The daily Cairo bulletin., 1884-11-25
A Little Onp.easantness Between
Uncle Billy Sherman and
JEFF Davis.
The Former Ohall'nged to Produce His
Authority or Wear the Brand Of a
Base slanderer, and Responds.
"This is an Affair B.,ween Two Gentle
men--We VIII S.t,le tho Matter
Between U.s."


Ing:
"The following letter has for several
days been awaiting space for publication:
'BRAuvoIR, MISS, November 9, 1884
Editor 81 Louis, Republican;
DEAR SIR have tonight received
the enclosed published account OF remarks
made by General w. Il. Sherman, and ask
the use OF your columns 10 notice only so
much as particularly refers TO myself, and
which Is TO be found in the following ex-
tracts
The following is taken from the st.
Louis Rspublican:
Frank p. Blair Post, G. A. r., opened
their new hall, corner Seventeenth and
Olive streets, last night.
General Sherman addressed the as
semblage. He had read letters which he
believed had never been published, and
which very few people had seen. These let.
ters,, showed the rebellion TO be more than
mere secessiun-it was conspiracy,
most dire. Letters which had passed be-
tween JEFF Davis and man whose name
1t would not TO do to mention, as he is
now member OF the United
States Senate, had been seen by
the speaker and showed Davis
position. He was not secessonist.
His object in starting the rebellion was
not merely for the secession Of the South,
but % have this section of the country so
that he could use 1t as fulcrum from
wnich to fire out his shot at the other
sections OF the country and compel the
people 70 do as he would have them. Jeff
Davis would have turned his hand against
any State that would secede from the
South after the South had seeded from
tn North, Had the rebellion succeeded,
General Sherman said, the people Of the
North would all have been slaves "
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
'The following is from the GioJe-Demo-
crltS report:
"Refcrrlng TO the late war, he said it
was not, as was generally understood,
war OF secession from the United States,
but conspiracy. i have been behind
tue curtains, said he, and / have seen
letters that few others have seen and have
heard conversations that can not be re-
pealed, and can tell you that JEFF Davis
never WAS a secessionist. He was con-
splrator. He did not care for divisions
from the United States. His object
was 70 get fulcrum from which to oper-
ate against the Northern States, and II
he had succeeded he would to-day be the
master spirit of the continent and you
would be slaves. | have seen letter
from Jefferson Davis to a man whose
name can not mention, because he is a
United States Senator. | know Davis
writing and saw his signature, and in that
letter he said he would turn Lees army
against any state that might attempt to
secede from the Southern ConfederaCy.' 80
"The public assault, under the covert
plea that 1t Is based upon Information
which regard for United States Senator
does not permit him to present, will, to
honorable minds, suggest the idea of ir-
responsible SANDER.
at is thus deyolved upon me TO say
that the allegation of my ever having
written such letter as Is described is un-
qualifedly false, and the assertion that
had any purpose, or wish to destroy the
liberty and equal rights of any State,
either North or South, Is reckless,
shameless falsehood, especially be-
cause 1t was generally known
that for many years before, as well as
during the war between the States, | was
an earnest advocate of the strict construc-
tion State-rights theory of Mr.. Jefferson.
What motive other than personal maligni-
ty can be conceived for so gross libel.
"lf General Sherman has access to any
letters purporting TO have been written
by me which will sustain his accusations,
let him produce them, or wear the brand
OF u base Sldnderer.
Yours respectfully,
JEFFERSON DAVIS"
General William T. Sherman was sitting
at his desk in his study this morning at
the Sherman residence, on Garrison
avenue, writing letter, when the re-
porter called. ~ have read the letter of
Jefferson Davis in this mornings paper"
he began at once, anticipating ques-
tions, "and have nothing to say
to the newspapers" He laid
down his pen and turning in his chair
said, with that firm tone which showed
that the subject had stirred up his
ire "lhis is an affair between two
gentlemen. will take my time about
1t and write to Mr.. Davis himself. We
Vhi SSSeiV ehC uiustCt DCtWCcu
"Have the papers misrepresented you
IN your reinarks before Frank Blair Post
G. A. X ?" was asked.
81 say nothing about that. My reply
to Mr.. Davis will not be through the pa.
pers. They are not the arbiters of this
question, nor the go-between for any
dispute. have no more to say"
The General began writing again and
closed the interview.
What the outcome of this direct charge
and positive denial will be, of course no
one can foretell, but the haracters of the
two men are well known, and unless there
has been mistake or misrepresentation
somewhere which, when discovered, will
furnish key to the solution of the mis-.
understanding satisfactory to both par
ties, serious results may follow. Further
developments will be anyiousfy awaited.
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