The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-02
GENERAL w. t. SHERMAN.
He Declares jeff Davis Was Conspiratol
and Should Have Been Shot.


st. Louis Special.
General Sherman is at present the most talked
about man in ST. Louis, and all on account of a
speech he made to-day to the Frank Blair Post
G. A. r. He made the following statements
which led to the sensational interview He had
read letters which he believed had never been
published, and which very few people had SEEN
These letters showed the rebellion to be more
than a mere secession. 1t a conspiracy.
Letters which had passed between jeff Davis
and a man whose name it would not
do to mention as he was member of
the United States Senate, had been seen
by the speaker, and showed Davs's
position. lie was not secessonist
His object in starting the rebellion was not
merely for the secession of the South, but to
have that section of the country so that he
could use 1t as fulcrum from which to fire out
his shot at the other section of the country, and
compel the people to 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 the North
A reporter called on him to-day for a better
explanation of his words. He was met in his
study and readily explained the remarks 1.-The
men who inStigated the war were conspirators
and should have been shot on the spot. jeff
Davis was in the employ of the govern
ment, and when he sought to destroy it
he was q conspiratOr. | saw a letter dated
Senate Chember United States, and signed by
two senators, Slldell and Benjamin, ordering
the Governor of Louisiana to seize the govern
ment arsenals. Was this not conspiracy of the
most fearful uature2 JEFF Davis sought to es-
tablish a government of Southern gentlemen
who would rule the masses. His desire was TO r
limited franchse-limited to land owners
The poor white, in his estimation. should be
crossed with the negro Had he succeeded in
his conspiracy he would have carried this out in
the South, and then imposed it on the Northern
States He wanted to totally destroy this govern
ment, and from its ruins build up Southern
puctoeracy. This l know, that when once the
Southern States had formedS& confederation he
determined that they should not secede. His
idea not secession, it was destruction. The
Southern States rebelled one by one and then
confederated Davis bent his energies to pre-
vent their secession and was willing to destroy
one of them before it could be accom-
plshed l have seen a letter which
he wrote to the Gouernor of one
of the States, threatening that he would turn
Lees army upon it if it should attempt to secede
from the Confederacy. From this it is evident
he did not believe in secession, but that he
wanted the destruction of the United States
government and dominant Southern eonfed-
eracy. 1t is well for you, it is we'll for me, that
he did not succeed, as it meant our disfranchise-
ment His attempt was a base conspiracy, for
which he deserved DEATH
The General added that he believed the sue
cess of the rebellion meant a constant war of
aggression on the part of the South and Demo
cratic party