The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-01-14
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Documents Filed by General Sherman with
the War Department in Justifoa-
tion of His Assertion
That Mr.. Davis Changed His States Rights
Doctrine and Threatened Force II
Any should Attempt to Leave
the Confedercy.
THE coRREspoNDENcE.

|
al Republican this morning published In
full the documents filed by General Sher-
man with the War Department in justifca.
tion of his assertion at a recent meeting OF
a Grand Army Post in st. Louis that jeff
Davis, during the progress of the war,
changed his State rights doctrine and
threatened to use force should any State OF
the Confederacy attempt TO secede from
the Government. General Shermans lettd
transmitting these documents was published
by certain papers yesterday in violation of
pledge ESQ Secretary Lincoln says that
the whole correspondence should be pub
lished or none.
The omitted documents on which Cen
eral Sherman based the charges contained
In his speech and reiterated In his letter
establish these points. Extracts from con-
temporaneous encyclopedias set forth that
In North Carolina two parties existed. One
| headed by Holden, who contended that the
State alone had the right to negotiate a
peace with the General Government; the
other headed by Governor (now Senator)
Vance, insisted that the State could only
act in cooperation with other States en-
gagged with her in the war.
Quotation is made from speech Of Gov.
ernor Vance's in which he declared
Secession from the Confederacy will in
vOlve us in new war--a bloOdier conflict
than tllh which we now deplore-so soon as
you announce to the world that you are u
| sovereign and independent nation. As a
matter Of course the Confederate Govern
ment has a right to declare war against you
and President Davis will make the whole
State field OF battle and blood"
This Is followed up by letter from JEFF.
ferson Davis to Governor Vance dated jan
uary s, 1864, In which he says: IL have
received your letter OF the 30th ult, con-
tanning suggestions Of the measures to be
adopted for the purpose OF removing the
sources of discomfort in North Carolina.
" fear much from the tenor OF the
news l receive from North Carolina that an
attempt will be made by some bad men TO
inaugurate movement which must be con-
sidered as equivalent To aid and comfort TO
the enemy and which all patriots should
combine to put down at any cost. You may
count on my aid In every effort 10 spare
| your State the scenes of civil warfare which
will devastate its homes II the designs OF
these traitors be suffered to make head
way"
In secret message TO the Confederate
Congress, transmitted about this same time,
Mr.. Davis said he had hoped to present to
the world, "the proud spectacle of people
unanimous in the assertion and defense Of
their rights and without the necessity Of a
single sacrifice OF civil rights to military
necessity. But 1t can no longer be doubted
that the zeal with which the people sprang
10 arms at the beginning OF the contest has,
IN some parts OF the COnfederacy, been inl'
paired. Public meetings have been held, In
some OF which a reasonable design Is
masked by pretense of devotion 10 State
sovereignty and In others Is openly ayowed'
whereilpOn he asks: "Must these evils be
enduredp Must the independence for which
we are cOntending, the safety OF the de-
fenseless families Of tile men who have
fallen In battle and OF those who still con-
front the invaders, be put in peril for the
sake Of conformity to the technlealltles OF
the law OF treason"
He proceeds to recommend the suspen-
sion OF The writ OF habeas corpus through
out the Coniederacy. Appended TO this
secret message Is an intercepted letter from
Alex ii. Stephens TO Herschel V. johnson,
Of Georgia (which has previously been pub
lished, but which only becomes fully intel
llgible when considered in the connection
which General Sherman places it) In which
Mr.. Stephens says of Mr.. Davis: "Since
his first elevation TO power he has chan ged
many of his former State rigths principles,
rs 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"