The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-19

/ tTayal OF his trust. IL means not only
Gen. Johnston but President Davis
and the attendant members OF his
Cabinet, far from being palsied by the
stroke Of irreparable catastrophe,
strove to the last moment 10 redeem an
unilest and hopeless cause, and came
within an hairs breadth OF securing
more amid the shock OF shipwreck
than had ever been conceded in the
flush OF their success. II means that
but for the providential presence OF
great citizen at Washington, the re-
public mutt have lost nearly all that a
great soldier had won for ii at Rich
mond, aud that the surprising magni-
| tude OF this country's debt TO Stanton
is at last to be acknowledged. 4"
The rebellion, in a word, was known
10 it's organizers aud directors to be at
its last gasp, and with the clutch OF
drowning men they chung II the plank
Of rescue and redemption held out to
them by Sherman's insensate breach
of duty. We say Sherman's breach Of
duty, Tor he will not dispute a'generals
obligation to make the most of his sd-
vantages; neither in face Of these
letters can II any longer be pretended
that he would have risked more by an
incorporating treatment OF johnson
than Grant had hazarded by his un-
flinching course toward Lee. 1t was
preposterous for any Union COM
mander TO exact less after the prottra-
ton OF the public foe at Appomattox
than bal been demanded there, and
it was rank injustice to
Sheiman's veterans to assume that
they could be put down with
guerdon short Of their enemy's I'M
conditional surrender. To impose
such rightful terms their general had
only, as the event proved 10 announce
his uItimstum; yet with every trump
card in his band Sherman was in
splred by f)lly, or q vainglorious de-
sire OF forestalling the Executive and
mimicking sta.esmau's part, to
throw the whole stakes away. In the
field with his soldiers at his back he
would have been invincible, but he
was puppet in the practiced hands
of the Oonfsderats political as. The
convention made by him ostensibly
with Johnston, but virtually, ~ the
tsxt shows, with the Coincidence
government, bsars memorable witness
to the astuteness of the one party and
the blindness of the other.
II has, indeed, been questioned
whether the Union general had ga
gacity enough 10 see the gravity Of his
conoessions-whether, in other words,
the man really knew what he was do
log. But he knew he was transcend
lug q, soldiers Office. He knew he
was usurping functions Il the civil
power. He knew he had no business
to treat with any one but Johnston, or
with him upon any other subjsct but
the surrender OF the rebel force in
North Carolina. Sherman knew that
he bad no more right than the mean
est sutler in his camp TO embarrass
and commit the government at Wash
ington. OF knowing these things and
OF SHINING with his eyes wide open he
can only be absolved upon the plea OF
idiocy; aud therefore May men felt
then, what more OF us must row
acknowledge, that simple justice had
been done had Grant used the dis
cretioua'y power with which Stanton
had intrusted him, and arrested Sher-
man at the head Of his army.
They saw the agreement with Sher-
man ratified by the government at
Washington-and now that Lincoln
was no more, they had good reason to
expect that civilians would truckle to
the will OF successful soldier-would
leave the deft a.ed rebels in absolute
control OF the seeding States, masters
OF every State government, OF every
arsenal, OF the militia, OF the tax.
levying and loan.raising power. They
saw that II would leave them ready,
when time should serve and the Union
soldiers were disbanded, 10 break a
sec md time the oath which they had
pronounced not binding, and renew a
conflict which was now more than
ever Economically irrepressible, All
of them also perceived, no doubt,
what Judge Reagan with less caution
than his colleagues dilates upon,
namely, that the scheme Of reconstruc-
tion outlined In the Sherman conven-
ton would offer basis for demanding
either that the Federal government
should recognize the rebel debt, or
should relieve the citizens OF seeding
States from sharing the burden OF tax
alton needed TO defray the cost { {
placing Union armies in the field.
But we have not yet touched upon
the Whole shame which Sherman
tried to fasten on his country. Not
only would his reinstatement OF the
rebel State Governments in their con-
stitntional powers prove an insupera'
bic bar to the thirteenth amendment,
but by the fifth tcle of his mon
strous agrtc nent he expressly guar
anteed the Southern Shareholders in
all the rights of property secured Ia
them by the too indulgent constitu-
ton Of the United States, and by the
slave-bind ng organic laws of their re-
spective commemorative. No wonder
that the Cabinet advisers Of Mr.. Davis
dwell with junction. on the import oil
this incredible concession. They were
to keep, then, after all, those human
Chaltsls whose possession had Ions
been acknowledged on both sides tC
be the fatal seed Of irremediable dis.
cord. They had managed by iheil
shrewd diplomacy - annul the call &c
freedom which Lincoln had put forth
aud which Grant had count srtigneC
With victory. All that they deiber
ately staSed end lo3t upon the cast o
war was to be recovered from th'
vanity or weakness OF q meddlesomC
commander, who,
Like the base Judean, threw pearl ava!
Richer than all his tribe"
What Gen, Alderman Has 10 Say.
New York Tribune: Gen. w.
Shermen has remained here sine,
Gen. Hsncock's funeral, but will re
turn TO st. Louis to-day. The publ
cation in the Son regarding the con
dition OF the Ooniederacy when Sher
, man offered johnson terms Of capitu
lation which, it is said, would hav,
lett the South in possession Of ii
slaves and the States in the hards o
, the existing governments, has causet
considerable talk. A Tribune repoite
, asked the general about il yesterday
, and he replied: 81 haven't seen th,
article, although my attention ha
2 haan Enflal Z a