The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-10-20


is apparent that this so-called historica
statement had been seen by Republican
Senators, s, and that they were not igno
rant of It's real character when the Haw
ley resolution was under discussion il
the Senate. Those Senators then knew
that General Sherman had, in his lette:
OF January 6, 1885, to the Secretary O.
War, changed the issue between us from
one of veracity to q rambling, shutting
discussion of conspiracy and of con
spirators' in the winter of 1S60-61, ant
that which at Frank Blair Post may have
been "a white lie, not intended for pub
ication-came before the Senate as 6
historical statement, bolstered with 9th
er ialsehooas equally without foundation
or support in anything written or uttered
by ne. 1t now survives as an executive
document of picturesque prevarication
I know nothing Of any conspiracy OF
'conspirators. There was no secrecy
about any of the political affairs which
led to the secession of the States IL
1S6O-61. It was the opinion of the con
ference of Southern Senators in January,
which is introduced in this historical
statement as evidence of conspiracy,
that secession was the only remedy left
to the States; that every effort to pre-
serve the peace had failed mainly
through the action OF that portion of the
Republican party which refused al,
propositions for adjustment made by
those who sought in January, 1861, to
justify confidence, insure peace and pre-
serve the Union. In the same month in
which that conference was held served
on con rlittee raised by the Senate to
seek some possible mode of quelling the
excitement that then existed. That COM
mittee was composed Of the three politi-
cal divisions of the Senate, and it was
considered useless to report any measure
which did not receive the concurrence OF
at least majority of each division. The
Republican Senators rejected every
proposition that promised pacifcation,
and the committee reported to the Sen
ate that their consultation was d failure.
Was there less conspiracy in the Repub-
lean Senators combining to prevent
peci:ication than there was in the South
ern Senator'S writing in a conference to
advise conventions Of their States thst
their cause was hopeless in Washington?
Gas to the epithets which Senator
Sherman, in debate, applied to myself,
as his mode of retaliation for my denun-
ciation of his brother, I have been COM
PEELED to prove General Sherman to be 4
faisiier and slanderer in order to protect
NY character and reputation from his
wiIlful and unScrupuious mendacity. II
lis brother, tie Senator, felt the sting
of that exposure, and his epithets are
any relief, l am content that he shall 60
on the record as denouncing me as a
traitor because I have proved his
brother to bea liar.
This historical statement mi9lt have
been enlarged and extended by the Sen
ate and made to embrace the deliberate
Misrepresentation by General Sherman
of communication to him by Col. J.
d. Stevenson IN regard to Albert Sidney
Johnston's command i'll San Francisco.
IL q |: tier to Col. VIM. H. Knight, OF
Cincinnati, Ohio, dated October IS,
1884, General Sherman asserted that
Col. J. d. Stevenson, now living IN San
Francisco, has often told me that he had
cautioned the government as to a plot OF
conspiracy through department COM
mander Albert Sidney Johnston to de-
liver possessio, of the forts, ETC., to men
in California sympathizing with the
rebels in the South, and he thinks it was
by this advice that President Lincoln
sent General Sulter to relieve Johnston
of his command before the conspiracy
was consunmated. That statement OF
Sherman, the veteran, Col. J. D. Ste,
venson promptly and emphatically de-
MED. General Grant himself has not
been exempt from Sherman's malice.
To Colonei 5cott Sherman wrote: Ii G.
J. Smith had lived Grant would have
disappeared to history The remarka
BILE statement was published by Genera.
Fry and pointedly and emphatically
denied by General Sherman. Prompt tc
SANDER, he is equally quick to deny his
language. The letter of Sherman dated
September 6, 1888, was written to Colo
mel Scott, now of the war record office
The denial OF Sherman has caused the
publication of the letter and the exposure
OF his hypocrisy in his recent laudatlor
Of the dead chieftain.
ssThe deliberate falsehood which Sher
man inserted in his official report tina
Columbia, S. c., had been burr ed BY
General Wade Hampton was afterward
confessed in his Memoirs to have beer
distinctly charged to General Wad'
Hampton to shake the faith of his peopl
in him Even when confessing ont
falsehood he deliberately coined another
and on the same page of his memoirs
said that the fire was accidental, whel
',e knew from the letter of Genera
! stone, who commanded the proves
guard in Columbia, that the fire was no
accidental. How much more he kne7
he may in future Memoirs or state
ment' reveal. Can any man imagine
less moral character, less conception o
truth, less regard for what an official re
port should contain than is shown b
Sherman deliberately concocting false
hood for the dishonorable purpose Q
shaking the faith of the people CT Sout!
Carolina in their fellow-citizen Genera
Wade Hampton? I have in this rindi
cation, not OF myself only, but also G
the people who honored me with th
highest official position in their gift
been compelled to group together IL
stances OF repeated falsehoods deliberate
" spoken and written by General Shel
man-thc Blair Post SANDER OF mysel
tie defamation Of character of Geners
Albert Sidney Johnston, the disparagt
1nent Of the military fame of Gener;
l,.,,,- o,1 +ba cnnr,nfnl on3 corrl1r