Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-27
DAVIS AND SHERMAN.
Statements by Gen. sherman Denounced
in Plain Language.
BEAUvOIR, Miss, Nov. 6, 1884.

Editor 81 Louis Republican:
DEAR SRI have tonight received the
lncl0sed published account of remarks made
by Gen. W i. sherman. and ask the use of
your columns TO notice only so much as par
ticular.y refers to myself. and which is to be
found in the following extracts:
The following Is taken from the Republican
Prank p Blair Post. c.. 4. r.. opened
their new hall. corner Seventeenth and Olive
streets, last night.
'Gen. sherman addressed the assemblagc.
He had read letters which be believed had
never been published. and which very few
people had seen. These letters showed the
rebellion 10 he more than mere secession-it
was conspiracy most dire Letters which
had passed between JEFF. Davis and q man
win Sc name lt would not do 10 mention. as he
is now a member of the United States Senate.
had been seen by the speaker and showed
Davis position. He was not a seCessIOnist.
His object IN starting the rebellion was not
m rely for the secession Of the South, but to
have thls section OF the country so that he
could use it as a fulcrum from which to fire
out his shot At the other sections of the coun-
try and compel the people TO do as ne would
have them. Jen Davis would have turned
his hand against any state that would secede
from the south after the South had seeded
from the North. Had the rebellion succeeded,
Gen. sherman said, the people of the North
would have all been slaves
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The following is from the GIo6e-Dem0craf
''Referring to the late war. he said 1t was
not as was generally understood, a war of
secession from the United states. but a con-
spiracy. L have been behind the curtain,
said ne. and / have seen letters that few
others have seen and have heard cOnYersa-
tiOns that cannot be repeated, and tell you
that JeH Davis never was a secessIOnist. He
was q cOnsplratOr. He did not care for divi-
siOus from the United States. His object was
to get a fulCrum from which to operate
against the Northern States. and if 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 q man whose name 1 cannot men
tiOn. because he is Uni ed states senator.
I know Davis writing and saw his signature,
and in that letter he said he would turn Lee
army against any State that might attempt
To secede from the Southern COnfedcracy.'"
This public assault. under the covert plea
that 10 Is based upon information which re-
gard for a United States senator does not
permit him TO present, viii, To honorable
minds, suggest the idea Of irresponsible SLAM
der.
1t is thus devOlved upon me TO say that the
allegation Of my ever having written such a
letter as Is described is Unqualifedly false,
and the assertion that I had any purpose or
wish to destroy the liberty and equal rights
of any State. either North or South, is q reck-
less. sh fmeles5 faisehOOd. especially because
il was generally known that for many years
before. as well as during the war between the
States. 1 was an earnest advocate of the strict
construction state rights theory of Mr. JEFF
ferSOn. What motive other tnan personal
malignity can be conceived Tor SO gross a
libel:
il zen. sherman has access to any letters
purpOrting to have been written by me-
which viii sustain his accusations. let him
produce them. or wear the brand OF a base
slanderer. Yours respectfully,
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Of course this letter called for re-
iOinder from Gen. Sherman, says St.
Louis special TO the New York Herald,
and the Generals residence on Garrison
avenue was visited to-day by newspa-
per representatives, all Of whom he re-
ceived in a courteous but not altogether
friendly manner. He anticipated the
leading question by remaTkIng:
Il have read the letter of Jefferson
Davis in this mornings paper, and L have
nothing to say to the newspapers"
He laid down his pen, and, turning in
his chair, said, with that firm tone which
showed the subject had stirred Up his ire
This is an affair between two gentle
men. l will take my time about it and
write to Mr.. Davis myself. We will set
| tie the matter between us"
eHave the papers misrepresented you
| in your remarks before the Frank Blair
paSt. q. y. X. - was asked.
Il sag nothing about that. My reply tC
Mr.. Davis will not be through the papers
They are not the arbiters of this question
nor the gO-between for any dispute.
have no more to say"