The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-12-13

In Chicago early In Jutie, 10 select
out Of the great number 20 eminent
and experienced men q candidate
for president.
/ am embarrassed by the receipt
Of many private letters intimating
thst my name may be presented,
and that ne an American officer aud
citizen ] have no right to decline.
Il IL sin. ply exposing myself to
ridicule TO answer declining what II
not offered, and probably never will
be: and, as q rule, such letters are
ignored; but you are n delegate. sud,
Ia my opinion, have q higher title
In being a member Of tbst army
which made our government per-
manent aud most hOnOred among
the Nations OF the earth, therefore
entitled to an answer.
At this moment Of time no danger
or necessity exists which can make
such Q personal sacrifice necessary on
my part. My brother, Senator
Sherman, II fully advised Of my
views, 80 Is my neiglbor, Senator
Henderson, who will be at Chicago
as n delegate from Missouri, aud
both should relieve me of any EN-
barrassment, for I will not allow the
use Of my name as candidate. ]
have q Thousand reasons, any one of
which to me IL good and sufficient,
aud I claim the full benefit of the
freedom for which we fought Of
choosing for myself my own course
Of action in life. do not want my
old comrades To think me eccentric
or unreasonable but to coDcede to
me the simple privilege of living out
my own time In peace and comfort.
This letter IL meant for yourself
alone and not for the puplic. With
great respect, yours, etc.
W. T. SHERMAN.
In giving to the North Anne ri,un
Rcri'W at this late day these letters,
which have thus far remained hid
den In my private files, I commit no
breach of confidence, and to put at
rest q matter OF constant inquiry re-
ferred 10 ia my letter Of May -, ISL,
| here record that my immediate
family are strongly Catholic. ! am
not and can not be. That IL all the
public has a right to know; nor do
wish to he construed as departing
from q resolve made forty years ago
never to embark Ia politics. The
brightest and best youth Of our land
have been drawn into that maei-
stTnm, aud their wrecked fortunes
strew the beach of the Ocean Of
Time. My memory, even Ia it,
short time, brings up names al
victims by the hundreds, IL not
thousands.
stu American citizens should
take an interest in public events.
because with them Resides the
ultimate power, the "sOverrlgnty."
We have thrown overheard the old
doctrine Of the divine right of kings,
and substituted "the will uf the
people" aud the civilized world
looks toward A.uprica for "a solution
existence and happiness, gO"d
gOrerHm1nf; this IL only I'nssible hy
watching jealnusly AID closely the
drift Of public events.
Thus far Nation we have met
every phase, colonial and national,
military and civil, and ia my judg-
ment the people of the United states
have In the past fifty years accom-
piished larger physical results than
those OF Asia Ia n thousand years uT
of Europe in five hundred years.
am equally convinced that our peu.
pie ia every section are more in-
ielligeEt, more temperate, and en-.
joy more Of the comforts oI
life than did our immediate
ancestors. SO that We are well war
rantrd in allowing the drift of public
events to continue a. now, a. little
disturbed 10y artificial Obstructiuns as
possible. lis true that eternal
vigilance il the price Of liberty"
aud citizens should add must watch
the conduct Of their chosen agents.
Acts are substantial, words and
professions are only idle wind; not
hut meh who hsve done well should
be chosen Ia the office. The worst
men always promise mOst-and ui
all things the Nation should not be
represented abroad by men who
laIIOTed to destroy the government.
Again the incident recently re-
ported a. having occurred at Rich
mOnd, Va OF displaying the rebel
flag in q procession to which Union
men were invited, among them the
venerable Andrew q. Curtin, Oi
Pennsylvania, one Of the famous
war governors, who to my personal
knowledge has gone to the extreme
limit OF possibility to create per
feet reconciliation, was calculated Ia
arose feelings which IL were wiser Ia
allow To die out. We now have a
common country, a common dies
tiny, and but a single National flag.
was glad To receive from high
authority the assurance that the
affair had been greatly exaggerated.
still Il is we'll Ia emphasize the fact
that the rebel flag went down
forever at Appomatox, aud can not
I've resuTrected without protest, IL
not actual hlOOdshed.
W. +. SHERMAN.