, 1865-05-13
Chicago Qrlbnue,::
SATURDAY, NAT 10, 1885. :



Some weeks bare elapsed since Mai. Gen.
Sherman concluded his ext ao1dinary sgroe-
ment with johnston, or Rlcck nridgc, which
called forth unanimous nots Of d,eapptovsl
and indignation from the North No cx-
PLANTATION Of his net has been made BY HIM
sell, -os anybody fir him. The pretended ex'
planatton furnished to tho Associated Press
by somo person not PANIED was so frivolous
that no attention Was given to It.. That e1-
plantation required MS TO believe that Gen.
SherrnHn WAS 50 be1eit of his senses that he
could put bis name 10 several distinct pro-
positions while meaning and intending an
entirely different set Of ideas. It required
us to Ignore xhe leading characteristics Of
Gen. shernnn's mind, persplculty, penetsa-
ton, logical power, and most happy sty1o
Of presenting his thoughts upon given sub.
5cct. It required usto forget the correspond.
ence and dispatches which have proceeded
from his pen during the war, constituting ~
they do some Of tho most admirable chap
te1s Of military literature. That Gen. eher-
nun WIS morc than match In diplomacy for
either Johnston or Breckinrldge, especially
with the moral vantage ground given him by
overwhelming military strength, must be
ctncsded by anybody at all familiar with his
career.
It plain that the true explanation Of the
sgreemcnt has not been given to the public.
Gen.Gfant has contentrd himself merely with
reversal Of the forms Of the capltulati IN, max
ing the enemy the party 10 surrender instead
Of our own forces. He has not sent General
Sherman to the rear, nor even assumed tho
command Of his army. To this extent he has
iDterposed the weight Of his own position aud
chatactor between his brother officer and the
Shafts Of criticism. There must, neyerthe-
1fsf, be reason for The signing OF the fam DIS
~ @Ncmorandum''-a reason consistent with
the known facts Of tue case. What Is that
reason?
Since The surrender OF Gen. Johnston's
Amy nc have met and conversed with OIL
cc:s who have bad the advantage Ct serving
with and under Gen. Sherman oil the wg7
iicm Ticksburg to Raleigh. The explanation
given By these gentlemen is one which de-
tracts seriously from Gen. saerman's fame.
1t Is, In b1tef, that Gen. Sherman finding
himself the.secoDd man in the eyes OF the
nation upon the dissolution Of The REBELLION,
tnetcad Of the FIRST, resolved to put himself
at the head Of the pro-slavery. party of the
country-the reactionis*s of the South and
the Coppefheads Of the North-by IN extra
ordinary act Of conclliation, by sending the
rebels home In organized bodies, with arms
In their hands to be delivered TO ether rebels
whom he recognized as the Governors and
Legislatures Of their respective States, and
by leaving slavery under the protection of
such Governors and Legislatures.
Whatever else may be said Of .his explsna.
3}cn It does certainly answer many Of the
requirements Of the problem which ere not
Otherwise answered. II It, be replied that
such theory involves doub. as to General
Shc1man's loyalty, what must be said Of the
admitted facts Of the case-the. recognition
OF the rebel State governments, for instance
Loyalty is a word of obscure meaning to
rfany minds. We can conceive that Genc:al
Sherman bsllcTed it to be perfectly loyal act
10 restore Governor Vance, and Governor
3. Own, aud Governor Magra.l to their
respective offices, and to give them the means
o. perpetuating slavery, provided they shou9d
not turn the guns, which he also gave
them, against the. American flag.
That he deemed 1t loyal act
Is evidenced by the fact that ho did 1t, for no
cnc can regard him q mas OF dislosal inten-
tons. The theory under consideration pre-
su1nes that the rebellion was already ended
therefore no question Of loyalty wasinvolyed.
It was 8 coup d ttat within the Union, which,
however unworthy Of the 1ame Of Gen. She1-
man, was admissible in the loose school of
pro-slavery politics. II such was tue real
meaning Of tho Sherman J Jchnston memoran-
dum-n 1t was p:edicated, "a Is assumed by
Cur informants, upon JEALOUSY Of the man
Who occupied the first position before the
ca,nsry, Gen. Grant would naturally have
bveu restrained from doing any act which
|'t uld imply that he was discomposed by tue
Ms aIiestation, such as removing General
Sherman from the command of the army ut
RI a'cigh.
l;hIic this explanation seems plausible In
re respects, It is too painful to be accept
cd, sAve In default Of an authoritative one
from Gen. Sherman himself In common
with the entire press of the North friendly
TO tic Administration, VIC we have accorded
10 Gen. Sherman the high degree Of credit
": Nh WIS his due as consummate officer.
t. lose skill and ya!or we are largely iu-
<'.o.ed for 1he successful termination of the
> :. We had also believed that he was in
s:.s-tle Of intrigue, md above the prompt
:. :: * political ambition. We had supposed
l T.. IS far remoyeds from all sord,d intlu-
g.. as Gen. Grant himself. If VIC are con-
:: sd to think differently now it is only
u. ~: evidence On the one side which re
& ..:t respectable, md IN entire silence on
t:r ther, or only such excuses rs all men
IL. =: unite In rronouuclug puerile.