Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-08-19
Another Call ON Gen. Sherman.
IErnm the N. Y. Sun.

| From the N. 7. sun.
| The very day after Congress met, on
Dec. 5, in 1876, Gen Sherman wrote his
| first letter to Gen. Hancock, soliciting
his views on the political situation at
that time. No immediate answer was
| returned. and he then wrote him a Sec
| ond letter, dated Dec. II, 1876, to which
Gen. Hancock made his memorable re-
| ply of the 18th of December.
The correspondence originated with
| Gen. Sherman. It was not called for
i'm the line of his duty, nor by any pro-
fessional necessity. He had reason
! of his own, and reason relating to his
PARTISAN connections and to the de-
signs on:the Presidency, for seeking the
opinions of leading officers, some of
whom were distrusted at the White
House, and others of whom were sus-
pected of being unfriendly to the con-
spiracy.
These letters were intended to feel
the pulse of the doubtful commanders,
and to commit them so distinctly that
the conspirators at Washington would
know upon whom to rely in an expect
ed contingency, and how to shape the
military part of their programme.
While they were not official letters IN
form, they concerned a matter OF the
very highest official Importance.
Gen. Grant had gone out of his way
to declare that i'm a certain event, he
would see to it that Hayes was inaugu-
rated, and he meant to use force for
that object if in his opinion it became
necessary, he making himself the sole
Judge of the necessity. He made every
preparation for the purpose, by collect
ing artillery and other troops at the
capital, byputting them on footing
of actual war. and by connecting the
arsenal, the House of Representatives,,
the War Department, and the White
House by Geographic wires, so tn at Or
ders and action would follow each 9th
err instantaneously. Grant lad also
threatened to imprison Democratic
leaders of the House if they passed a
given point in defending the rights OF
Mr.. Tilden.
These facts and incidents, taken in
connection with the frauds of the Re-
turning Boards in South Carolina,
Florida, and louisiana; with the we'll
known designs of the conspirators tOl
retain possession of power at any cost;
and with the announced intention OF
Mr.. Ferry, President pro tenn. of the
Senate, to count the votes as Wells and
Anderson had counted them, give point
to Gen. Sherman's correspondence.
1t was known at Washington in the
winter 1851 that Gen Sherman had
written to Gen. Hancock and other
commanders, but the precise nature of
those communications was confined to
a limited circle of confidants. All rea-
sons for privacy passed away long ago;
and when a call was recently made for
Gen. Hancock's letter. it was referred to
Gen. Sherman as the originator of the
correspondence, and he consented to ,.
the publication.
Gen. Sherman thus opened the door
to publicity, and he cannot now prop |
erly close it until the whole truth is eX-
posed to public view. We do not as
sumo that his letters are improper, be-
cause Gen. Sherman was not likely to |
forget prudence when great interests |
were at stake, that might involve him
self in vexatious troubles. But they |
belong to the history of that time, and
the effort to suppress them now, after
Gen. Hancock has given his part to
the world, is a compromising fact not
easily explained.
Gen. Sherman may refuse to crafty |
the public desire, by withholding his
letters to Gen. Hancock and to others,
but that refusal will not prevent the
House of Representatives from requir-
ing them to be produced, by proper
resolution. Everything relating to the
complications of 1876 belongs to history.
and ought to be officially recorded.
Gen. Hancock has wisely declared,
"The army should have nothing to do
with the election and Inauguration of
Presidents" 1t is proper the country |
should know what part the army play.
cd in the Great Fraud by which Hayes
was put in the White House, in addi-
ton to the support given to the Re
turning Boards of the three stolen
States. Gen. Sherman has furnished
the key to the correspondence, and the
House of Representatives should insist
upon having the whole of it.