The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-11-27
BEHIND 9THElCURTAIN
GENERAL sllEnMAN's ATTACK

!, | -..-'- AL ~ ~ AAAA'
GENERAL sliEnAfAN's ATrAcl
On tho Head of the Coursdsracy-Hn A
snmes It wns n Conspiracy ON Jcn's
Part-rha Old Soldier says He
H / Wii Answer Him Personally. 4
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 2G.-At the opening 0
the new hall OF the Frank +. Blair Post
few wceksago General Sherman ADDRESSED
the gathering Of old soldiers, und in th'
cause Of his remarks took occ,lsion to pa,
his respects to Jefferson Davis, which Il,
did in snch n vigorous way that Nj. Dayi.
has rcpcllcd the charges there made il
language equally forcible. General sher
man referred to the ate civil war, aud
said TINT secession was merely a conspir
acy, md that JEFF Davis was conspratol
whose ain was to use the Coniederucy us
u iultrum with which lie could operatc
against the other sections OF tho country
looking 10 a practical Dictatorship. :,
~ hive been behind the curti.in," saitl
General Sherman, "and / have seen, let.
ftcrs that few utheis hsiv1e seen, and heard
conversations that cannot be repeated.
have seen letter from Jefferson Davis to
a man whose name cannot mention, be.
cause hU Is u Z United States Senator,
know Davis writing and saw his sigma.
ture, and III that Letter he said 'hc would
turn Lee army against any State that
might attempt to secede from the South.
crn ConfedcNcy." AZ 4
Shortly after this . letter appeared in
the Republican from Jefferson Davis in
which he denounced tho allegation tl,at ,c
ever wrote such Il letter us linquuliHcdly
false, and denoninates il us n shameless
falsclood; that he had mot any wish to
destroy the liberty and rights Of my State.
lie concluded by throwing down the fol-.
lowing gauntlet to Tecumseh: III GEN
erll Sherman has access to any letters pur-
porting to have been written by me, Which
Will sustain his accusations, let him pro-
'!uce them. or wear. the brand OF u base
slanderer." ~ ~
!sGss DAVIS coNMuSEArIoS. p
Following is Mr.. Davis letter, written
two days after the clection:s u; Il ~.
20 The Editor Of the 81. Louis Republican.
BEAuvo,r, Miss, Nov. G.-Dear Sir: |
have tonight received tile inclosrd rub.
lishcd account OF remarks made by Gen.
cral W.T.. Sherman, anu usk the rso
OF your columns to notice only 10 much as
particularly refers to myself, and which is
to 6e found in the following extracts:
The following is taken from the St.
Louis Republican: 81 -
"Frank f. Blair Post, G. AR. opencd
their new hull, corner Seventeenth and
Olive streets, lust night. General Sl,erl
man addressed the assemblage. lie had
read lead letters which he believed had
never been published, and which very
lew people had seem. These letters show.
ed the rebellion TO be more tlann a mere
secession-it was n conspiracy most dire.
Letters which had passed between JEFF
DAVIS and ;Af man whose name it. would
notido 10 mention, rs he IL now.5a mem
Der Of The United States Senate. had been
seen b. the speaker, and showed Davis
position. lie was not Stcessionist. His
object in starting the rebellion was not
merely for the secession of the South, but
to have this section OF the country so TINT
Ic could use'it rs fnlcrum from which to
!ire, out his shot. at the other sections Of
the country aud compel the people To do
ia le would Z have them.~ Jclrs Davis
would have turned his hand against any
State that would sccede from the South
after the South had seeded from the
North. Had the rebellion succeeded,
General Sherman said, tile people OF the
North would have been slaves, 80 n,
~ ANOTHER ACCOUNT. >, 5a,.23
The following is from tho Globe. Demo
Gratis report: Referring tothe late war, he
said it WIS not, as was generally under
stood, q war OF secession from the United
States, but a conspiracy. u have been be-
hindthc curtain" said lie, ''and I have
seen letters that few othcrs have seen, and
have heard conversations that can not 10
repeated, and tell you that jeff Davis
never was II seeessionlst. He. was a con-
spirator. lle did not care for divisions
from the United States. Ills object was
to get u fulcruni from which to operate
against the Northern States, and il Ec had
succeeded he would to-day be the master
spirit OF tho continent and you wnnll be
slaves. have seen Il letter from Jetfer.
son Davis to 4 man whose name can not
mention, because lie is Il United States
Senator. ! know Davis writing, md saw
his signature, and in that letter hp gail he
would turn Lees army against any Statc
that might attempt to srcede from tho
Southern ConfedeIacy." y
This public assault, under the covert
plea that it is base'l upon information
which regard for n United Stutcs Senator
does not permit him to present, will, TO
honorable minds, suggest the idea OF ire
sponsible SANDER. ~
1t Is thus devolve1 upon mo to say that
the allegation Of my ever having written
such a letter rs is described is unqualified.
ly false, and the assertion ,hut lhnd any
purpose or wish to destroy tic liberty md
equal rights OF any State, either North or
South, is a reckless, shameless falsehood,
especially because it was generally known
thatfo formany years before, rs VOL as during
the war between the States, was MI earn
nest advocate OF the strict construction
State.rishts theory Of Mr.. Jefferson. What
motive other tllan personal malignity Gun
be conceived for SO gross Il libel? :.
II General Sherman has access to any
letters purporting to have been written by
me whicslwill sustain his accusations, lct
him produce them or wear the brand Of q
false slanderers. Yours rspcutfully,Rat;1l
ID. ...t:, q, ~, ~, II e JEFFERSON DAVIS.
f,f7 dESERALslIEEMAN ISTEnvlEwEp.
Knowing that this letter would !"rile"
General Sherman, Ills residence was visit.
ed by newspaper representatives, all OF
whom he received in courteous but not
altogether friendly manner. He antlcl.
pated the leading question by remarking:
'lhaye read the letter of Jefferson Davis
in this mornings paper, and I have moth,
ing to s.'y to the newspapers" He laid
Il I Z ~.