The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-01-12

It was the Federal and not the Confederate
authorities against whom the charge should
be alleged.
Gen Sheridan at the head Of an armv azsd
Gen. Sheridan in the cabinet in time. ,,f
peace, draw very different conclusions from
the same premises. When he indirectly
charges Gen. Smith with hostile intent
while protesting to be peaceful, and adduces
as proof that hostility was intended BY the
dispersion of his army and by the destrue-
ton of magazines and arsenals, lie fosgefs
shat he states the strongest reasons for show
ing that war could not have been meant lsv
destroying all the resources necessary for
( waging war
i Nor can a charge of bad Faith De sustain
ed against Gen Smith in reference to this
( destruction of the means Of war; for Gene
4 raj Sheridan himself furnishes the proof
( that the charge is unjust when he states that
I these events occurred prior TO the negotia-
/ tiOn Of the treaty Of surrender, when Gene
raj Smith had perfect right Is make any
disposition he thought best of the materials
/ of war
General Sheridans whole reasoning On
this question Is falacioGs. The treaty was
fairly negotiated by both parties with an
honest intent and with the purpose of paei-
flying th0cOuntry at the earliest possible dav
The fact that General Smith was unable to
hold troops together Is no pToof Of bad faith,
any more than the fact that the terms Of tha
treaty cf surrender were repeatedly viola
ted by the FEDERAL authorities IN the cases
of individuals, can be a just cause Of impu-
ting bad faith to Federal commanders. It
ia more just in the first case, to. .eoncede thas
General Smith could net accomplish an inl-
possibility, as It is more Just in the latter b
attribute the error which may have been
committed by Federal commanders to faults
of Judgment rather than to a purpose Of
wrong
The facts of che case are, that Gen. Smith
lefc Shreveport at the urgent and repeated
requests of the several commanders In Texas,
with view of repressing the discontent
which existed amongst the Texas troops, and
OF holding them together But, before his
arrival in Houston, they had already dis
persed to their homes. His published pro-
elamatiOn should have convinced Gen. Sheri-
dan as it did every one else, that he disap-
proved and censnred the act 1t was sub
sequent to the occurrence of these events
bat before they were known to the commits
sioners, that the military convention was enc
tered into and it was not until after the
treaty had been concluded that Gen. Smith
knew any thing Of the negotiations This
statement Is sufficient refutation Of any
alleged against any Of the Confederate au-
thorities.
Gen. Sheridan charges that(ien. Smith, IN
going to Alexi o. violated an agreement he
had bound himself to observe If the
agreement said to have been entered into
had been more distinctly stated, it might bs
more readily refuted. But the only agree
ment that can be implied is that embraced
IN the terms Of the surrender. Those terms
fo,rI,o 10 Il toll
United States Government until duly ex
changed. They did not forbid emigration.
Both parties to the treaty conceded the right
of expatriation, and the public law on the
question was so plain that it vas not thought
to state it in the convention Ia
addition to this, Gen Smith it Is understood
expressly reserved to himself, In approving
the convention, the right to leave the country.
j follows, therefore, that the statement made
by Gen. Sheridan that Gen. Smith escaped
to Mexico in violation of the agreement he
had bound himself to observe" is not war
ranted by the facts
General Sheridan also states, apparently in
with his charges against General
Smith, that " it had been contemplated to or
ganize column of $4,000 ConfedeFates at
Marshal, Texas, for the invasion Of Mexico"
It is proper for me to say that General
Smith had nothing whatever to do with such
q proposed expedition, ana that 1t contempia-
ted nothing favorable to the Mexican empire
or hostile to the United States Government
It's purp1 ses were made known TO several Off
GERS of high rank in the Uuited States army
and met with the warm approval of several
Of them. l feel assured that It's true pur-
poses are not unknown to General Sheridan.
The connection, therefore, in which be mem
lions it. does injustice to the objects of the
movements which may have been proposed.
81
feel IN intTuding my name before the public,
trust that it viii be deemed sufficient ap-
biology when l urge that the official rel1-
ions which at one time existed between rs
-ender it n duty have no right to evade, to
'efute, as | think have done, the charges
which have been so unjustly alleged against
he fair fame and pure character of General
smith. s. u. RUCKNER.
New Orleans, Dec. IS, 1866.