The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-21


the following resolution on the 18th:
Resoired, That the President of the
United States be, and he is hereby, re-
quested, if in his opinion it be not in
compatible with the puplic interest, to
communicate to the Senate a historical
statement concerning the public policy
of the executive department of the Con
federate States during the late war of
the rebellion, reported to have been
lately filed in the War Department by
General William T. Sherman.
The resolution produced an animated
discussion, in which Messrs. HAwLEY
CoNGEEs, DAWES, INGALLS, and JOHN
SHERMAN participated on the one side
and Messrs. HARRIS, VEST, GEORGE
MORGAN and LAMAR, in the oldei
named, on the other.
Mr.. GEORGE spoke well. He said:
Mr.. GEORGE. Mr.. President, / was
absent when this resolution was called
up, and my object in rising now is not
to asperse any individual, and, certainly,
L
accomplished my object when | say
that this is purely private and per
sonal controversy between private citi
zens of this country, and | can see 70
occasion for the Intervention Of the
Senate in the way this resolution pro
poses
As | understood the controversy,
General Sherman has made certain
charges against Mr.. Davis, made them
not in an official communication, made
them in a speech to his com rades.
Mr. Davis replied, denying the charge.
General Sherman has filed, as | under
stand-and ! speak from the press-in
the War Department what he cOnceives
to be the proof of his charge | do not
see what the Senate has to do with this
question. 1t is a matter that must be
decided by the public whether or not
General Sherman is right; but do not
think that this Senate, in this private
and personal quarrel ought to lend its
influence or its aid to the one side or the
other.
1t is for these reasons, sir, that op
pose the passage of this resolution:
Allow me, Mr.. President, to say again,
| will express no opinion here on the
merits of this controversy. | have an
opinion and a very decided one, but do
not believe that it accords with my
duty to my constituents, to the State
which have the honor in part to rep
resent on this floor, or to the good of
this whole country, that | should ex
press hatopinion. But whatever opinion
may entertain, whatever opinion tbeSen
at0r from Michigan may entertain, cannot
be enforced or strengthened by the
action of the Senate. That controversy
between these two eminent men must
go down to history and must be settled
as all other questions are settled, accord
ing to the truth and the merits of the
case; and allow me to say, sir, that with
that Judgment ] shall lie perfectly
satisfied. | have no fear that anything
in that judgment will be adverse to the
honor or patriotism of Jefferson Davis
Mr.. Lamar said.
Mr.. LAMAR. Mr.. President, / have
just stepped into the Senate and have
not yet heard the resolution which i.
under discussion. l presume it refer,
to a publication of some papers relating
to the war of secession that are now OF
file in the War Department. Without
knowing the position occupied by my
friends on this side or upon the part o.
Senators on the other side, desire here
to say that have no objection to an,
publication which will throw light upor
the true character of that movement
for the separation of the States of tn,
South from the States of the North
and should not have made any remark
except to have followed and to have giver
my vote silently upon this question, bu
for the speech have listened to of the
Senator from Ohio. That speech, sir
is Acknowledgements inaccuracies in his
statements of the issue between General
Sherman and Mr.. Davis. The issue be
tween these two distinguished gentlemen
is not the issue which the Senator from
Ohio represents, and the issue which
does exist between them he has not
brought to the attention of the Sen
ate.
Now; sir. according to the publication
In the press, and which went no. only
to the extremities of this nation, but tc
the extremities of civilization, it was
not merely that the secession of the
Southern States was the result of a con
spiracy. That is a question, as the
Senator properly remarked, of historical
truth, and is to be ascertained by The
facts of history as read in future genera
tions. Whether it was a conspiracy of
few ambitious individuals, or whether
it was the uprising of a whole people to
preserve, as they thought, their autonn-
my and their institutions, is question
which am willing shall be RENTED to
the verdict of posterity.
But, sir, General Sherman went
further, and | wish to here say that
there is no man on this floor who per-
sonally has kinder feelings for General
Sherman than myself. No Senator here
entertains higher admiration for his
military sagacity and genius. But Gener-
al Sherman was betrayed by his feelings
and by misinformation, into an allega-
ton and charge against Jefferson Davis
that he cannot sustain and that no man
can ever sustain, and which is not the
truth; and that is that he saw letter
from Jefferson Davis asserting that if a
Southern State should secede from the
confederacy he would put that down by
military coercion of the Confederate
Government. That is the statement
which General Sherman made. There is
no question of historical fact in rela-
ton to the character of that movement
between General Sherman and Mr..
Davis It is inside of the record, and
when be says that there is no personal
between these two distin-
guished gentlemen his statement comes
in direct conflict with the assertion of
General Sherman himself, for when he
was interviewed by the press Of
Saint Louis as to Mr.. Davis denial he
refused to make statement, and said,
:" This is not for the press of the country:
Il Is personal matter between me and
Mr.. Davis" The personality of it is
made by General sherman himself.
And, sir, the discussion which il
brought out here can throw no li9hf
whatever on that naked, bald issue of
fact, whether or not General Sherman
saw letter written by Jefferson Davis
10 Senator now in the United States
Senate, saying lie wonld coerce South
ern State If 1t should secede from the
assert that no such let
;er is inexistence, and in my opinion, no
such letter was ever written; and in say
ng that, sir, wish to disclaim here any
'efIection whatever upon the veracity Of |
GENERAL Sherman. That il not my pur-