Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-14
sHERMAN-DAVB
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


fF3y telegraph TO the Dlspatoh.1
WARRINGTON, January IL, 1885.
Mr.. Hale, from the Committee ON
Appropriations, reported back the naval
appropriation bill, with amendments.
He said he would call it up tomorrow.
Mr.. Henderson, from the Committee
on Printing, reported. the concurrent
resolution directing the printing OF the
letter of the Secretary Of State Of De-
cember 10Th last and the accompany
ing consular reports relating to labor in
Earope. Placed on the calendar.
Mr.. Dolph, from the Committee on
Public Lands, reported fayorably House
bill repeating all laws providing for pre-
emption Of public lands and ali laws
allowing entries for timber-culture.
Mr.. Edmunds introduced bill au-
thorizing the President to appoint and
place on the retired list Of the army
one person from among those who had
been generals commanding armies OF
the United States or generals-in-chief
of said army.
Mr.. Edmunds expressed the hope
tina. unanimous consent would be given
for the immediate consideration of the
bill. Every Senator, he said, would
see the object, purpose, and applica-
ton of the bill. 1t would authorize
the President to appoint General Grant
to the retired list. In its form 1t obyi-
ated the difficulty observed in the Fitz.
John Porter case. 1t would enable the
United States TO pass an act Of graft
tude and justice to General Grant.
Mr.. Cockrell asked that it should lie
over till tomorrow.
At five minutes before | O'Clock,
upon motion of Mr.. Hawley, the Senate
took up the Shcrman-Davis resolution,
and Senator Vance began his speech
upon it. Mr.. Vance quoted from Gen.
eral Sherman's letter illusions to find
ing Governor Vance's official CORE
spondence in the Executive mansion.
He said that no part Of the official cor
respondence and records were ever kept
in the Executive mansion. The letter
referred to by General Sherman was not
found in the copy-book referred to, for
the reason that no such letter was ever
there. He asserted on the honor Of a
gentleman that no letter making the
threats General Sherman alleges to
have been made was ever received
by the speaker from Jefferson Davis.
Men who fought on the northern and
victorious side seemed to think it a
shame that those who fought for the
South and lost did not join in the at
tempt to heap obloquy on the head OF
Jefferson Davis. The speaker had, ii
was well known, been drawn into Sc
cession unwillingly; but once in, there
was not a day nor an hour that he had
not done his best to make it successful.
General Sherman would rob him of this
satisfactory reflection. 1t was true the
speaker had sent an embassy to
General Sherman to ask protection fol-
his people, but the Confederacy was
then at an end. General Sherman had
found, in fact, that he did not await the
return of his embassy as evidence that
he was afraid of jefferson Davis,
- Afraid of Mr.. Davis, then fugitive
Was ever proposition more absurd? y
The reason why he did not await the
return was because it was reported that
the commissioners had been captured
by Kilpatrick's cavalry, promptly rob-
bed of their personal possessions, and
taken to General Sherman's headquar-
tiers. Thereupon he joined the line Of
the retreating army.
Mr.. Hawley said the purpose of his
resolution was simply to make accessi'
BILE what he regarded as information Of
historic value. lie did not seek this
debate nor wish to prolong it. He had
no disposition to wantonly assail or ex-
ult over men who had lost, but when
ever the issue was presented which has
been brought into view in this discussion
he must maintain the standard which
he had maintained in war and charac.
terize as conspirators and traitors
those who engaged in the con-
spiracy and treason. His principle
was that we must judge Of
men by the light they have, but Of
measures by the light we have. He
then briefly reviewed some correspond
ence that passed between Governor
Vance and President Davis, and read a
letter of Mr.. Vance protesting against
the proposed suspension of the writ Of
hdJeoS corpus. and threatening that the
people of North Carolina would resist
it. He also referred to the refusal by
Governor Brown, Of Georgia, to obey
an order of President Davis as justify
ing Mr.. Sherman's remarks about the
opposition in the Confederacy to Davis /
Administration.
Mr.. Brown, of Georgia, was the next
speaker. He said he was willing to
stand upon his record. and did not pro-
pose to discuss it, but would briefly
reply TO one or two assertions that had
been made in regard to his alleged OBJ
struction to President Dayis's Admin
is,ration. He differed with Davis very
materially on several questions, and
discussed the differences with him very
frankly, but threw no obstacle in the
way of military operations, nor did he
ever disobey any legal order which the
President of the Confederacy had the
right to make. When General Sherman
invaded Georgia he Governor Brown
had organized a military force of old
men ard boys who were not liable to
CONSUMPTION or military duty under the
law of the Confederacy. A requisition
was made by President Davis to turn
this body Of troop over to the regular
Confederate commander, and he refused
to obey it, because the President had
no right to issue the order, and UNI
doubtedly had issued it under misun-
derstanding of the nature Of the case.
He quoted from his own messages to the
Georgia Legislature to show his relations
to the Confederacy at that time and his
earnest efforts to support the military
operations. He quoted from General
shcrman's letter and the correspondence
between the latter and President Lin
coin. He said that he entertained at no