Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-12-19
Dead Sea Fruit.

About fortnight ago .,is Intelhgencer
published what was alleged to be portion
Of speech delivered by General Sherman
in St. Louis, on the occasion OF meeting
of local organization known as the Grand
Army Of the Republic. At that time Gen
eral Sherman is reported as saying that
jefferson Davis was a coRspirator land Just
precisely what he meant by that word is not
very elear), THAI he, Sherman, had seen
letter written by Mr.. Davis to gentleman,
who was alter the war, Senator OF the
United States, in which Mr.. Davis syowed
his INTENT Of turning Gen. Lees army
against any State which might attempt to
secede from the Southern ContederacJ; ana
further, that he knew the handwriting
OF Mr.. Davis, was thoroughly convinced OF
the'genuineness ofthe! aforesaid letter, andre
Trained from making the entire matter puo-
lie only through defence to the United
States Senate already mentioned.
Now it would be very impertinent to ask
why the press or the public should be at all
interested in this subject, and especially so
as TO Why the lntelhgencer IN particular
persists in an attempt to revive such
topic. At this late date we fail to see what
good can possibly accrue from raking over
the ashes Of the dead Confederacy or what
laudable object General Sherman could ex,
.pect to obtain BY making such an absurd
and foolish charge against the man,
who was the chief representative
Of the last cause. Possibly
the reason for such conduct is known &c
Gen Sherman himself and 70 himself alone.
Ii will be a rather difficult matter, however
10 convince an impartial person, that pure
unadulterated personal malice or Q
prurient desire fer public attention and
popular applause are not the sole tounds-
lion for such a course on the part Of Gen.
Sherman.
Gen. Sherman's friends or possibly Gen.
Sherman himself now produce an alleged
letter from Alex II. Stevens, deceased to
Hon. Herschel V. johnson, who was
member of Congress and candidate for
Vice President Of the United States before
the war, as a justification of Gen. Shermsns
charge that Mr.. Davis once wrote
letter to gentleman, who
was after the close Of the
war between the States, United States
Senator, and in which Mr.. Davis proved
himself to be a conspirator, which letter
General Sherman had seen and the sigma
ture to which be knew positively was in the
handwriting Of Jefferson Davis. Would any
Judge or jury in the limits of any civilized
country accept or consider for moment
such evidence? IL is enough to make the
original Dogberry cover his face with
hlusb imnenetrabie IN ridicule
To sustain General Shermans charge,
that Mr.. Davis had written a letter which
proved conclusively to General Shermans
mind that Mr. Davis was sort OF outIawed
dynamiter and schemer against the peace
aud dignity Of the world at large and against
the United States in particular, there is now
produced letter written by a man altbgeth
er different from Mr. Davis in every respect
TO a gentleman who has not been Senator
OF the United States since the close OF the
war between the States IN which the writer
airs his opinion of Mr.. Davis aud his con-
duct and all of which is entirel different
very essentially as to the graveness of the
charge made BY General Sherman against
Mr.. Davis
But if the charge were true, what Of it?
II Mr. Davis had actually done that which
General Sherman asserts he was quite will
ing and ready 10 do, it would simply have
been q measure Of selfprotection and
defense for which the body polite
of the Confederacy, which would have been
perfectly susti6able; a measure to which
any confederation of states or communities
at war with another community, would have
resorted without the slightest hesitation,
and they would have been absolutely justi-
fable in so doing,
But the discussion of such topic is
worse than useless; it is childish and alb
surd in the extreme, and no one man in the
country is better qualified to know and ap-
preeiate this truth than General Sherman.
We believe, that If the truth were known, a
large majority of the people of this country
would be quite willing to retire both Of the
Sbermans to that degree of privacy and
solitude, which Mr.. DAVIS has sought for
himself REFLEX.
WHEELING, December Is, 1884.