The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-02-09
GRANTANls BANKS.

GRANTAND BANKS.
A Pl obabIJ True Version OF the
VlCksburg Story.
BosroN, January 26.
General Banks arrived here. from
Washington last evening, and the fol.
lowing article, which appears in the
Traveller this afternoon, is understood
to be "by authority"
The recent revelation that an order
was issued from the War Department to
General Banks, just before the fall Of
vicksburg, directing him to repair te
that point and supersede General Grant
has been made topic for comment in
newspapers in al. parts Of the country
1t has been denied by Secretary Stanton
and the truth Of the statement has beer
called in question by Mr.. Dana, who
was Assistant Secretary Of War at the
time; but notwithstanding this, tve haze
the assurance that the statement is strict
ly true.
The reader may ask, if this is so, how
has the fact leaked out now, and why
was it withheld from the public so long
In answer to this it may be said that The
enemies of General Grant have reported
something to this effect before, the mat
ter having been brought to the knowl
edge Of few army officers at the time
This has been denied at the war Depart
ment, and there are no papers on fill.
there to confirm the truth Of the report
General Grant never heard Of the story
until about four weeks ago, when one
Of his friends called his attention to it.
General Badeau, Of his staff, and Con.
gressional friend called on General
Banks, and not only learned that the
story was true, but obtained from him
all the correspondence between himself
and the War Department on the subject
he having retained his orders, and guard
ed them with the more care when he
learned that Secretary Stanton lad dis.
posed Of the duplicates. The contents
Of these documents were discussed al
General Grants headquarters, and q
member Of the staff communicated the
matter to the correspondent Of the New
York Times, who first made it public.
1t may be asked how Secretary Stan.
ton can deny these facts but those who
know him best find little difficulty in
answering it. Perhaps the fact that they
are in the handwriting Of General Hal
lcck and signed by him, will be urged as
an excuse for his derial, but their con.
tents. when published-and we presume
General Grant will publish them some
time-will show that bota Secretary
Stanton and President Lincoln knew OF
what was written, and that all was done
under their direction.
Officers of the Nineteenth Army
Corps knew Of this correspondence at
the time, ana General Banks was urged
to obey the order, but he ventured to
disregard it, and the fall of Vicksburg q
few days later vindicated General Grant,
and the War Department saw fit not to
call General Banks to account for bis
disobedience. He kept his own counsel
knowing that the publication of the cor
respondence, or the fact of its existence
prior to the recent election, would injure
the Republican party, and it is only made
public now by the friends of General
Grant.
Some weeks since, while Secretary
Stanton was talked of for position in
Grants Cabinet, our Washington cor,
respondent expressed the opinion that
he would not be invited to such a posi-.
ton, and few days later-about the
time General Grant obtained this cor.
respondence-hi friends announced tha:
he proposed to remain in private life
If it should turn out that he took ad,
vantage Of his position as Secretary Of
War to destroy important public doc.
uments, and especially those which
might prevent his own political prefer
ment, it will be cause for regret to the
country that this determination was not
reached some years ago.
REMARKS.
We stated Thursday, in connection
with news paragraph of the Washing.
ton correspondent of the New York
Herald, d,upon the subject matter as above
that the ukase of Mr.. Stanton against
General Sherman, issned after the sur
render of General Johnston, was moi
sho,cn to President Lincoln and ,ras sub
sequently condemned by him. A recent
statement in the Washington correspon.
dence of the Baltimore Gazette, to the
effect that Mr.. Lincoln WAS not privy to
the orders of the War Department fol
such joining of the forces of Banks
and Grant as to give the former rank il
command above the latter, has not been
denied in any quarter. The authority
for the statement was Marshal Lamon
who was of the official family of Presi
dent Lincoln, and was his confidential
and most attached friend. Leading Con.
gressmen are implicated.
The article above, from the Boston
Traveller, (Rad. has paragraphs, which
We have italicised, that completely trans.
fix Stanton in wicked conduct. Accor.
ding to it, files and records at the va,
Department have been tampcred with
and destroyed, and that Haueok .ca,
Stanton's cafs.paV in respect to orders
affecting the status Of Grant schen be.
fore Hicksburg. With such revelations,
what wonder is it that we should find
a paragraph like the following in Yves.
tern journal.
"Our Washington correspondent ID.
p has recently seen the Hon. Edwin NJ
Stanton, and says that gentleman ,could
not accept a Cabinet office, and regards
his life as a public man ended. Mr.
Stanton makes this statement under such
circumstances that there is no question
that his resolution is .dred not to take