The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-01-17
sherman-Davis Debate.

| A controversy sprung up some months ago
between Gen. w. T. Sherman and Jefferson
Davis, concerning the policy OF the latter
whilst President of the Confederacy. zen.
Sherman alleged, in speech at grand army
post meeting, that Mr.. Davis held views con-
trary to the principles upon which the Con-
! federacy was founded and was favorable to
coercion to keep the seeded states in the
Confederacy. This information he said he
gathered from some letters he had seen. Mr.
| Davis replied to Gen. Sherlnan's remarks,
denying the allegations. Gen. Sherman then
] filed at the War Department a letter concern
ing Mr.. Davis policy, and on Monday Senator
Hawley introduced resolution in the Senate
calling for copy of the letter. This proyok-
ed two days debate, several Southern Sen
ators opposing the resolution, and Senators
| Hawley, Sherman, Ingalls, and other Repub-
cans favoring it. The Southern Senators
thought that as the letter referred to subject
of personal difference between two citizens no
public good could be served by the Senate
calling for copy, and thereby giving it sub
stantially an endorsement. During the debate
Sherman, Hawley and Ingalls, characterized
/ Davis as a conspirator, traitor &C., and one
went so far as to scout the idea that Davis
word should stand as against Sherman 70
this was replied that Davis was man of
character, honor and patriotism, and beloved
and honored by millions of the citizens of this
country.
The debate was closed on Tuesday by Sen
ators Vance and Brown.
Mr.. Vance was the first speaker. He quo
ted from Gen. Sherman's letter the illusions
to finding Governor Vances official cores
pondence in the executive mansion. lie SAID
that no part of the official correspondence
and records were ever kept in the executive
mansion. The letter of Mr.. Davis referred to
| by Gen. Sherman was not found in the copy
book referred to for the reason that no such
letter was ever there. He Senator vance,
asserted on the honor of gentleman that no
4 letter making the threats Gen. Sherman al
| leges to have been made was ever received by
the speaker from Jefferson Davis. The rea-
sons given by Gen. Sherman to corroborate
his statement were such, Mr. Vance thought,
as would scarcely commend themselves to a
respectable lawyer. The suggestion as to the
probable fate of that mysterious letter, that 1t
was burned in the Chicago fire, was mere
apology for it's non-production, and contra
dicted the idea of its Importance, for IT 1t had
been such as Gen. Sherman said 1t was IT
would have found its way into the public
| files.
But there was another matter averred by
! Gen. Sherman that more nearly concerned
| Mr.. Vance, and to which he would ask the
attention of the Senate. sit may be, sir,
continued Mr. Vance, Shat Northern gentle
men, who were on the victorious side during
the civil war, cannot properly appreciate the
feelings and sentiments of those who were on
the side of misfortune and defeat. They seem
to regard it IS quite sin and shame that
we do not readily join in the denunclatlons
that are heaped upon him who was the leader
in that war; and hasten to condemn him ON
/ III. Al oF ono No
our conduct and commenting ourselves to the
good opinion of our late opponents. Surely
40 man of even the slightest sense OF honor
in his composition could respect any Southern
| man who would thus debase himself.
tSurely the most fragrant and rampant
! trafficker in the issues of sectional hatred
would respect more an adversary who came to
him walking upright on his feet than one
crawling. on his belly. If motif different
sentiments, to prevail-what must we thlnK
of the manhood of men who should entertain
it? Now, sins, be it known to you that those
of us who pledged our faith to each other Tor
the establishment of the Confederacy gave up
all for which we contended when it failed, re-
tanning to ourselves only one solitary satisfy
ing reflection, and that is that we had at least
served our country faithfully, honestly and
devotedly, as we understood it.
Gen. Sherman, Mr. Vance said, thought,
perhaps, he was doing him Mr.. Vancel
kindness, and that he was commenting HIM
to the people by holding out the idea that he
! (Mr. vance, while Governor was disatfected
toward the Southern cause and was ANXIOUS
to separate from the Confederacy, but was
restrained by fear. Mr.. Vance said he wanted
no mans goodwill that was based on the
supposed virtues of treason to his country and
the desertion of his associates The goodwill
| of q man who would respect these traits was
| not worth picking up from the dust IN the
common highway Gen. Sherman had sand
that the commissioners sent by Gov vance
| (ex-Governors Graham and Swain and Sur
geon- General Warren) told him that Gov-
| Vance wanted to make separate terms 1or Ihe
1 State, but was afraid of Jefferson Davis. Mr.;
| Vance did not believe they said so. 1t could
not be true. They were men eminent Tor eX-
| allied characteristics more than their
regard for truth Two of them were dead,
| the third was now an eminent physician OF
| Paris. and no statement of his had been pro-
duced.
Concluding, Mr.. Vance said: 'How well
and how faithfully served the lost cause the
country knows. My own people, sir, about
whose opinion | am most concerned, Will
wonder that anybody can be found to ques-
| ton it.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Vance's remarks
! Mr. Hawley said the purpose OF his resolution
was simply to make accessible what ne re-
garded as information OF historic value. ne
/ had no disposition to wantonly assall or exult
over the men who had lost, but whenever the
! issue was presented which has been brought
! into view in this discussion he must MAINTAIN
| the standard which he had maintained IN the
| war. and characterize as consplrators ana
traitors those who engaged in conspiracy ana
treason. He then briefly reviewed some cor
respondence that passed between Gov. Vance
and President Davis, and read letter OF
Vance protesting against the proposed sus,
pension of the writ of habeas corpus, ana
threatening that the people OF North Carolina
would resist it. He also referred to q refusal
bv Governor Brown, of Georgia, to obey an
order of President Davis as justitying Gen.
Sherman's remarks about the opposition IN
the Confederacy to Davis's administration
Mr.. Brown, (Ga.) was the next speaker.
He said he differed with Mr.. Davis very mate
rally 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 right
to make When General Sherman invaded
| Georgia he (Gov. Brown had organized a
military force of old men and boys who were
not liable to Consumption or military duty
under the law of the Confederacy. requi-
sition was made by the Secretary OF War to
turn this body of troops over to the regular
Confederate commander, and he refused to
/ obey it because the President had no right to
issue the order, and undoubtedly had issued
It under a misunderstanding of the nature of
the case. By some mistake Mr.. Davis had
not informed himself of the status of those
troops. The order would have divided them
up, and sent some of them out of the State,
| misleading of permitting them to defend their
principal city. Mr.. Brown had no idea that
was Mr.. Davis intention, and he refused to
turn them over because the Secretary of War
had no right to order into service any class OF
troops that the laws of the Confederacy did
not make subject to service. Mr.. Brown said
that statement in Gen. Sherman letter, as
published, would seem to imply that he MIR.
| Brown and Alexander Stephens at one time
before the close of the war wished to have a
personal conference with General Sherman.
| He (Mr. Brown had entertained no idea of
personal conference, and neither, he was
sure. did Mr.. Stephens. They would have
been glad to see negotiations opened between
the Confederate government and the United
States government, but neither Mr.. Brown
nor Mr.. Stephens was an authorized agent OF
the Confederacy to treat for peace. nor had
they indicated desire to do so. MIR. VIM.
| King had come to Milledgeville, Ga, saying
to Gov. Brown that Gen. Sherman had sent
! liz, 70 invite the Governor to visit Gen.