The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-14
THE sHERMAN.pAv1s DEBATE.

Twenty years subsequent to his famous
msrch through Georgia, General Sherman,
from TIE TetiTaey Of privats citizenship,
few months since was seized with rscollec-
ton that Jefferson Davis had been President
OF the Southern Confederacy, and that he
(he bslieved) had once captured letter
written by Davis, whereupon he went into
print to denounce Davis as conspirator and
traitor. As Davis had already been so de.
nounced several million times. more or less,
the lateness of General Shermen's discovery
and PRONUNCIATION of the fact was not devoid
Of ludicrous aspect. It was calculated 10
remind of the anecdote of the Hioernian
who meeting on the street Jew whom be
had known for years, Jumped upon and be-
gan pounding him. "You helped kill
Christ" charged Pat. why, that happ sued
over eighteen hundred wears ago." protested
Isasc. well, I never heard of it Until ye-
terdsy," Pat answered in establishment.
1t was the very height of folly to precipi-
tate upon the country in this day public
discussion OF Jefferson Davis. When the
interest of the people of the Union demands
harmony and frsternal feeling between the
two sections that were twenty years ago at
war, it is not patriotic to cast firebrand at
the past. Whether Jeffsrgon Davis was a
conspiIator and traitor does not enter into
the affairs OF this era. AdAit him to have
been and still to be both, but he is no factor
in politics at this time to be worth bringing
into notice. He Yields no more influence
in the South, and has not for years, than in
the North. But to assail him after the man.
ner Of General Sherman and Senators
Bawley ingalls,, Sherman and others is
simply to open the war question again.
Necessarily the charges involve Others in
the South, who were the advisers and SAP
porters of the Dsyis administration, men
who are accredited to-day with una 1aliied
loyalty and patriotism. That these men
should be FESTIVE under the charges
may not indicate the humility Gen.
eral Sherman and others deem proper.
But il is hardly to be expected, though
they may admit error of judgment, that
they will plead guilty to having been ''coE-
spirtors and traitors" To ask that of them,
or that they sit silent under such ACCUSE
ton, is 10 ask them to convict themselves of
infamy, OF being forever unworthy the con-
fdence or respect of the country.
We gay that the country is in no sense
benefited by General Shermsn's letter nor
the brining up Of the matter in the United
States Senate. The public sentiment of the
Nation long since set the seal of its condem-
nation upon Jefferson Davis. There is not,
Dor has there been since this surrender of
The confederate armies, any second secession
movement. Then why stir the corpse
of the one that died so long
ago? Jefferson. Davis has been for
twenty years in his political
ooffin-why raise the lid and exhibit the re-
nains? 1t would have been an evidences OF
continued or renewed disloyalty on the part
of his followers to have done so; it was I'M
| patriotic and in bad taste for the man who
did SO much to put him into the coffin as
General Sherman did, to opsn it. We
| heartily wish he and his partisan friends in
the United States Senate had shown them.
selves bigger men.