Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-12-20
THE SOLDIERS QUARREL.
The Letter Which Jeff Davis Wrote
aud Which Is the Cause of
the Present Trouble
with General
Sherman.

| Vance of North Carolina publishes
card here to-day with reference to til,
letter mentioned by Gen. Sherman a
having been written by President Davis
, to southern senator, threatening thu
coercion Of any state that would al.
, tempt to leave the confederacy Hi
reason for SO dong is that all the re.
ported interviews with him on the sub
ject have been more or less inaccurate
Senator Vance says in his card:
"Every letter ever written to me on
political topic by President Davis is
to be found faithfully copied on the
official letter-books of the executive de.
!; letter-books were taken from me by
Gen. Sherman's troops at the closing OF
the war, and are now in possession OF
the war department in this city. Aside
from the letter-books, Gen. Sherman
never saw any letter addressed to me
by President Davis. Although have
not seen these books and read their
contents in almost twenty years, | am
quite sure that no such letter can be
found there. could not have forgot
ten such letter had it been received
by me.
| SOME OTHER MAN.
"The suggestion that l am the per-
son referred to in Gen. n.Sherman's state
ment is entirely untrue. The attempt
OF some newspapers to give probability
to this suggestion by alleging that l was
in bitter hostility whist governor of
North Carolina to the administration of
Mr.. Davis is based also upon misrep-
resentation of facts. 1t is well-known
by those acquainted with the history of
those times that my differences with
Mr.. Davis were purely in regard to
matters of detail and that supported
him in his efforts to maintain the con-
federacy with all the zeal that l could
command and all the power of the
state which could bring to bear. This
Mr.. Davis letters all show.
ssTo the letter of mine to Mr.. Davis
of the 25th of October, 1862, the New
York Tribune's correspondent says no
copies of any reply can be found, and
which Gen. Sherman refers is contain
ed in it. Certainly no effort was made
to find that letter. 1t is upon the let
ter book dated November l, 1862. 1t
has been widely published and contains
no such expression as threat against
states attempting to secede from the
confederacy."
RELE1GH, N. c., December 14.-ln
reference to the recent controversy be-
tween General Sherman and jefferson
Davis, in which the former charged the
latter with having threatened to force
certain states to remain in the confed-
eracy, it has been stated that Davis
letter containing this threat waswritten
to Gov. Vance, now United States SEN
ator in reply to his letter to President
Davis, Of October 25, 1862. 1t has
been stated also that the letter of Davis
had been DESTROYED. This Is a mistake,
the letter is here and is now in posses
sion of gentleman of Raleigh. 1t is
as follows:
RICHMOND, Va, Nov. II, 1862.
10 His Excellency, Gov. Vance,
Raleigh, n. C.:-Dear Sir-I have the
honor to acknowledge yours of the 25th
ult:, and regret the disappointment to
which some of the recruits of North
Carolina have been subjected. 1 con-
cur with you as to the policy of allow
ing the conscripts as far as the state of
the service will permit to select the
companies ana regiments in which they
are to serve. The right secured by law
of the volunteer to select his own COM
pany was lost, it is true, by enroll
ments; but the policy was so obvious of
associating men together who would
best harmonize with each other,
that it was my purpose to continue the
privilege beyond the limit fixed by law.
The danger to the coast of North Caro-
1ino n iro To. Il,
the army OF northern Virginia render
ed it proper that the greatest eXertions
should be made Immediately to fill up
regiments in General Frencl's COM
mand, but this did not interfere with |
allowing the conscripts to select among
those regiments one to which they |
would be assigned so long as vacancies
existed in the companies chosen, and
that l expected would have been done.
L will send your letter to the war de-
partment with copy of this reply to
you and hope for the future there will
be no ground for dissatisfaction and
that as tar as feasible the disappoint-
ments to which you refer, may be cor
rected by transfer. | feel grateful to
you for the cordial manner in which
you have sustained every proposition
connected with the public defense, and
trust there will always be such co-in-
tel igence and accordance as will ell
able US to cooperation the pubic good.
The conscript act has not been popular
anywhere out Of the army. There, as
you are aware, it serves to check dis
content which resulted from retaining
twelve months men beyond the term
OF their original engagement and was
fairly regarded as a measure equitable
to distribute the burden OF the public
defense but the state authorities have
nowhere offered any opposition to its
or withheld their aid except
in the state Of Georgia, and so far as
cadets OF the military institute are con-
cerned III the state of Virginia l shall
endeavor by judicial decision to settle
the question i'll those two states, and in
the meantime l have been cheered by
the evidence OF popular sentiment
winch supports any measure necessary
to protect our country and secure our
political independence. Like yourself |
have hoped that the party distinctions
which existed at the former time would
be buried i'll the graves OF the gallant
men who have fallen in defense of their
birthright and that we should all as
band of brothers, strike for the inheri-
tance our fathers left us. With sincere
regard, l am, respectfully and truly,
lSISnedJ JEFFERSON DAVIS.
A UNIVERSITY'S LOSS.
The Wisconsin State University at
tl.rv