New-York tribune., 1884-12-08
JEFF DAvISS LETTER.
WAS IT WRITTEN TO GOVERNOR VANCE,
SPECULATION AT THE NATIONAL CAPIrAL--soNE
Old CoRREsroSDrNCE.
lpy TELEGRAPH TIIp TRIntNr.l

Inv TELEGRAPH 10 THE TRInrNEl
WARRINGTON. Dec. 7.-lncrcst in the contro-
versy between General sherman and Jefferson Davis ia
revived by the publication n to-day's THnuNE of die
patch saying that General sherman ba, sen messenger
to Washington search the rcv archives for the letter
written by Davis the ~ ~hich deacribej
hy General shorman IN hia address NJ tho dcdlca.
tlon OF tho new hall of the Finnk 4, ulair
rnat IN st. Louis pome weeks aen. There is some
ronHon to believe that tho letter will not he
fouud, when tho Government began the work
of collecting aud arranging for publication the
records of Tho unioa aud Confederate armies
It decded Ia employ Marcus J,wrishL lale Major.
General IN tho Confederate army, to obtain the originals
copies of Confederate military reports aud other doou
monts relating Ia tho war General Wrghts personal
and official relations with Mr.. Davis and his advisers, as
we'll ~ with many OF the leading military ohefans Ot
the Rebellion, pleasant General Wright. IL Is said,
is of the opinion that the lettor is not anon; the
rebel archives now in possession OF the
War Department The fact that II has not been published
Is no evidence, however that it does not exist
There is much speculation In Washington as TO whom
the Davis letter addressed In the report of General
Shermans speech Published In The ST. LOuisGobe Democrat
he Is represented saying: :" have letter from
Jefferson Davis to man whose name / cannot mention
because he is United states Senator. I know Daviss
writing. and his signature and In that letter he said
he would turn Lees army against State that might
attempt to secede from the Southern Confederay Who
i the United states Senator referred to by General Sher
man is question asked by many persons i'm Washington
There people who believe that Senator Vance
of North Carolina, is the while others think that he
is Senator Brown OF Georgia
The opinion in both is founded the assumption
that the Davis letter conveyed "A threat against
whose authorities had shown disposition to withdraw
from the Confcderacy. II is well known that, Gov
Of Georgia, Senator Brown opposed the Confeder
ate conscript act, although it is true that he
threw no obstacles in the way OF its
enforcement in the State by the officers OF the Confeder
ate Government As Governor Of North Carolina, how
ever Senator Vance went much further at time. He
first elected Governor in 1852 original Union
man., although he had previously served short time in
h Confederate army He entered upon the discharge
his duties Governor September 3, 1862, and
was hardly in his before he became involved
in hot controversy with the Richmond Government
ON september ii he wrote TO Mr. Randolph Secretary OF
War, requesting him not To confer authority upon
Confederate officers TO enlist men in North Carolina until
TO persons not citizens OF the state
Six weeks later, October % Governor Vance wrote
to Jefferson Davis letter in which lie said The late
elections after sixteen months OF and bership
with the Confoderacy show concusvey that the origf
nal adv ocaes OF secession no longer hold the OF
old Union men. North Carolina could not so promptly
and generously have been brought to the support Of the
santly and unremtngy given the present statu. could
not be maintained forty-eight hours. I believe,
Cir, most sincerely that the conscript law could
not have been executed by man of different antece
dents dents without outbreaks among our people
script to leave the state until provision is made for her
own defence"
That the Richmond Government regarded Governor
Nances attitude hostile is shown by extract from
letter about the Conscrpton Act written him by Cen
era Rains, who said " So far from opposition have
calculated upon your assistance I'm this matter" On
september 23, 1862, Governor Vance wrote to General
c. W. Smith protesting against the removal of the Con-
federae cavalry from eastern North Carolina and say
ing: ." If it is not the intention of the President
to protect u.s. must protect ourselves "
soon afterward It Is said, Governor Vance visited
Richmond, and when he returned TO North Carolina his
opposition ~ the policy of the Confederate Government
ceased. and thenceforward he firm supporter o.
Davs administration His letter OF October 25 to Davisf
certainly called for but II is sau that copy
u reply to 1t Ia to he found among the Confederate
Ords m possession Of the War Department.