Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-12-27
sHIRMAN's DEFENSE.
Not Da vis' Letter, but an EDemy's
Opinion.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Dec. l6.-The Re-
publican has received from Washing
toa another one of the letters upon
which Gen Sherman based his recent
assertion respecting jeff. Davis. The
letter is from Alex. II. Stephens, ad-
dressed to Herchei V. Johnson, and Is
dated Charlottesville, Georgia, Aprii
8, 1864 1t is quite long and the part
Of it which seems most likely 10 have
served US the ground for Gen. Sher-
MANS statement is a reply toa letter
from hlr. johnson in which that gen
tlcman slludes to MIR. Stephens as be-
ing hostile to the administration and
tells him he will necessarily be classed
with those whose palpuble object is to
organize party in opposition to it.
10 this Mr.. Stephens says: 81 assure
you have no antipathy to Mr.. Davis.
nor AIN hostile to him. 1t there is Ill
to organize a party in opposition to the
administration know nothing Of it. l
repeat, | have no antipathy, much iess
hostility, for Mr.. Davis, but have no
hesitancy i'll stating to you freely and
frankly what my opinions of him are.
They are much more akin to suspicion
and jealousy than of aninosity o. hate.
| While do not and never have regard
ed him as great man or statesman on
a large scale, or u man of any marked
genius. yet | have regarded HIM as a
man Of good intentions, weak and
vacillating, timid, peluiant, teverish,
obstinate, but not firm. am now be-
ginning TO doubt his good mentions
say doubt, for after watching him
closely am not satisfied in my own
mind, or arrived at any conclusion
whether some of his shortcomings are
to be attributed to weakness or bad
purposes. These are my real senti-
ments, and my reasons tor them are
that since his first elevation to power
he has changed many of his state rights
principles, as in case of conscriplion.
His whole policy on the orgauiza-
ton and discipline of the army is per-
fectly consistent with the hypothesis
that he is aiming at absolute power.
Not word has come from him of mill
tary usurpation in the orders for mar
tial law by Bragg and Vandorn, OH
the whole system of passports and pro.
vost marshals, which is utterly wrong
and without authority of law. After
all that may be said or written by my
self and others against these usurpa-
tions, not one word has escaped Mr..
Davis showing his disapproval OF them
Again it is well-known that the sub.
ject of dictatorship has been mooted
talked of and discussed in private and
in the public journals, and that tht
most earnest advocates of such 6
course, the virtual doing away will
congress and the constitution, hav.
, been editors near him, (right under hi
nose) editors of Journals recognized a
the time to be the organs of the all
ministration. Now, it seems strange
TO Inc that this should be SO, and niel
holding and advocating such senti
. ments for months should hold such nea
relations to him, if such sentilnc Mt
were distasteful 10 him. These are ua(
signs TO me. Yet they are not con
| elusive evidences of bad objects or in
tentions on his part. They leave lit
in doubt, but certainly awaken my sus
plcion and watchful jealousy. The.
teach me to be OH my guard, and the.
T should, in my opinion. put the whole
3 country OH their guard"