The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-12-18
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The Letter Alluded TO in the Recent Con-
troversY with Sherman.

troversY with Sherman.
CHICAGO, December IA. "A Raleigh
On. CO special says: In reference t.
The recent controversy between Gen.
Sherman and Jefferson Davis. in
which the former charged the latter
with having threatened to force Ger
tain states to remain in The Confeler-
acy, it has been stated that Mr.. Davis
letter, containing this threat. wYS
written to Gov. Vance, now United
States senator, in reply to his letter
to President Davis, of October %,
1862. 1t has Deen stated, also, that the
letter of Mr.. Davis had been destroyed.
This is Il mistake. The letter is here,
and Is now in possession of gentle
man of Raleigh. 1t is as follows:
RICHMOND, VA, November IL, 1852.
His Excellency Governor VancA,
Raleigh, N. C.-Dear Sir: l have the
honor to acknowledge yours OF the
25th ultimo, and regret the disappoint-
ment to which some of the recruits Of
North Carolina have been subjected
L concur with you as to the policy OF
allowing the conscripts, as far as the
state of the service will permit, to Sc
lect the companies aad regiments in
which they are to serve. The right,
secured by law, of volunteer to Sc
iect his own company was lost, it Is
true, by enrollments, but the policy
was obvious of associatiDg men to-
gether who would best harmoniZa
with each other that it was my pur-
pose to continue the privilege beyond
the limits fixed by law. The danger
to the coast of North Carolina,a and our
inability to draw troops from the
army OF northern Virginia, ren-
dered it proper that the
greatest exertions should be made
Immediately to fill up regI-
ments in Gen. French's command, but
this did not interfere with allowing
corscripts to select among those regi-
ments one to which they would be as
signed, so long as vacancies existed In
| companies chosen, and that l expected
would have been done. [ will send
your letter to the war department.
with copy of this reply to you, and
hope for the future there Will be nc
ground for dissatisfaction, and that, as
| far as feasible, the appointments to
which you refer may be corrected ny
transfer. 1 feel grateful to you fol-
the cordial manner in which you have
sustained every proposition connected
| with public defense, and trust there
will always be such cointelligence anf
accordance as will enable us 10 coop
crate for public good. The coAscrip
act has not oeen popuiac anywhere
out Of the army. There, a
you are aware, it serves 10 chacl
discomfort, which resulted from ret..ii!
ing twelve months man beyond III
term OF their Original engagement
and was fairly rgirded IS u TaeaItr
equltatly to distribute the b;irli ~ o
public defence; but the state auLE0r
tiles have nowhere offered opposition
to its execution or withheld thtir al
eXcept in the state of Georgia; s.t.; :;
far as the cadets of the military nstI
tuie are co oJcerned in the state Of ViT
glnia, shall eudeavor by j1dicisi &c
cislon, TO settle the question: raised /
those two states, af1d in the mean:i;iI
/ have been cheered by the evidence Q
popular sentiment, which auppart
any Deasu necessary &, protect o.!
country and secure oUr political ind,
pendeDc.4. Like yourself, have hap..
. tina; party distinctions, which exjste
at :. former time, woHl1 be buried j
the graves of tha sali4nt III. u .Y!i
have fallen IN defence If sheir h@rtf
right, and that wesiio2s,: all. aS "a ban
of brothers, STRIFE :oT M ia7ertr;ia
: our fathers isi5 Us. vita si1esEe /;
CARDS, am respectfully ;sad ff,liy,
5EFFERsoN DAVIS.
r GEN. suEEsrAN'S STATEMENT
/ ST. LOUIS, Dacem5er Is = e !
a Sherman to-day, il chat about Seni
s tor Vance's card, published yesterda
in Washington. stated he had III
: used Senator Vdnce's name in comes
: ton with the jeff Davis matter; thf
e Vance's letter was In no way COZ
i nected with the case, and that Il
q coupling OF his name with it was dor
by the press, that has u1duly magn
p fled the matter and made a mountai
: of it. Then he reiterated the stat
Il ment made in these dispatches fe
@ days ago-that whee he gets ready
IS will make a statement through II
war department, but not until new
r. paper agitation has quoted dow
l. The general will leave for the east
IS few days, to attend a meeting of Il
Is New E ElgIand society, which meets
Brooklyn, December %, and again
r New York, December %. He w
g then go to Washington to au, it t!
.e accounts Of the Smithsonian iastitu