Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-02-28
SHERMAN AND GRANT.
Some Interesting Historical Core
spondence.
How Con. Sherman Refused tho Presi-
dential Nomination In 1s8d-Gen.
Grants Opinion of Sherman
Sherman on Grant.

vi BEGdb inc NOTJn hIneTlCau
Review. We quote it in full:
"In the year of our Lord, 1884, there
was to be sharp contest for the nomi-
didate of the Republican party. The
press and the people believed that Blaine
wanted it, and everybody turned to him
as the man best qualified to execute the
policy, to accomplish the result aimed
at Still, abnegating himself, he wrote
to me from Washington this letter:
lConhdential, strictly and absolutely SOL
WASHINGTON, D. c.. May 25. 1894.
MY DEARGENERAI,--This letter requires no
answer. After reading It Ale IL away in your
most secret drawer or give 1t to the flames. >.
Az the approaching convention at Chicago IL
is moro than possible, It IL, indeed, not lmprob-
able, that you may be nominated to the prcsi-
aeneg @ III SO you must stand your hand, accept % t
candidate.
You must not look upon It as the work of the
politicians. II Il comes to you it will come rs
the ground swell Of popular demand, and you
can no more refuse than you could have refused
70 obey an order when you were lieutenant In
the army. II 1t comes to you at all It will come
as call OF patriotism. II would in such m
event lniure your great fame much to de-
cline It as IL would for you to seek It, Your
historic record, full as 1t Is, would be rendered
still more glorious by such an administration as
you would be able to give to the country. Do
not say aword in advance OF the convention, no
matter who may ask you. You are with your
JAMES c. BLAINE.
''To which replied:
0t2 GARRISON AVE, ST.. Lor1s Mo,
May 2S 1884, !
Hon. james G. Blaine Washington, D. c.:
MY DEAR FRtEND-I have received your
letter OF tho 25th; shall con, true 1t as abso-
lutely confidential, not intimatng even to any
member OF my fam ly that have heard from
you; nnd, though you may not expect an an
swer, hope you will not construe this as un-
warranted
have q great mnny letters from all points OF
the compass 10 similar effect. one or two OF
which l have answered frankly but the great
mass arc unanswered.
I ought not TO submit myself TO the cheap
rtdicu'e Of declining what is not offered, but IL
rtghtfully aspire to the high honor OF heing
President Of the United States, to let them
know that am not and must not 70 construed
as n rival In every mans life occurs IN epoch
when he must choose his own career aud when
ho may no, throw OF the responsibility or
ia s9Gy to,g place n his destny IN IN h san6s
when. in 1851, nlone in tho midst OF
people Blinded by supposed wrongs, I
resolved 10 stand bv the Union ns long as
fragment OF IL survived on which to cling.
Since then through foct'on, tempest war and
penc'. my career has been oil my friends aud
family could ask. We nre now in good house
Of orr own cholrc. with reasonable provisions
for old age, surroVnJed by kind and ndmiring
friends, IN community where Catholicism Is
held In respect ami generation, m where my
chiltr'n will naturally grow uD In contact with
an inCu tr Gus and fru1al pcOnle. 1Ol nave
known and appreciated Mrs Sherman from
chi'dhool, have also known each md all the
member' OF my tamilv. aud can understand
without an explanation frcm me how their
thoughts and feelings should and ou2ht to in
huenca my action. But will not even throw
on on them the responsibility.
-ill not in any event entertain or accent q
nom nation as n candidate for president by the
Chicago republican convention, or any other
convention. for reasons personal u mvself.
claim TINT the civil war. in which I simply did a
mans fair share OF work, so periec ly accom-.
plished peace that mititary men have nm aoso,
who have been schooled in the arts and prac-
tice OF peace shall now do their work equal y
well Any senator can step from his chair ut
the capital into the white house and fulfil the
once of president with more skill and success
than Grant, sherman or Sheridan, who werc
soldiers by education ard nature. who filled
we'll the Office when the country was IN dancer,
but werc not schooled in the practice by which
civ'l communities are nrd should be governed.
! ciaim shat our experience since 1915 demon
strates the truth OF this my proposition. There.
fore say that ps,riotsmoets not demand Of
of inclination. and OF self-in'erest
leave my personal affairs in state OF sbso-
lutte safety and comfort I owe no man n cent,
have expensive habits. envy man hts
wealth or power, no complications or indirect
liabilities and would account myself fool q
madman, m ass to embark anew NJ sixty five
years Of age in n career that may become ut any
moment tempest-tossed by pcrfdity by defsl-
cation, the dishonesty. or neglect Of any single
one OF n hundred thous nd subordinRtes utterssy
unknown to the President OF the United States.
not to say the eternal worrment OF q vast host
OF impecunious friends md old m litary subrr
dinates, Even as II IL am tortured By the
charitable appeals OF POOR, distressed pens on
ers, but ~ president those would DO multiplied
beyond human endurance,
remember well the experiences OF Gems,
Jackson. Harrison, Taylor. Grant Hayes and
Garfield all elected because OF their military
services. and nm warned, not encouraged, by
their sad experiences
The civilians OF the United States should and
must buffet with this thnnkIess once and leave
old soldiers 10 10y the peace We fought fol
saa think we earned With PrS,0sn9 rsspso'
''These letters prove absolutely that
Mr.. Blaine, though qualified, waived tc
me personally nomination which the
world still believes he then coveted fol
himself.
"For copies of these letters believe
have been importuned a thousand times
but as soldier claim the privilege o
unmaslzing by batteries when please
''In giving to the North American Re
view at this late day these letters, which
thus far have remained hidden in my
private files, | commit no breach of con
tidcnce and to put at rest matter o
constant inquiry referred to in my lette
of May %, 1854. / here record that m,
immediate family are strongly Catholic
am not and can not be. That is all TIN,
public has n right to know; nor do wisl
to be construed as departing from re
solve made forty years ago never u
embark in politics. The brightest ant
best youth of our land have been draw
into that maelstorm, and their wrecke'
fortunes strew the beach of the oceai
of time. My memory, even in it's shor
time, brings up names of victims by tn
hundreds, II not thousands.
w. Il. SHERMAN"
The famous letters which passed be
tween Grant and Sherman more thai
twenty-five years ago read as follows
Private
NASHVILLE, Tenn March 4, 1894.
DEAR SHERMAN--The bill reviving the grad
OF lieutenant general IN the army has become
law and my name has been sent to the Senat
for the paCe.
now receive orders TO report nj Washingto
Immediately, in person, which indicates eithe
a confirmation or q likelihood OF conirmnt,o or
start IN the morning To comply with the oriel
but shall say very distinctly on my arriva