The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-12-13
SHERMAN IN 1884.
Biaine's Letter 90 General sherman
as 10 the Nomination for
President.
Mr.. blaine Believed In May, 1894,
that the Nomination II Sher-
man Was Probable.
The Generals Answer 10 Blaine-The
Religion Of His Family and
Himself.
PnLITICAL HISTORY.

POLITICAL HISTORY.
General w. +. Sherman In the
North american R,riCT for Deem
Der: In the year Of our Lord, 1884,
there was to he q shaTi, contest for
the nomination in Chicsgo for .
presidential candidate Of the Re
publican party. The press and peo-
ple generally believed that Blaine
wanted IL, and everybody turned to
him rs the best man qualified TO ex-
ecute the policy TO accomplish the
result aimed st. Still, abnegating
himself. he wrote to me from Wash
ington, this letter:
CCOnfidential--stTictly aud absO-
IuteIy SOL
wAsmINGTON, May -, Issi.-My
Dear General: This hitter requires
no answer. After reading it file 10
away In your most secret drawer or
give ID TO the flames. At the ap-
preaching convention al Chicago Il
~ more than pOssible-it IL indeed
not mprnbablP-that you may I've
nOmiUaied for the presidency. IG so
you must stand your hand, accept
the responsibility, and assume the
duties OF the place To which you will
surely he chosen II n candidate.
You must not look upon 10 as the
work Of IsOlitirians. n IL comes To
you IL will come ~ the grnund-sweIl
OF popular demand, and you can no
more refuse than you could have re-
fused to obey an order when you
were n lieutenant Ia tine army. IL IL
comes to you Mt all IL will come as
a call Of patriotism. II would In
| such an even, iDjure your great
fame a. much TO decline a. Il would
for you to seek il. Your historic
record, full a. ID IL, would he rendered
still more glorious 10y such Nh adj
ministrRliOu a. you would be able
Ia give the country. DO not Say n
word in advance nf the convention,
no matter who may ask you. Yen
are with your friends, who will
jealOuslv guard your honor anu
TenOwn. Your friend,
JAMES q. BLAINE.
To whith ! repliid:
gl2 GARRISON AVENUE, ~. InI-IS,
Mo, May $50 the Hon. James
q. Blaine, Washington. Ny Dear
Friend: ! have received your letter
of the 18th; shall rOnstTue ID as absO-
lutely confidential, not intimating
even to any member Of my family
that ] have heard from you. aud
though you may not expect AN au-
swer | hope you will not constTue
one ~ unwaTranted.
] have had a great many letters
from all points Of the compass Ia y
similar effect, one or two of which I
have answered frankly, but the
great mass are unanswered.
! ought not submit myself to the
cheap ridicule Of declining what il
not offered but IL IL only fair To the
really able men who rightfully aspire
to the honor Uf being president Of
the L uited States to let them know
that | am not and must not he con
stTued n n rival. In every man =
life there il an epoch when he must
choose his own course and when he
may not throw pfr the responsibility
or tamely place his destiny la the
hands Of friends. Mine occurred in
Louisiana when, in 1881, alone in
the midst uf a people blinded 10y
supposed wrongs. I resolved To staLd
Ivy the MON AZ long - n fragment
Of ID survived on which Ia cling.
Since then. through faction, tempest,
war aud peace, my career has been
all my family and friends would ask.
We are now in n good house of our
own choice, with reasonable pro-
visions for old age, surrounded by
kind aud admiring friends, in com
munity where Catholicism is re-
-ItertPd and VPnPratRd. aud where
my children will naturally grow up
i'm contact with All industrious and
frugal IrOpie. You have known and
appreciated Mrs. sherman from
childhood, have ul~O known each
aud all the members of my family,
aud can understand without an ex-
PLANTATION from me how their
thoughts and feelings should and
ought tn influence my action. but
I will not even throw off on them
the responsibility.
will not in an event entertain
| or accept a nomination as = candi-
date for president by the Chicago
RepCbliran convention or any other
convention, for reasons personal Ia
myself. claim that the civil war,
in which simply did a mans fair
share of work, So perfectly accom-
plished peace that military men
have an absolute right to rest and
to demand that the men who have
been schonle' in the arts and prac-
tices Of peace shall nov do their
work equally a. we'll. Any senator
can step from his chaiC at the Capt.
fol into the White House and fulfill
the Office of president with more
skill and succPss than aGrant, Sher-
man, or sheridan, who were soldiers
10y education aud nature, who filled
well their Office when the country
was In danger, hut were not schooled
In the prarIi'e Iy which civil COM
munities are and should be gov
erned. claim that our experience
since IS'i5 demonstrates the truth Of
this my proposition. Therefore
say patriotism does not demand OF
me what I cOnstrue rs q sacrifice Of
Judgment, of inclination aud OF self
Interest.
have my personal affairs in q
state of absolute safety aud comfort.
! owe no man n cent, have no expen-
sive habits. envy no man his wealth
ar power, have no complications or
indirect liabilities, and would acS.unt
myself fool. n mailman, an ass, TO
embark anew st ~ years of age In q
career that may become at any mo-
ment tempest-iOssed by the perfidy.
the defalcGtiun, the dishonesty or
neglect Of q single one Of hundred
thousand subordinAtes utterly un-
known tn the president Of the United
States, not To- say the eternal wOrri-
ment by a vast host OF impecuniOus
friends aud old military subord,-
mates. Even as IL IL I am tortured
by the charitable appeals Of poor,
distressed pensioners; hut, u presi-
dent. these would he multiplied be-
yOnd human endurance.
remember well the experiences
nf Generals Harrison. JarksOn. Tay-
Tor. Grant. Hayes, aud Garfield. all
elected because Of their military
services, and am warned, not en-
rOursged, by their sad experiences.
The civilians Of the United States
should aud must buffet with this
thRnkless office, aud leave US old
soldiers to enjoy the peace we fought
for aud think We earned. With pro-
found respect, your friend,
". r. SHERMAN.
These letters prove absolutely that
Mr.. Blaine, though qualified, waived
To inc personally n nomination which
the world still believes he then COW
eIed for himself.
For copies Of these letters believe
have been importuued = thousand
times, but as n soldier | claim the
privilege of numasking my batteries
when please.
l. =. 49, IL