The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-16
TREAcHERY OR rrDBLITY-wH1cH7


1t will be conceded without debate that
General Sherman is no partisan. A military
man during the greater portion of his life, it
is quite likely that he has not cast vote in
twenty-five years, nor has he gone out of his
way to plead the cause of any party, nor
thrown his influence decidedly in favor of
either Of the great political organizations.
While it was generally believed that
he was favorably inclined toward
the Republican party, ID would have
been difficult to have produced any de-
cided expression of opinion. His public utter
ances have been few and carefully considered.
His bearing has been that of soldierly dignity
and conservatism, so that whatever he has
said has commanded the attention of the pub
lie generally, and been accepted as the belief
of sincere man. In all his career as Union
soldier, during and following the war; he has
never evinced any bitterness against the
thousands who bore arms against the govern
ment preferring to regard them as the mis-
guided victims of designing leaders, fact so
palpable that few entertain feelings of ami
mostly for the men who bore arms in the
Southern ranks. But for the leaders in the
rebellion-the men who, after enjoying the
fostering care of the government, violated
their oaths to support the Union and Consti-
+,,t, 10 vi T rlo
educated at West Point, turned the
abilities there acquired to the fur
therance of their own selfish ambitions,
and returned treachery and treason for the bene-
fits enjoyed, Gen. Sherman, in common with
all loyal citizens, has no sympathy. Now,
with LIES experience in the desperate work
of subduing the armed rebellion set in motion
by treacherous and ungrateful men, but with
none of the rancor that takes possession of
smaller minds, he is in position to speak in
diligently, and his words must carry the con-
viction Of truth. When be declares that "no
nation can afford to put fidelity and treachery
on a par and hope to survive" he utters a
truism that can not in candor be gainsaid.
There is bloody shirt" in this only in the
application. Applied to England, France,
Germany, or to any other government there
is not man anywhere in America who would
for moment stultify himself by attempting
to controvert it. Unbiased opinion must in
dorse it. 1t is exactly the same as saying
"no employer can afford to put fidelity and
treachery on par" Neither can he, lest
those faithful be without reward and the
treacherous be encouraged to persist in their
perfdy. The loyal portion Of this Nation
has not yet consented to put these two things
on par, and probably never will. The few
men like jeff Davis, who, traitors to their
country, went into rebellion and ca
joled and bulled others to join
with them, should never and can
never be trusted so long as they continue in
the belief that their action was not infamous
Fortunately for the country, they are dying
and new generation is steadily pushing into
the places so long disgraced by them. The
logic Of history will place them where they
belong, and their memories can never be other
than a stencil in the nostrils Of patriots. The
stragglers of that coterie that led the South
into treason may do their utmost to stem the
tide of loyal disapproval, but they cannot es-
cape drowning in their own infamy. Their
very sons will come to understand the awful
measure of their crime, and to rejoice that
loyalty and patriotism triumphed over them