Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-11
DEFENSE OF STANTON
Against the Insinuations of Senator
Sherman Undertaken by
4MAN WHO HAS ALL THE PAPERS.
Hon. George C. Gorham Quotes an Old Let
fer of the Senator's
TO PROVE THAT STANTON WAS RIGHT


c. Gorham, as custodian of the private pa
pers of Secretary Stanton, and now engaged
upon his biography, has written the follow
ing open letter 20 Senator sherman. II
deals with a striking portion of the Sena.
tors recent address and embodies sundry
important historical documents not hereto.
fore published:
Hon. John Sherman United States Senate:
DEAR SIR-1n your recent address in New
York the character and public services
of your illustrious brother, General W. T.
Sherman, you made the following reference
to the terms proposed by hin, for the sur
render of the forces of General Joseph john
ston and other commanders at the close
of the civil war: General Sherman believed
in and sought to carry out the policy OF
Mr.. Lincoln. The terms of surrender were
tentative, and the conditions were entirely
authorities; but instead of being submitted
20 the generous and forgiving patriot who
had fallen they were passed upon in the
shadow of a great crime by stern and relent-
less enemies, who would not have consented
TO the conditions imposed by General Grant
upon General Lee, and who would have dis
regarded them had not General Grant
threatened to resign upon their refusal to
carry out his terms. When the arrange
ment with General Johnston was submitted
toPresident Johnston and Mr.. Stanton, IL
was rejected, with the insulting intimation
that il proceeded from either cowardice or
treachery. The old cry against General
imputed that he would attempt to play the
part of Cromwell or a military usurper.
The generous kindness of Grant came to his
relief New terms were agreed upon and
the war closed"
Purpose of the Senator'S Attack.
You would have it understood by this that
while General Sherman was engaged in a
oisev md " mil ta Of wi
President Lincoln would have desired him
to perform had he lived, he was set upon and
insulted and his arrangements set aside by
President Johnston and Edwin NJ. Stanton,
then Secretary of War, in a mean and mar
row spirit of revenge, because of the as
ssssination of Mr.. Lincoln, and that at this
juncture the generous kindness of General
Grant interposed between him and these
alleged enemies. and that the two generals
agreed on new terms and ended the war.
You state this as though you had approved
General Sherman's course.
Whatever policy Mr. Lincoln might have
recommended to Congress for the restora-
tion Of the Confederate States to their rela-
tions with the Union, none knew better than
YOU that he would never have undertaken or
usurped the powers of Congress on the sub
tect much less to allow q military subordi-
nate to guide him in the work by an author
ized arrangement made under the super
vision of Jefferson Davis and his Cabinet.
Mr.. Lincoln left no room for doubt on this
point for he gave the following direction to
man-Johnston negotiations:
s'Lieutenant General Grant:
1.-THE President directs me to say to you
that he wishes you to have no conference
with General Lee unless it be for the capitu-
lation of Lees army, or on solely minor or
purely military matters He instructs me to
say to you that you are not to decide, dis
cuss or confer on any political question;
such questions the President holds in his
own hands, and will submit them to no mill
tary conferences or conventions. Meantime,
you are to press to the utmost your military
advantages. EDWIN NJ. STANTON,
Secretary of War"
Sherman Needed No Admonition.
You will say that General Sherman had
not seen this order of Mr..Lincoln's when
he made his arrangement with Johnston.
but it is none the less absolute proof that he
(Mr. Lincoln) would have disapproved of the
arrangement. The General needed no such
admonition to teach him that the discussion
of public policies in a military convention
was an invasion of the civil authority, and
wholly outside the powers and duties of
military commander. He frankly admitted
this, and in letter to SecI etary Stanton,
dated April p. the day after receiving the
he said: 81 admit my folly in embracing in a
military convention any civic matters"
You represented General Grant as coming
to General Sherman's relief, from which
those not acquainted with the history of the
case would suppose that he approved the
agreement. When you made this statement
condemned General Sherman's act before
consulting either President Johnston or
Secretary Stanton. He wrote to General
Sherman, acknowledging the receipt of the
agreement and said: al read it carefully
before submitting it to the President and
Secretary of War. and felt satisfied that It
could not possibly be approved" In the
same letter he states that upon his sugges-
tion Cabinet meeting was called. the re-
suit of which was 1.-THE disapproval by the
President of the basis laid down and the
G va n O 1ayOf lnne q hor
except for the surrender of the army COM
manded by General Johnston, and an order
for the termination of the armistice and the
resumption of hostilities."
Grant to Secretary Stanton.
have before me while ] write the original
of the following note from General Grant to
Secretary Stanton:
"HEADouARTERs D
ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES,
WASHINGTON ID. C., April q, 1866.
''Hon. E. NJ. Stanton, Secretary of War:
'SIR-I have received and just completed
reading the dispatches brought by special
messenger from General Sherman. They
are of such importance that think i'm
mediate action should be taken on them,
and it should be done by the President in
specially suggest whether the President
should not be notified and all his Cabinet
AID meeting take place tonight.
"Nery respectfully, your obedient servant
~. 5. GRANT, Lieutenant General"
General Grant started immediately after
the adjournment OF the Cabinet meeting for
Raleigh, N C., and arrived at Shernan's
headquarters on the 24th to execute the
Presidents order. Under this order Sher-
man gave notice that hostilities would be
resumed, whereupon Johnston's army was
surrendered upon the terms accorded by
Grant to Lee.
As a matter of prudence and necessity Mr.
Stanton te!egTaphed to General John A. Dix
then in New York, with permission to pub
lish the same. copy OF tie Sherman-John-
Ston agreement and its disapproval by the
Government. To it was appended the
reasons for its disapproval. These reasons
were as follows:
AL1ng List of Reasons.
First-It was an exercise of an authority
not vested in General Sherman and on its
face shows that both he and Johnston knew
that General Sherman lad no authority to
enter into any such arrangement
Second-1t WAS Il practical acknowledge
menr OF the rebel Government.
Third-lt undertook to re-establiSh the |
rebel State Government that had been over
thrown at the sacrifice OF many thousand |
loyal lives ana an immense treasury. and
placed the arms and munitions of war in the |
hands OF the rebels at their reSpectiN e capi-
tails which might be used rs soon S the ar
mics OF the Unitel States were disbanGed,
and used to conquer and subdue the loyai |
States.
FOurth-Py the restoration OF rebel |
authority in their respective States they |
would be enabled to re-establish slavery
Fifth-lt might furnish a ground Of re- |
pay the rebel debts and certainly subject |
the loyal natives of rebel States to debts ,
contrTc ed hy rebels iii the State.
Sixth-It would put in dispute the exist |
ence of loyal State Governments and the |
new State Of West Virginia, which had been
n fha