Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-06-17
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

General ShermAn's autobiography, just pub
bshed. bids fair 10 provoke more discussion than
any recent book, but there are central facts con-
yeysd by tho xriteI-And that uneonsciously-
which must be Aosspssd without dispute With
She differences of opinion among military men.
with numerous vigorous opinions therein e1.
pyesssds We have nothing Just now to do, but it
seema worth while to note, for the benedt Of
struggling aud discouraged people, that the ca
reer Of Gen. Sherman. although crowned with L.
nal success, Was for great part uncertain
and disappointing. Regarded st its close it
seems perfect yet "the path was through per-
picking Ways" as Byron says, and there were
months and years in which this now eminent
citizen wxs less regsrdful OF his fame than OF
means to provide for his wife and children.
His history may give encouragement to men who
have fought the battle of life under varying
conditions. We hear i. often said that change
of pursuit ia injurious to success, and SO
- rule it may be, but the accidents of exist
snce are 30 varied and irreconciable that there
must be an immense margin left outside the
domain which the " rolling stone axiom covers.
Many men find their true field to be far re-
moved from what they believed it to be IN youth ;
Sherman ends as he started, showing that his
early bent WAS true one, but between these
periods came wide experience having nothing
to do with the profession of arms.
Commencing life as a soldier Sherman re-
manned in the army until he secured his Cap
taincy. He then resigned from the service in
order to go into business-as a Banker-in San
Francisco. He had first rate capacity for this
business, aKind Of soldering in itself, and WAS
only oyerthrown by circumstances which GRIP
Piled the entire finances Of the country. The
crisis Of 1857 came on, and his bank, after
sustaining run in which it met every obliga-
ton, WAS 30 weakened it closed its business.
Sherman then established himself in the same
line in New York, but the money storm soon
broke in earnest on the Eastern coast
and closed him up the second time. Then he
was elected Principal Of college in Louisiana,
but the growing nDpleassntness between North
and South rendered that position in time unten-
able. At the outbreak of the Rebellion the pre-
sent General OF the Army, one of the most dis
unguished OF living men, was manager Of a
horse railway Co. in St Louis, snd very glad Of
the place But Sumter gave the opportunity.
Offering his services to the government he was
made colonel, and from the dste OF that COM
mission there WAS not 8 halt in his advancement.
Now look st the chances in sll this. But for
the financial panic, Sherman would have been
in 1851 substantial capitalist. no; likely to have
been drawn again into the army. II there had
been no war he might still be directing the i'm
portant, doubtless, but homely, interests Of the
St Louis street railway. The books threatened
on behalf OF Stanton, Halleck, Logan, and other
aSgrieved persons, might in thas case have been
spared US, but American history would have had
somewhat different complexion. Such reaec-
tons apply more or less to every mans life. but
they are very strikingly illustrated by the
OF General Sherman.