The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-14
THE ISSUE DIRECT.
CLOSE OF THE DAVlS-SHeRMAN DIS
CUSSlON IN THE SENATE.
Vance Takes Direct Issue of Veracity with
Cen. Sherman-A Bill to Retire Gen.
Observation-Disclosures Personal
Explanation.

amendment, and gave notioe hs would cali
it up Wednesday
Edmunds, president pro tenn, called In
gals to the chair, and from the hoor as
chairman of the committee on judiciary,
offered a bill authorizing the president, by
and with the consent of the senate, to ap-
point on the retired list of the army Of the
United States, from among those who have
been generals commanding the srmy, OF
generals in-chisf of said army, one person
to be put on the retired list, and tha
total number now allowed by law shall be
increased accordingly EImunds asked the
unanimous consent that this bill be now con-
sideree. Every senator would see its pur
port. 1t would authorize the president to
appoint Ulysses & Grant to the army of the
United States, and obviate the objection
urged by the president against the Fitz- J John
Porter bill. CtctrelI objected and the bill
went over.
Hawlsy moved to proceed to the consider
alton Of Ills bill th print Gen. Sherman's
historical statement On this question,
when the yeas and nays we're called, d dead
silence was maintained on the Democratic
side, and the senate proceeded 10 the eonsid
Grafton of the question.
Vance slowly rose, and with a manuscript
speech i'll his hand proceed to read that part
of Gen. Sherman's letter which referred TO
him, to which he categorically replied.
l. That 10 letters or documents or letter
books were ever left at his residence while
governor No clerk or secretary Of his ever
used as repository any cOpybook
for his (Nance'sl correspondence,
all letters having been copied
in the book required by law, and
afterward tied mp in bundles, where they
remain until this day Gen. Sherman did
not find in the copy book which he refers to
any such letter, tor the simple reason that
no such letter ever existed He averrei
most positively on his honor as an American
senator, that no letter containing such a
threat was received by him. All letters
from Mr. Davis to him were to be
found copied in the book now ON file in tine
war department.
He proceeded to say that the reasons given
by Mr.. Sherman, in corroboration Of his
statement were equally untrue 1t was i'm.
possible that any distinguished citizens OF
North Carolina could have made the state
ments to Gen. Sherman which he said they
did, that lie lVanceI was a friend of Mr.
Davis 1t was true he [Vancel did send an
| embassy to Gen. Sherman, but it was to
ask protection, not terms The
war being then virtually over, and
Mr. Davis a fugitive The reason
he did not await the return Of that embassy
was because he was informed it had been
captured by Kilpatrick's cavalry. Those
| who served on the victorious side in the late
war seemed unable to appreciate the feelings
| which those who suffered the humiliation OF
defeat still entertained toward their great
leader, but he appealed to them whether
| they, as men, would not rather see their late
| foes meeting them standing up rather than
crawling on their bellies.
Hawley read extracts from correspondence
between Governor Vance and Jefferson
! Davis on the subject of suspending the writ
| of habeas corpus, to sustain Gen Sherman
| views OF their relation.
Brown rose to personal explanation. He
| had never disobeyed an order Of the preSi
| dent of the Confederate states which he had
the right to give There had been a wide
difference ef opinion between Mr. Davis and
| himself as to the conStitutionality of the
conscript act, but he never sought tC
| obstruct it. When Gen. Sherman's army in
| vaded Georgia he called into active service
| a class of persons, old men and boys. and of
| ficers of counties who were not liable t.
| milstyH duty He did refuse al
order to turn these troops over tC
the confederate army, because the president
had no power to order into service troop!
| who by law were exempt And though thest
troops We're furloughed to gather the crops
| they were afterward called back into ser
vice and were duly surrendered with John
| sons army. He denied that either himself
or Mr.. Stephens had ever indicated wisl
to Gen. Sherman for conference with {
view for a separate state accommodation fol
Georgia, though both would have been GLAD
to have seen negotiations opened betweer
the federal government and the confederate
| government He continued: II was not al
original Union man | was q secessionist
am aware there are few of the origina
panel now living Still was a secessionist
the government was made with my consen
and therefore there was no state of the cas-
in which l could permit Georgia to negotiate
in any manner which would ever imply bat
faith to the Confederacy.n
The discussion at this point began t
broaden very considerably. Hawley, il
support of Gen. Shernan's statement of Gov
ernor Browns attitude toward Davis, reat
Governor Browns letter refusing to turn owe
his militia to the Confederate authorities
in which he declared that he held thes
troops to defend the state against usurpa
tion and abuse of power by the central gov
ernment, as well as TO Tepel invasion by til
enemy.
The yeas and nays were allied on tn
adoption of the resolution and it was agree
to--52 to 10-a number Of Democrat
voting for it, including Bayard, Garland
Lamar and Vance These voting in tn
negative were Brown, Colquitt, Hampton
Harris, Kenna, Maxey, Morgan, Salisbury
Slater and Vest-l0.
A resolution was adoptel by the senat
calling on the secretary Of the treasury fo
information as to the recent orders suspend
ing the collection of the whisky tax.
At 2 o'clock the chair laid before the sci
ate the interstate commerce bill and th
galleries rapidly cleared.
Monday afternoon the house considered
number of measures relating to the Distrit
of Columbia, and then took up the cousula
and diplomatic appr opriation bill, and
| was discussed for the remainder of the da
without final action
When the house assembled Tuesday Stool
slayer, of Indiana, rose to personal es
planation and had read despatch froi
Washington to the New York Sun Of MOI
day commenting upon the passage betwee
Randall pa and Stockslager, chargin
combination to take SIS ,00O,000 from th
treasury for the construction of public builG
ings. He said he was not surprised at th
recklessness Of correspondents when
member Warner, Of Ohiol had stated in a
interview that there were $50, ,000,00 il
volved in these bills There were in all fifty
one or fifty-two bills, and the whole amour
including a building for the army medica
museum and the library building, and thre
bills already passed, only aggregated 81, SS4,
S27 This he asserted was not an unusua
sum, and considering that no pre-
visions had been made for pub
lie buildings for the past thre
years. was reasonable and proper. A
to the charge of log rolling, he, for himself
the committee and members of the commit
tee, denounced it as gratuitous, uncalled 70
and entirely false. Each bill stood alone.
they had desired combination they woul
have put the buildings in an omnibus bill