The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-14
CONSPIRACY AND TREASON.
Conclusion of the Senate Debate as to
the Records of the 0onfederacy.
Senators Vance and Brown Take Part in the
Discussion, but Fail to Throw Any New
Light on the Question.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.-On motion OF Mr..
Hawley the Senate took mp the Sherman Davis
resolution. and Senator Vance spoke upon it
He quoted from General Sherman's letter al
lusions to the finding of Governor Vance's of
fetal correspondence in the executive mansion.
He said no part of the official correspondence
and records was ever kept in the executive man
sion. The letter referred to by General Sher-
man was not found in the copy book
referred to, for the reason that no such letter
there. He asserted, on the honor of gentle
man, that no letter making the threats Gen.
Sherman alleges to have been made was ever re-
ceived by the speaker from JEFF. Davis. The
men who fought OH the Northern and victorious
side seemed to think it q shame that those who
fought for the South and lost did not join in the
attempt to heap obloquy on the head of jeff Da-
Wis. The speaker had, as was we'll known been
drawn into secession unwllingly, hut, once in,
there was not day nor an hour that he had not
done his best to make it successful Gen. Sher-
man would rob him of this satisfactory
reflection. It was true the speaker
had sent an embassy to Gen. Sherman to ask
protection for his people, but the Confederacy
was then at an end Gen. Sherman had found
his embassy evidence that he was afraid of
jeff Davis. Afraid of Davisl Davis was then
a fugitive. Was ever proposition more absurd!
The reason why he did not await the return of
his ambassadors was because it was reported
that they had been captured by Kipatrick's
cavalry, promptly robbed of their personal pos
sessions and taken to Gen. Sbermans head
quarters thereupon he joined the lines of the re-
treating army.
General Sherman had said the commissioners
sent by Governor Vance-ex Governors Graham.
Swain, and Surgeon general Warreu-toid him
that Governor Vance wanted to make separate
terms for that State, but he afraid of defer
son Davis. Mr.. Vance did not believe this; it
could not be true; they were men eminent for
exalted characteristics. and for none more than
regard for truth. Two of them dead;
the third was an eminent physician in
Paris, and no statement from him had been pro
duced. They never would have told General
Sherman. or any other living man, the reverse
of what they knew. that ne (Mr Vance) was not
afraid of jefferson Davis.
At the conclusion of Mr. Vanees remarks, Mr.
Hawley said the purpose of his resolution was
simply to make accessible what he regarded
information of historic value. He did not seek
this debate, wish TO prolong it. He had no
disposition to wantonly aSsa or exult over the
men who had lost, but whenever the issue was
presented which had been brou hit into view in
this discussion, he must maintain the standard
that he had maintained in the war, and charac-.
| terize as consprators and traitors those who
gagged in conspiracy and treason His principle
WAS that we must judge men, not by the
| light they have but their measures by
the light we have. He then briefly
| reviewed some of the correspondence that passed
|. bet &een Governor Vance and President Davis,
andl read letter protesting against the pro-
posed suspension of the writ of habeas corpus,
md fbs hat ba IF Caro-
lima would resist it. He also referred to the re-
fusal by Governor Brown, of Georgia. to obey
an order of President DAVIS, as iustifying Gen
eral Shermans remarks about opposition in the
Confederacy to Davis's administration.
Mr.. Brown was the next speaker He said he
was willing TO stand upon his record. and did
not propose to discuss it, but would briefly reply
to or two assertions that had
been made in regard to his alleged OBJ
structon of President Davis's administration.
He differed from Davis very materially
eral questions. and discussed those differences
with him very frequently but threw no obsta-
cles in the way Of military operations, nor did
he ever d.sobey any legal order which the Pres
ident of the COnfederacy had right to make
When General Sherman invaded Georgia he
Governor Brown) had organized a military force
of old men and boys who were not liable to con-
scription or military duty under the laws of the
Confederacy requistion was made by Presi-
dent Davis 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
misunderstanding of the nature of the case. He
quoted from ais own message to the Georgia
Legislature to show his relation to the Confed-
eracy at the time, and his constant efforts to
support the military operations He quoted
from General Sherman,s letter, and from
the correspondence between the latter
and President Lincoln. He said he
tertained at time, no such purpose
| - &lan 1.,kko
seemed to suppose, and he believed Mr.. Stephens
entertained such purpose. He had been in
ylted, through Mr. King by General Sherman,
to visit him and to treat for terms OF peace, so
far as Georgia was concerned, but he had re-
piled that he had no authority to negotiate. The
speaker Was not an original Union man, he was
secessionst from the beginning There were
few of the family left now. He again quoted
from his reply to General Sherman his declara-
ton that. come veal or come woe, the State of
Georgia should not, with his consent, aban-
don the Cenfederacy.
Senator Hawley thought the record would
not be complete without u few quotations from
the matter already published and he read from
the Sherman papers communication from the
confederate Secretary of War to Governor
Brown, directing that the Georgia reserves
report to the confederate authorities.
tiles, and Governor Browns refusal to comply.
In this communication he also comments upon
the failure of the President to defend Georgia
in her emergency and expresses purpose to
use the Georgia forces for q defense against for
ign foes or domestic usurpation.
Senator Brown. in reply, said the extracts read
by Senator Hawley were mere extracts The
correspondence was a voluminous one, and he
stood upon it He again stated that the reason
whyeArhe did not turn over the troops was that
| they were not of class which the Confederacy
had right to demand. They consisted of State
and county officers and old men and young boys.
Senator Hawley said that, as an original seces-
sionisr the senator ought not to evade the pre-
else issue. lie retained the troops to resist
usurpations of power by the confederate author
tiles. and so gave those authorities to under
stand
| Our judgment on secession measure was alb
solute, final, severe. crushing, and that judg
4 ment had been rendered In the highest court to
which mankind could appeal. Those who had
/ differed with~us on the war issues had declared
| aState had right to secede from the Union,