this idea
and told him that my business was to,
set up some kind Of an office in Sayal,-
nah.
EYES, I understand. You people Of
| the North believe that conquered city
can be Immediately converted into q
commercial mart, to the great benefit Of
the Union cause. think quite differ
emily. believe that whenever we call q
trade and industry into captured cities,
we feed the rebel people out of our own
resources; so that in the end they gain
more by their losses than we do by our
victories. If / had my owp way, /
would exclude trade from every oaptur-
ed city, and convert every ope OF them
into military post"
"This, General" said /, "would be
a severe blow to the business commu-
nifty of the Northern States, who, hav-
ing greatly suffered by the war, need
some kind of compensation for their
losses"
"And who," said the General, Gin
return for the privilege of trading, will
supply the rebels with all kinds Of mill
tary stores, from a leather belt W a
blanket. The business community, sir,
will make money, even at the expense
of our country's interest and the honor
of our flag. They will make money
any how. look at the city of Mem
phis, for instance, open to trade imme-
diately after its surrender. What has
been the result of the privileges grant,
ed to commerce on that occasion p
Why, to give Forrest all the supplies
he wanted, and ten or twenty thousand
\
will be unhecded the pressure of the
commercial class, am well aware, will
defeat all the measures have suggest
cd OF can recommend still deem it
my duty to clear my own responsibili-
: ty, byprotesting against any effort hac-
: ing for it's object the opening OF the
port of Savannah to American COM
merce." .o.
: General" I replied, "your popu-
larity in the Northern States is so great
: that you can, think, take such steps
, as you choose without fear of seeing
them thwarted by the Administration -
"Perhaps so," said he, "but mark
: this am here for few days only |;
: when l leave the city, the cotton sharks
: will pounce upon it, and devour every
: thing they can lay their hands upon. As
to the popularity you speak OF, know
very well of what stuff it is made. /
am popular as long as l am successful.
Not only the American press, but the
London pape:s, praise me now as the
, great General Of the age. Why? Be-
cause / have crossed great extent OF
country, and, by a long and perilous
D march, have caused an important city
t to fall into our hands. All this is very
: well. But suppose, in the campaign !
s am about to undertake, meet the com
: bined forces of Lee, Beauregard and
4 Hardee, and fail what would be my
y fate then? Why, every laurel l have
g won, every thing have done would be
= forgotten; there is not a tree high
: enough to han g me upon; / should be
G dragged down from the pillar Of fame,
0 to rot in obscurity in some remote cor.
g ner of the West; and the great Gene,
: raj would be failure-an impostor.n,
t "But, General, with all our recent
g successes, and with the plans in view
don't you think the war is nearly at an
end? r.q,is
y "At an end! The war at an end
II Well, sir, if you wish my opinion on
/ that subject, | will state that far from
being at an end, the war is only about
Y to begin; the policy of giving up the
d sea and river coast cities, although ta-
It king away some of the PRESTIGE of ths
( Confederacy, Is making il materially
Q stronger than if they retained them in
= their possessions; while the opening ot
q the same cities to trade, by the Federal
Government, is effectually supplying
the rebels with all the goods they used
g to receive by blockade runners, at {
n cheaper price, and with less risk and in
q convenience to themselves"