The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-12-18
The Document Published IN Connection
with the Controversy OF
GEN. SHERMAN VS.. JEFF DAVIS.
BLAINE LIBEL SUIT WITHDRAWN.

The Late Alex, II. stevens on JeH DAVIS
ST.. LOUIS, Dec. l6.-rhe Republican
has received FROM Washington another
one of tho letters upon which Gen.
Sherman based his recent assertions
respecting JeA. Davis. The letter Is
from Alex. IL. stephens, addressed to
Herchel V. johnson, and is dated Craw-
fordville, Georgia, April 8, 1854. II Is
quite long, aud the part Of IL which
seems most likely TO have served as the
ground Tor Gen. Sherman's statement, Is
in reply to letter from Johnson
i'm which that gentleman alludes
10 Mr.. stephens as being hostile Ia tnt
administration and tells him hn Will
necessarily be classed with those whose
probable object IL is to organize party
In opposition 10 IL. To this
MIR. stEPHi Ms SAYS:
81 assure you / have no aniipathy 10
Mr.. Davis, nor am | hostile 10 him, and
IL there IL AN object or intention or WISH
with any 10 orgaIiize n narty in oppOs,-
tion 70 me administration | know moth
ing of il and .havc heard nothing oi H.
repeat, have ~ antipa'
tby, much less hostility, Tor
MT. DAVIS; hut have no mesitancy IN
stating 10 you, freely and frankly, whal
NV opinions OF hun are. They are ii'uch
more akin TO suspicion aiiu Jealousy
than of aniinosi,y or hate. While l do
NOT and never have regarded him as II
great man, or u statesman on large
~ ale, or a man OF any marked genius,
vet / have regarded MIN as man ol
GOOD intentions, weak and vasclliatint,
fimid petulant, feverish, obsli-
maze, but not firm. am
now beginning to doubt his good intHn-
tions. | say doubt, for after watchlhs
him closely, / am not satisned III my
own mind nor have / arrived at any
conclusion whether some of his short
couiugs are to be attributed TO weak
ness O to bad purposes. These are my
repl sentiments and my reasons Ior
them are these: Since his first eieva-
ton to power he has changed many oil
his state rights principles, ns
in In the case of conscription
His whole policy on the
organization and discipline OF the
army is perfectly consistent with the
hypothesis that
HE Is AIMING AT ABSOLUTE POWER.
Not a word has come from MN OF
military usurpation in the orders lor
martial law by Bragg and Van Dorm; on
the whole system of passports anu
provost marshals, which is utterly
wrong and without the authority OF law.
After all that may be said or written by
myself and others aSalnNI
these usurpations,. not on-
word has escaped Mr.. Day ,
show ing his disapproval of them. Again,
it is well known that the subject of a
dictatorship has been mooted, talked OF
and discussed in private and in the pub
lie journals, and the most earnest adVo-
Gates Of such y course, the virtual doing
away with congress and the constitu-
ton, have been by editors near him,
right under his nose; editors of journals
recognized at the time to be the organs
of tho administration. Now, 1t
seems to be strange that
this should be so, and men
holding and advocating such sentiments
lor months, should hold such near re-
lation to him, if sucn sentiments were
distastegui to him.
THESE AEE BID SIGNS to NE,
vet thew are not conclusive evide nces OF
bad objects or inteutions on his part
They leave me III doubt, buG certainly
awaken my suspicion aud watchful
jealousy. They teach me to he on my
guard, and they should, in my opinion.
put the whole coiutry on their guard"