Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-25

0141t9 A1o1oI1u< ~ o<4us ~
has written. and there is now pub
lished iuNshs cinoipsA,i 0essfts III
followius >polosy Cor ~ asrooI ous eIis
szp>llisa e Hsbrsvs Iroa the lin1s Q
| ma ''.;S' I;:;s IS ya "; eEslr J
sra Your letter relating 70 the c.de
Of Gen. Grant dass1 Oxford niss., Dec
II, 1863. expeling ysys - Z class, iron
his dtpastment, Il before me. fou arr
| doubtless aware that Gen. -0rant ha'
never, either BY himself or through fh'
aid Of frieuds, attempted TO defend any
! milisary order which che 1emergenc'e. q
/ tbs service. seemed q The time 70 require
However. % NJ nAmo ID attached tot 81
Assisfauf Adju(snt Goneral, Il may not
/ be IN nroper 10 stats hat At and previous
10 ~ doie our military afaies we're IN
uook critical condition, and important
now menfs were Stranapiring. Gen.
Shernsn vas collecting forces at Mem
phis and Helena. Gen Grant was mov'
ing steadily against Pemberton, a. Gre
NADIA, keeping up appeArances Of imme-
date attack, to divert bis attention nom
Sherman; and IN corporation with
Grant, Dodge was moving south from
Corinth. The success Of Grants plans
depended on keeping the enemy IN
| Ignorance of bis real purpose. namely:
| The surprise and capture Of Vicksburg
| by Sherman II was, therefore, Of the
utmost Importance that every avenue OF
Information to the eenemy should be
closed. 40 A. "A
yiousIy been published. forbiddiug per
sons going or coming through our lines,
limiting traders to certain boundaries,
and ,prohibiting the passage OF com
South, or the paymeu& Of 1t for Southern
products. Persistent violations OF these
orders BY persons principally OF the Jew.
ish race, were the subjects Of constants
reports BY many Of Gen. Grants subor-
dinates. some of whom had even issued
orders expelliug them from the lines, but
which Gen. Grant had promptly revoked
Reports OF. the same character were also
received from other than military sources.
At length, on the evening OF December
II. 1862 (,he date Of the .orcer), the
mail brought from Washington large
number Of complaints, officially referred
to by the Gensral-in-chief of the army,
against this class Of persons, for violations
OF the above mentioned orders. The
General felt, on reading them, that some
immediate action was demanded OF him.
He realized to it's full extent the critical
condition Of military affairs, aud judged, /
whether wisely or unwisely, that TO meet
the exigeucy action must be immediate,
thorough and in form not 70 be evaded.
The order you refer to was the result Ii
was written, and autographed to bis su-
bordinates, without revision, leaving ell
persons not justly amenable to its terms
10 be relieved on their individual appli-
cation. ssuN.r lad sg9
The idea that it was issued on account
of the religion Of the Jews cannot be
seriously entertained by any one whe
knows the General steadfast adherence
to the principles Of American liberty
and religious federation.
-. 80. .,s a. John A. RATLISs.
=. To LEWIS N. DEMBIr, Esq Louisville,
Kentucky.snc saboa5 sssnpfas ass
Grants friend may be little. more
plausible in this matter than Grant could
be himself. But there are some things
which cannot be much mended by mere
phraseology. The charge against Grant
is not that be expelled men from his lines
who were running the blockade, and who
were communicating information to the
enemy. Yet that is the charge which
this letter answers Nor is it that the
order of Grant was the result of religious
intolerance, ION account Of the religion
of the Jews Nobody has charged him
with that, or thought of such thing.
Yet this also is the charge answered by
bis Adjutant In other words, this letter
answers two charges not made: first,
that Grant expelled blockade-runners,
spies and tale.bearers from his lines
aud second, that he was hostile to the
Jewish religion; when the real charge
that he expelled the Jews as a
Glass;" the whole Jewish race, men,
women and children, by BIS sweep
ing and cruel order, remains wholly
unanswered. 1t was the sweep
ing character of the order, and its effect
on the innocent, that was condemned.
There could be no military necessity,
such as that pretended, for expelling
from the lines quiet and unoffending
citizens. The fact that Gen. Grant has
procured reply, shows that he sees the
necessity of attempting one. But that
is lame answer to damaging charge,
which, instead of meeting it, makes and
answers two other and different charges
altogether. And the new charge made
BY Rawlius for his chief in this letter,
that the violation of orders was by
9 persons principally Of the Jewish
race" does not mend the matter much.
For the fact is not so. In this depart
ment, twenty Americans to one Jew were
at the time engaged in trsficing across
the lines. aA14e e "a
Besides, and in further answer 10 the
above letter, let it be remembered that
the aforesaid order contained q clause
forbidding passes being given 70 any per
sons Of this perseeatsd and ostracised
"class" of men to go to headquarters
for the purpose Of obtaining exemption
from its Internal operation. We have
not in all this broad land better citizens
or more law abiding men than those Of
Al. uah,au raoa and raligion And the