Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-12-27
IRE.
HE Talk About Hayes Making a
Sensation at Washington.
had Feeling Between Him and
Grant-What He Says of the
Race Conflict at West
Point.

Washington special to the Chicago Tribune,l
The interview with General Sher-
man, in which he claims that the
president cannot retire him. and OPP
poses making ex- President Grant cap
t~ain-general, excites lively comment
among army officers. 1t is believed
By many that he must have been mis-
understood, and that he could not
have said that he was entirely indie
pendent and could not be retired
without new legislation, since the law
makes NO provision for retiring him
self or General Sheridan. The fact is,
the law applies distinctly to army
officers" and covers his own Office
equally with that of a second lieuten-
ant. The president
CANNOT RETIRE HIM
till he is sixty-two years old, or till he
has served forty-fve years as a COM
missioned officer, unless beforehand he
should become incapable of perform
ing the duties of his Office. But
when General Sherman reaches sixty
two his retirement will be a matter of
discretion with the president. This
will not be until one year from the Sth
of February neXt-that is, February
g, 1882. The views expressed in re-
gard to the promotion of General
Grant are such as he expressed freely
lin fact, so freely that
THE CORDIAL RELATIONS
that have in the main existed between
General Grant aud himself have been
seriously compromised. General
Grant is not anxious in regard to being
made captain general, but the manner
of General Sherman's attack on the
proposition and his slurring at it are
exceeding distasteful. The insinua-
ton that the president retired General
Ord and retained General Mcdowell
because the latter voted for Garfield
and the former did not, is much en-
joyed, because, as the president has
several times allowed General Sher-
man to snub him, the fact that he now
ventures to do it in a pablo inter
view is
MUCH RELIsHED.
There is one paragraph in Shell
mans interview which will attract
more attention among army men than
any other, and the effect of it will be
awaited with much interest. He
openly charges that the president was
Influenced in the matter Of retiring
General Ord by the fact that he did
not vote for General Garfield, aud
that Mcdowell was retained because
he did. This, Of course, is
AVERY SERIOUS CHARGE,
and. coming from the general Of the
army, and being knowingly furnished
by him for publication in the press, is
a matter that is not believed the pres
ident can overlook. At any rate, there
will be great curiosity to sec whether
he will keep silent, and virtually ad-
nit that General Sherman's charge is
true. If General Sherman is correct
" reported land it IS b lieved he is,
since he has said the same thing here
he has clearly violated the eleventh
article Of war, which provides dismis-
sal, or such other punishment as a
court-martial may direct, for army of
fcers who use disrespectful words
against the president.
GEN. sHERMAN's WORDS ARE:
81 was willing to make the sac
! rifce for General Schofeld, who was
anxious TO leave West Point aud take
command of one of the divisions. |
told him TO wait a year or two and
then | would see if, perhaps, could
not arrange matters so as to bring
= General Sheridan to Washington aud
take my place, while |, perhaps, could
/, travel on general inspection duty, as
Admiral Porter does. This would
have left Sheridan's place open for
him. OF course, we could not have
two generals of the army in Washing
ton. myself and Sheridan, and under
the proposed arrangement there would
even be three. And so, while | was
willing to sacrifice myself Tor the ben
eft Of the service, | simply remain at
my post
GENERAL ORI'sRETIREMENT.
, "You wrote to the president about
. General 0rd's retirement"
Yes, | did. / did not protest
! against it, as it has been stated, but !
5 simply wanted the army to know that
t [ had not done it. General Ord is
, one of the best soldiers in our army.
!, He has always been in the thick Of
!, the fight, and has been several times
] wounded. and is the support ofa very
I large family. This has kept him very
poor. | felt that ! was compromised
/ by his retirement, because General
Miles, who married my niece, was APP
; pointed in his place. Now, General
! Miles is
VERY WORTHY OFFICER,
but l did not want every soldier Ia
think: All, Sherman did that because
be wanted to make room for the man
who married his niece, Moreover,
l felt that if any one had to be retired
General Mcdowell was the one, for,
while General Ord has always been
/, successful, General Mcdowell has not
been SO. General Mcdowell is the
better office general, but General Ord
is the better lighting general, and it is
the 6eld-that's where we want our
soldiers"
, VOTING FOR GARFIELD A USEFUL
THING.
"And what was the cause Of this
Injustice being done?"
well, | have the highest regard
d for General Garfield as a large
l. hearted, whole-souled, splendid man.
q who would not commit an act Of
palpable injustice, aud slso Of General
T, Hayes, whom | believe to be of too