St. Landry democrat., 1878-05-04
Senator Georges Speech.
claiborne Guardian,l

Senator Georges Speech.
| claiborne Guardanl
The seats in the courthouse were filled
by very large audience of our most
respectable and intelligent citizens to
hear the address of the Hon. A. B.
George, the Senator from this district
whose term expires with the close of
the, present General Assembly. The
audience was an intelligent one, the pro-
toundest attention was paid to the ad-
dress, and the quiet and decorous silence
was interrupted by the frequent cheers
which greeted the mplmentary and
fervid allusions to Gov. Nichols.
1t Was suggested by some individuals
that the large meeting and their earnest
attention was due rather to the orator
than to the theme, that our people gave
| their respect to Mr.. George and not to
tAe Legislature collectively. This is
| not SO. While it is true that the people
| OF Claiborne parish have the highest re-
gard and veneration for the ability and
integrity OF their Senator, they are not
haSty Ill forming OplliiouS on important
topics. They desire to be just, and that
| they may be impartial in tiieir Judgment
they gladly seek upon every occasion
opportunities to acquire correct infor-
nation. Such was their motive upon
Monday last.
We are not prepared to state what was
the effect of Mr.. Georges speech. The
facts and fgures which he presented are
the same as those to be found in the
speech of Senator White, OF New Or
leans. These figures are, we presume,
true.
His views upon the constitutional con-
vention question are precisely the same
as those urged in our columns. The
audience seemed to appreciate the views
of the speaker on this question, and in
deed We know that converts were made.
The speech of Monday was an able
effort, mastery defense of the Legis-
lature. No allusion was made to the
fact that all the reform legislature had
to be done at an extra session. We re-
gret that the Legislature has to be de-
Tended, that their conduct has been so
peculiar thatit required any explanation
or defense.
1t may be considered especially fortu-
nate for that body that such an indivi-
dual as Mr.. George is ready to defend
their record. His own pure motives
and blameless life will do much to kill
off the demagogues who assiduously fan
into the flame every ember of discon
tent.
Col. Tom Worthington has been lee
turing in Washington on Sherman and
Shiloh, with few hits at Grant incl
dentally. Worthington's story is wild
enough to suit the most sensational per-
sons, Sherman, SO he declares, was anx-
ious to be defeated in Tennessee, and |
played for just such results. He had
arranged the campaign, however, so that |
Pnnf1 yvCnf1 no HafoofoI ha h1nal h1yt
these means to break Buell. down and |
to advance himself. When Shiloh came |
ON, he was anxious to bring about the |
defeat of the Federal forces to accom-
plish this end he withdrew bis cavalry |
and artillery when they were needed,
On the plea that they might be captured,
and afterwards placed them in a posi-
ton where they could be taken: This
he did in order to be defeated. The
fact was, continues Worthington, that |
the authorities at Washington conspired
to lose the battle of Shiloh. Ben Wade
told him (Worthington) that they
wanted to prolong the war at least ten
years, in order to punish the South more
thoroughly. Sherman's idea was to
keep up the war as long as possible, and
thus to get together large standing
army, With which he proposed to over
turn the republic and con vert it into an
empire, with either himself or Grant at
its head.
In winding up his lecture, Worthing-
ton charged Sherman with cowardice,
treachery and perjury; there was, pos
s1bfy, some excuse for these crimes,
however, he exclaimed, as he (Sherman)
was manifestly insane.
Such was the wild, incongruous story
related in Washington last week. 1t is
astonishing that it should have affected
Sherman as it did. The story was re-
produced in the Washington papers,
and even discussed in Congress, where
q member of the House offered a reso-
luton authorizing the Military Com
mittee to Reopen the battle of Shiloh
and Investigate Sherman's conduct there
These lnsinuations appear to have
made the General of our army perfectly
wild with rage, so much so that Worth
lpgton's charge of insanity seems hard
ly exaggerated. Sherman broke out in
a food of the most violent oaths, clearly
showing that, howeyer wild Worthing-
toms stories might be, they worried him
greatly. The General Is undoubtedly
still sore on this subject, and betrays a
weakness on it that will make him al
ways good target for the newspapers.
The latter have found out how thin
skinned he is, and he will undoubtedly
become Q choice victim for many spite
ful paragraph of the future.-[N, O.
Democrat.