The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-01-17
SHERMAN REPLIES TO DAVIS.
Why He Called Jefferson a Conspirator
and Dictator.
Charging Him with Regulating the Idea
of State Sovereignty to Further His Own

Ncuctdl OueIiuAu Has SeHI 'oeSielaiy
Lincoln a long letter in relation to his
charge that jefferson Davis discarded
the idea of state sovereignty af.er the
breaking out Of the war, and that he
threatened to use force to prevent any
Southern state from seeding from the
Confederacy. In the course of his letter
General Sherman says:
''In 1864, when we were in possession
of Atlanta, Ga, saw familiarly great
number of gentlemen of that state, with
whom | conversed freely. They spoke
openly and unreservedly of the tyranny
of the Confederate authorities in Rich
monj, and of Mr.. Davis particularly. He
was the head Of the government, the
commander in-chief OF its armies. His
character was an element in tho problem
Of the war for putting down thj rebel
lion, in which at the time was an i'm
portant factor. The cost OF the war was
then a matter of intense interest to Mr..
Lincoln, Mr.. Stanton, Mr.. Chase and
other leaders in Washington. On the
18th of September, 1864, | telegraphed
to General Haiieck, in Washington:
Governor Brown has disbauded his mil
tia to gather the corn and sorghum of
the state. | have reason to believe he
aud Stephens want to visit me, and have
sent them a hearty invitation Two
days after received from President Lin
coin this despatch:
80 feel great interest in the subjects
of your despatch, mentioning corn and
sorghum and the contemplated visit to
YOU On the same day | answered him
direct, by telegram: 1 will keep the de.
partment fully advised of all develop
ments connected with the subjects in
which you feel Interested. Mr. Wright
former member Of Congress frcm Rome,
Ga, and Mr.. King, of Marietta, are now
going between Governor Brown and my
self. ! have said to them that some of
the people of Georgia are engaged in re-
bellion, begun in error, and perpetuated
in pride; but that Georgia can now save
herself from the devastations OF war,
preparing for her, emily by Withdrawing
her quota of the Confederate army and
aiding me to expel Hood from the Dor
ders of the state; in which event. instead
of devastating the land as we progress,
will keep our men to the high roads and
commons, and pay for the corn and meat
we need
Mr.. Lincoln. with his wonderful sagac-
ity, saw that Jeff Davis visit to Geer-
giA in September. 1864, was rather on
account of Stephens and Brewr than
Hood. He was a statesman, | mere
soldier, who watched the desperate move
for its military chances, and | was abao-
lutely convinced that Davis then sus-
pccted tbs fidelity Of Stephens and Brown
to him as tire head aud front of the
Richmond Confedacy, for it had ceased
to be a confederacy of sovereign states
The secession of 1861 had become sep
arate state action in 1864, and Davis
was opposed to it, as he well might be.
(Sec his letter to the Georgia Senators,
Page POI American Annual CyclopHdia.
1864 Had Georgia Withdrawn in 1861
tho Confederacy would have collapsed
as bubble, and Georgia, South Caro-
lima and North Carolina would have es-
capped the devastation which necessarily
followed
when in Atlanta had p,Ssession Of
avast amount OF captured letters and
newspapers which enabled ms to trace
the current of public opinion in the South
which is as much an element of force as
that of muskets | have never spoken
or written of Mr.. Davis as plainly as
Mr.. Stephens did in April, 1864, after he
had been associated with him three years
in tho government of the Confederacy.
AT the time of my remark at the Frank
p. Blair Post | was not in possession of
this particular letter, but l knew of the
opinions of Mr.. Stephens, which were
thon shared by many Of the most irtelIi-
gent men OF Georgia.
The army which had the honor to
command in Atlanta moved fol wand 10
Savannah, Ga: to Columbia, S. c.; to
Goldsboro' and Raleigh, in North Caro-
lima, nearly Thousand miles inside the
Confederacy, and during that period
November, 1864, to April, 1861 wit
messed hundreds, if not thousands. of in
stances of the effect OF the measures and
policy which Mr.. Stephens had foreseen
were leading up to despotism. A Con
federa tie officer who had been much in
Washington in ante bellum days told me
that we officers of the regular army ussd
to complain of the favoritsm extended
to certain army officers stationed at
Washington, but this was nothing com
pared to the favoritlsm which at that
moment (lS65) prevailed AT Richmond,
and that the sons OF the rich and inilu-
entail sought and obtained clcrkships in
the departments, details to gather the
tax in kind, to enforce the couscript law,
railroad service. Nc, to escape service in
the Confederate ranks. | believed him
and | believe him low. We continued
to gather in from private and public
sources much valuable information,
which may never be revealed, proving to
my mind that the government at Rich
mond, partly from conviction and partly
from desperation, had thrown OF the
mask and had passed from a c0nfedera-
ton of sovereign and indepeuden5 states
to despotisln almost personal to Mr..
Davis himself.
"Tbe surrender of Lees arny at APP
pomattox occurred April 8, 1866; was
known to me at Smithfield, n c., on
the 18th, aud announced in general Or
ders. That night | reached Gulleys
station, and there came locomotive and
car from Raleigh with three commits
Messrs. Graham and
Swain, and Surgeon Warren, OF the Con
federate army-hearing letter from
Governor Vance, OF which do not pos
sess the original or copy. These conf
missioners said to me, without reserve,
that when Governor Vance despatched
them from Raleigh to my camp at Gull
ley's he wanted TO make terms for the
state. and aiterward that he was afraid
of jeff Davis.
The General goes on at length on ac-
count of records letters, &C., found at
Ealeish and other places as well as ex.
prsssions of the feelings of leading cit-
zens of the States' of Georgia and North
Carolina, ali tending to show that Davis
wss not only susp cted of having re-
nounced his States rights. theories, and
was welding despotic power, aud that
fear of him alone prevented the Cover
nors OF these States from leaving the