The Evening critic., 1881-09-20
shcrman's wise Counsel.

General sherman upon the announcementI
yesterday of the unfavorable state Of affairs
|at Long Branch, wrote the following letter.
Washington, ID. C. Sept, 10, 1873 p. M. |
Hon. George c. Gorham, National Republican,
My DEAR SIR You and have been|
comrades in civil broils and strife in Calf
|forna, when vigilance committees assumed
rule, and we know, or think we know, howl
Violence under IN honest conviction that
Ithey were the right thing and we believe
THAT Time, the great physician, will cureI
|all things to the patient.
have occasionally and recently heardI
Ithe same arguments on the Streets the sameI
scraps of wisdom enunciated, and now, atI
this dread hour, when our noble, braveI
President is lying in the very agonies of
death at Long Branch, and the cowardly |
miserable wretch Guitcau is covering inI
Ibis cell at the public Jail, it occurs to mel
that you and 1 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 thanl
myself. was on the point Of starting for|
Chattanooga tonight to do honor to theI
heroes of Chickamauga, of whom he was one|
most prominent, but was stayed by the un-|
favorable report from his bedside at noon
land | shall remain here at my post of duty
Itill the last moment of hope. At Chicka.l
lmauga, eighteen years ago, Garfield was|
1chief of staff to Gen. Rosecrans, whose right
living was broken back by the vehement
charges of Braggs forces, and was carried
along with the broken masses almost
into Chattanooga, when he begged for the
privilege of returning to join Gen. George
xx,hn trll 1.t hat tl,nt
heroic man still stood fast with his left
wing. Gen. Rosecrans gave him leave and
he did return, running the gauntlet, john
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 / know that he in.
tended to be at Chattanooga next WednesI
day to celebrate the event. But II is or-
2dered otherwise, for he now lies by the sea-
shore on his death-bed from wound in
1nicted by the miserable wretch Guiteau.
+ For this man Gliiteau ask no soldier, no
Fcitizen, to feel one particle of sympathy. On
the contrary, could make my will the law,
shooting or hanging would be too good for
3him. But do ask every soldier and every
Citizen to remember that We profess to be
}the most loyal nation on earth to the sacred
3promises of the law. There is no merit in
aobeying an agreeable law, but there is glory
Sand heroism in submitting gracefully 20 an
Oppressive one. Our Constitution reads "No
5person shall be held to answer for n capital
eor otherwise infamous crime unless on a
3presentment or indictment Of a grand jury"
Rand in all criminal prosecutions the ac-
3cused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and
1pubic trial by an impartial jury of the
State and district wherein the crime shall
= have been committed" This is the solemn
8contract of Government, binding ON the
Sconsciences of all. Should our President
8die the murderer is entitled to II speedy
: trial by jury, and hope he will have
INJUSTICE done him.
a But it is not my Office or yours or any
Hbodys except the regular courts Of this
District, which are in undisputed power,
HViolence in any form will bring reproach
ION us all-upon the country at large, and
respectfully Oh us of the District of Columbia
a All the circumstances of the shooting, OF
4the long heroic struggle for life, impress me
Z 80 strongly that would be ashamed of my
Scountrymen if they mingled with their
Feelings Of grief any thought of vengeance.
4" Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord"
! trust the public press will use its pow
|erful influence to maintain the good order
sand decorum which have prevailed since
the saddest of all days in Washington, July
y, 1881. Sincerely your friend.
w. r. SHERMAN.