Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-01-15
sheridan IntervIewed-lIi. Views oi
Banditti.

Zen Sheridan has been interviewed and in re
latiol TO his Landitti dispatch he
-4d ~ d1not believe there il "a sen-lble man
N the State who really imaglne- that | meant
that all the pc ople were banaitti. That particu
itr phrase l-e1 for technical reason in
~ opinion Of The bureau Of justice on the pro-
Nlzlohs OF the Enforcement act for tic supplies.
SOU OF unlawful organizations or combination
lie terms Jayhawker and bandItti were en-
lioyed. Tie White League il secret military
orgHnlZltlCN lu ContraventicS Of both State ana
Federal law- II r.einberz\ hen they resort
to over. acts are liable ~ ttlF penalties OF tile
E3f9Tcement act. The term 'jayhawker could
lot be used, for the leaguerz are not rlunderer-
sud robbcr7. therefore had no choice but to
H=e the "'td r1ntalned IN the opinion referred
TO-
keporter-But General, whatever else may be
I'D, We are not bandits.
Zen 5.-Oh. Of course the people generally
are ar good an any people, but no one will deny
tlat The White League IL u secret political mill
tAry combination, having purposes which. If
they are not intended to be ACCOMPLISHED by
revolution and violence, there IL no reason OF
sense III the military character the combination
iia- assumed.
RI would Ike to know What are vonr iute,,
tlons with regard to the league
Gen. Sit has heen charged that there wa.
or is black league. As yet have seen no eyi
lence of that fact, but If there Ii such an organ
'HatiDni Huah Hlu IL ont. ana whether these
conbiuations be white or black, they can not be
tolerated. They are at the bottom of much OF
the trouble in this State. They engender a
spirit OF awle-anez=, and it is my opinion no
peaceful condition can be reached az long as
they continue, nor until every species Of busi.
nesr and social o7tracism on account Of political
sentiments il broken down.
k:-l think you attach too much inn ortance
to this Il after
Gen. SIT is not denied that til. league il ali
armed organization existing outside Of the law
for political purposes.
E.-Not 20 much for political purposes a. to
defend political rights.
ten. S.--Iherc il no Use dividing this ques-
ton. II one party is permitted to enter a con-
test which should be peaceful with arms, their
opponents must be allowed the aame privilege,
and 1t doee not require the wisdom OF Solo.
mon to knew that such an array of parties
would Hoon end in drencAing vour State with
blood, and endangering the peace of the whole
country. The simple arming Of one portion OF
the people is practically declaration of wal
against the rest. 1t il an abandonment of his
logic OF reason for the logic of force These are
not peaceful methods. Peace may, indeed follow
these forces but only after they are through
with their work of desolalon.
k,-1ou have said in some of your dispatches
that human life is too lightly estimated in this
State, but have you any Ieason to believe that
one party il more culpable than tile other in
this respect
Gen. 81 have not specially assigned this
evil to any class exclusively. 1t has occurred
to me that many people here have not been con-
.cIous to what an extent this is true. Many have
known It and declared it. Many were persuaded
OF the dangerous policy of secret and armed po-