The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-05-13
The Insult to General Sherman.


The distinguished General of our Ar
mics, w. II. Sherman, was last week
the recipient OF many graceful atten-
tiOns in our city. The moro conspicu-
GUS tenders Of hospitality were made
by the American Union and Union
League Clubs, the rooms Of each of
which were thronged with his admirers
and displayed sumptuous tables. The
tribute thus conveyed is so heartily felt
to have been thoroughly deserved, that
every good citizen here will rejoice at
the opportunity afforded by the Gener-
ais visit to remember his eminent ser
vices in some substantial way. We re-
gret, however, that upon his departure
he should have been constrained to re-
call one unhappy feature, though, for
which he will not hold his friends re-
sponsible, since it has grieved them no
less than it must have surprised him.
At the Union League supper on 6atur-
day last, the Governor presided, and
during the evening made n speech,
wherein, with a CHASTITY attempt at hu-
NOR, he depicted his tremors as a SOL
dier at Vicksburg at the time of Sher-
mans first attack. In his own words,
''I was badly demoralized"-a condi-
ton which will be appreciated by our
readers familiar with his appeal in '6S
to Rousseau to take the State reins
The current conviction that he consid-
ers self prior to duty and confirmed by
his official career in Louisiana, was
anew and gratuitously established by
himself when he confessed that such
was his decentralization that he made
out an application forthwith for leave
of absence. This application was sane
4 fob, =
mander, Blair, whose recent speech on
the former subaltern explains that he
was ready to get rid of him out of re-
gard for the service. On reaching Sher-
man, however, it received not only a
formal endorsement of disapproval but
this supplement "This officer should
be dismissed the servicev' This shame
full announcement of his worthlessness,
the Governor made in the guise of hu-
NOR, while the gentlemen at tho table
attempted mercifully to mask their pity
in smile. 1t was n new chapter in
his abject military history, furnished
by himself, in virtual attestation of the
fact that Sherman's opinion of him was
but just harbinger of his subsequent
dismissal by Gen. Grant for other mis-
demeanors. But rs ifhe had not reach
ed the acme of indelicacy in thus CO.
verify rebuking the guests of the even
ing and violating every law Of courtesy,
he turned as he resumed his seat, to
Gen. Sherman and inquired why he
had so endorsed the application. He
had evidently expected that tho rejoin-
der would be made in the same hila-
| rious manner, but he was mistaken
Gen. Sherman is n man of candOr
Shocked rs he must have been at the
indecency of n host inquiring a reason
for his official conduct, he was obviously
persuaded that his feeling was toe
generally shared by others present tC
warrant a reply as incisive as the query
! merited. He felt, perhaps, more fo1
them in being thus unwittingly COM
promised than for himself. But the
patriot, proud of the genuine soldier
everywhere, and despising the coward
ice that would ask Il leave of absence in
the midst of peril, was justly moved to
say that he conceived he had been most
lenient upon the occasion alluded to,
and that in strict justice "the applicant
should have been shot," The Governor
shrunk back pallid and aghast, at the
thought of the deserts he had escaped,
while majority of the diners were
unanimous in the regret that he had
received such forbearance. He will
perhaps discover at last that such wan
ton hulnor can provoke nothing in a
good citizen but disgust. We are only
sorry that wo should have Governor
whom Con. Sherman must so thorough
ly cOntemn.-N. O. Standard