The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-14
William II. sherman,
From The ". y. Times,

will be the constitutional ad vsers OF President
Grant. This sort of guessing will be harm
less waste OF time, and the most of IL will pro-
badly be wide of the mark. The comments
on the probable members of the Cabinet may,
perhaps, enable General Grant to see what is
the public estimate of the men from among
whom he will be likely to select his advisers.
Just now, however, it would seem more pro-
fitable to inquire as to the character of the
men who, whether in or out of the Cabinet
will be apt TO influence the newly elected Pre-
sidept in his future policy.
OF all these, we believe that William T.
Sherman will be the man nearest to the new
President and most influential in his oounsels,
whether the former shall be Secretary of War,
General, or Lieutenapt-General. In one of
these capacities General Sherman will, doubt
less, reside at Washington during General
Grants Administrations and, so far as Presi-
dent Grant is concerned, it will make no diff
ference, as to his most trusted leutenant's
influence with him, which of these offices
Sherman may choose to oocupy-for We be-
leve that the option rests with the !. latter.
There is no reward for Sherman's services
within the power of Grant to bestow which
the General of the Army would not eagerly
confer on the man who was his most tru 5ted
counsellor and most efficient coadi iutor through
the war, and whose otten-tried friendship for
him was one of the most beautiful incidents
of the war.
Inc country mas no reason 10 D6 jealous OF
the cOunsels OF such man as Sherman-the
most brilliant but the least understood of our
generals. He is not only not a politician, but
he pever could become one. Endowed with
the most active and keenest of intellects, he
is so utterly honest that he would be as likely
to discover and assail the weaknesses, corrup-
tiOns, and absurdties of his own as those of
the opposite party. more unmanageabe
man there is not in America. So far as party
purposes are concerned he would be perpetu-
ally saying the wrong thing at the wrong
time. When he was sounded last year with
a view to the Democratic nomination for the
| Presidency, the politicians who attempted the
| job were bewildered by his alternate denuncia-
tions of radical folly and Copperhead disloy-
atty. For each he had avolley of those sharp,
stipgipg, sticking invectives which only an
intense, earnest, and honest thinker like
| Sherman can hurl
In these days, when the whole official atmo-
sphere at Washington is reeking with oorrup-
tion; when no one dare say how far or how
high the power of the "Whisky Ring" the
"Iudian Ring" and the "God Riug'' may ex-
tend-it will be something to have as a conf
dental adviser of President Grant man like
| Sherman, who so thoroughly loathes and so
intensely hates all forms OF official corruption.
The shaking of red rag before a spirited
bull is hardly more certain to excite his
| frenzy than the presentation OF a clear case of
official dishonesty to General Sherman is to
rouse all the latent wrath OF his nature.
murderer he might excuse; man who
would betray any official trust for his own
benefit or that OF his friends he could never
pardon. There are hundreds of Treasury
agents and cotton spectators who could
testify from experience as to Sherman's con-
suming and righteous wrath when he has
caught them in dishonest practices. More
than once during the war he dared the con-
sequences of disregarding extraordinary per-
mits from headquarters at Washington, in
order to punish or prevent these practices, for
he is as fearless and uncompromising in the
attack of abuses as Of armed foes.
1t is fortunate also, that General Sherman
Is absolutely free from the weakness OF nepo-
tism or favoritism. II was notorious in his
army that his own immediate staff officers
We're the last to be recommended for promo
tion. His hard worked Adjutant- General re-
NAMED captain all through his campaigns,
while the adjutant- generals of corps and di-
vision commanders were colonels, lieutenant
colOnels, and majors. His failure to press the
claims of his own military family was so glar-
ing and even unjust to faithful Off ,ars, that
his corps commanders demonstrated with him
for his neglect. He Seemed surprised, and
said, "Why, | might as well ask favors for
myself.' The idea of availipg himself of
his position to help those who were near to
| him had never entered his mind. The only
favor he asked at the time of the reorganiza-
tion of the army, when his recommendation
would in most cases have been almost equiva-
lent TO an appointment, was that two Of his
division commanders should be made colonels
of the regular army, and this he did not re-
gard as personal favor at all, but as due to
officers who had shown eminent soldierly
ability and spirit. In almost all OF the eases
where we have h. ard of applications made to
him by personal friends for his influence, he
has refused. In fact, a personal friend is
almost the last man he would help to Office,
and most OF them know the fact by this time.
In whatever capacity General Sherman may
go to Washington next March, he will stand
there for truth, justice, honesty, and plain
dealing-an enemy, not to b. cajoled or in
timidated, OF all sooundrels and schemers; as
true patriot as ever wore the American uni
foIm, and as steadfast a friend To the President
as any President or ruler ever had. He is
often hasty and wrong in his Judgment, but
General Grant has shown already that he
knows how to use Sherman's best faculties
and qualities without yielding his own cool
Judgment. 1t is not likely that Grant will
ever again see so doubtful and fsteful an hour
as that when he determined to drop below the
batteries of Vicksburg against the formal
written protest of the man to whom he looked
up as to an elder brother. should such an
hour come however, he will again calmly
trust to his own fearless judgment and follow
il TO the end. Bnt, in the future as in the
past he will still lean trustingly, We may
almost say lovingly, on the counsellor he has
so often and so successfully tried-William L.
Sherman.
The Battle is Nat Decisive.
, From "Brich" Pomeroy's ~ y. Democrat.
, | ha battla Of 1898 haa baan fOuoht has