The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-09-20
shcrmnn's wise Counsel.

General Sherman upon the announcement
yesterday of the unfavorablc state of affairs
lat Long Branch, wrote the following letter.
Washington, d. G. Sept, 10, 1873 p. M.
Hon. George G. Gorham, National Republican,
MY DEAR SIR: You and / have been
comrades in civil broils and strife in Calf
|fornia, when vigilance committees assumed
rule, and we know, or think VIC know, how
good, honest people have done some acts of
violence under an honest conviction that
they were the right thing, and we believe
that Time, the great physician, will cure
|all things to the patient.
/ have occasionally and recently heard
1.-The same arguments on the streets, the same
scraps of wisdom enunciated, and now, at
this dread hour, when our noble, brave
President is lying in the very agonies of
death at Long Branch, and the cOwardly
miserable wretch Guiteau is covering in
Ibis cell at the public Jail, 1t occurs to me
THAT YOU and l should in our respective
Spheres make profitable use of our past ex.
|perience.
No man on earth holds in higher esteem
THE noble qualities of James A. Garfield than
myself was on the point of starting for
Chattanooga tonight to do honor to the
heroes of Chickamauga, of whom he was one
most prominent, but was stayed by the un-
favorable report from his bedside at noon,
and shall remain here at my post of duty
It'll the last moment of hope. At Chicka-
manga, eighteen years ago, Garfield was
chief of staff to Gen. R0secmns, whose right
wing was broken back by the vehement
charges of Bragg's forces, and was carried
along with the broken masses almost
into Chattanooga, when he begged for the
privilege of returning to join Gen. George
| II. Thomas, whose guns told him that that
heroic man still stood fast with his left
living. Gen. Rosecrans gave him leave and
he did return, running the gauntlet, join
ling Gen. Thomas and serving close to his
person till night enabled them to fall back
in good order to Chattanooga. That was
Gen. Garfeld's last fight, in which he felt
especial pride; and l know that he in.
tended to be at Chattanooga next Wednes-
day to celebrate the event. But it is Or
dered otherwise, for he now lies by the sea-
shore on his death-bed from wound in
nicted by the miserable wretch Guitcau.
For this man Guiteau ask no soldier, no
citizen, to feel one particle of sympathy. On
the contrary, could / make my will the law,
shooting or hanging would be too good for
him. But do ask every soldier and every
citizen to remember that We profess to be
the most loyal nation on earth to the sacred
promises of the law. There is no merit in
obeying an agreeable law, but there is glory
and heroism in submitting gracefully 20 an
oppressive one Our Constitution reads: mo
person shall be held to answer for capital
or otherwise infamous crime unless on a
prcsentment or indictment ola grand jury"
and Sin all criminal prosecutions the ac-
cused shall enjoy the right to speedy and
public trial by an impartial jury of the
State and district wherein the crime shall
have been committed" This is the solemn
contract of Government, binding on the
consciences of all. Should our President
die the murderer is entitled to speedy
trial by jury, and hope he will have
Justice done him.
But it is not my office or yours or any
2body's except the regular courts of this
District, which are in undisputed power.
Violence in any form will bring reproach
on lis all-upon the country Mt large, and
Especially on us of the District of Columbia
All the circumstances of the shooting, of
the long heroic struggle for life, impress me
so strongly that would be ashamed of my
countrymen If they mingled with their
feelings of grief any thought of vengeance
Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord"
trust the public press will use its pow
erful influence to maintain the good order
and decorum which have prevailed since
the saddest of all days in Washington, July
2, 1881, Sincerely your friend,
w. II. SHERMAN,