New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-11
SHERMAN AND STANTON.
THE GENERALS TERMS WITH JOHNSTON.
IN OPEN LITTER TO SENATOR SHERMAN DEAL
ING WITH Ills RECENT ADDRESS

M OPEN LITTER TO SENATOR SHERMAN DEAr
ING WITH Ills RECENT ADDRESS
on HIS BROTHER
Washington. April IO.-George C. Gorham. who is
the custodian Of the private papers OF Secretary stan
ton and Is now engaged upon his biography has
written an open letter to Senator Sherman dealing
with striking portion Of the Senator's recent address
in New York. and embodying sundry important his
iorcal documents not heretofore published In the
course OF this letter Mr.. Gorham says:
In your recent address in New-York the character
and public services OF Your iIustrlOus brother Gen
eral " T. Sherman You made the following reference
10 the proposed by him for the surrender OF the
forces Of General Joseph H. Johnston and cher com
manders at The close Of the civil War:
General sherman believed IN and sought TO carry
the policy OF Mr.. Lincoln The terms OF surrender
ject to the supervision Of the executive authorities
but instead OF being submitted TO the generous and for
giving patriot who had fallen they were passed upon
in the shadow Of great crime by stern and relentless
enemies VINO would not have consented to the con-
dons imposed by General Grant upon General Lee,
and who wOud have dslegarded them had not General
Grant threatened TO resign upon their refusal TO carry
T on es ie Mn submitted ito to presdca Johnson and M
Sant,n II was rejected with the insulting inmaton
that PROCEEDED from either cowaNice or treachery
The old cry AGAINST General sherman again started
was even imputed IH nc wgna Ht nl,rn. ~ P ro
generous kindncss Of Grant came to his relief New
You would have 1t understood by this that while
General sherman engaged In piaiscworthy and
purely military act which President Lincoln would
have desired A him to perform had he lived he was set
upon and Insultcd and his arrangements set aside by
President Johnson and Edwin NJ stanton. then Secre-
tary Of War. In % mean and narrow spirit OF I"vchs"
because OF the assassination Of Mr. Lincoln, and that
at this juncture the generous Kindness Of General
Grant lnierposcd between him and these alleged enc
mes and that the two generals agreed on new trHns
yoH 6 r snp us T General Iu sbcrman course
Whatever policy Mr.. Lincoln might have recon-
federate states to their relations with the non, none
Knew better than you that he would never nave under
"A
~ the work by authorized arrangement maze nhder
the supervision OF Jefferson Davis and his cabinet
ne gave the following direction to General Grant
Lieutenant General Grant: The President directs
ference with General Lee unlcss II be for the capltua-
military matters.
lie lnstructs me to say 70 yon that yon not TO
such questions the President holds In his own hands
ard will submit them to military conferences or con
meantime you 10 press TO the utmost your
military advantages. Edwin VI. STANTON,
Secretary Of War;
The General needed no such admonton to teach
him that the discussion O. public policies In military
convention invasion Of the civil authority ana
wholly outside the powers and duties OF military
commander. lie frankly admitted this. and in letter
TO SECRETARY stanton. dated April %, the day after
receiving tile Governments disspprova Of his terms.
he said " admit my folly IN embracing In military
convention any civic matters
Mr.. Gorhsms letter then recalls the details OF the
sherman Johnston agreement and the circumstances
under which IL made. and goes ON
You represented General Grant as coming 10 Gen,
er sernlnns relief. from which those not acquainted
with the history Of the case would suppose that he
nent you must have known that General Grant con
demncd General ohermans act before consulting either
President Johnson or secretary stanton. lie wrote
that very evening 10 General sherman acknowledging
receipt Of the agreement and said read II carefully
before submitting To- the President and secretary OF
War aud felt satisfied that II could hot possibly be
approved In the same letter he states that upon
his suggestion Cabinet meeting was called The result
% e. al lN tl. Tres Ie
basis Laid down and the disapproval Of The negotiations
altogether, except for the surrender OF the army com
mnndcd by General johnston. aud I'll order for The
termination Of the armistice and The resumption oil
General Grant started Immediately after tho adj
jouument Of the Cabinet meeting for Raleigh y; g.,
aud arrived at shermans HEADQUARTERS On me "a, dcI
sherman gave notice that hosiue' would be resumed
terms accorded by Grant 10 Lee.
The reasons for the dsappFOyal Of The agrorment are
rrhearscd 10y SIR. Goram. and in conclusion lie quotes
this letter:
Cleveland Ohio. April -. 1905.
NV Dear Sir: ! am dletrrss ed beyond measure nj
the Term granted Johnston By General sherman. They
are lnadmssible. There should now be literally no
Tsbai, With nfamy. but The Whole REBELLION should
The badge Of the pcni'cnaIy, 80 mat, Tor ti.
general ion at least ~ho has taken part IN II
would dHre lusub or mlls'e H. .- ,,.,. ,,,,. ,,.
been done General sherman especially by the press
The that be said about him - that hr granted
the rclels too liberal terms The same may DC saw
In their arrangement with Lee. General sherman had
not under,t I'D the political bearing OF that agreement
II l. his misfortune that he believed The promises %
these and loOks uppn the whole contest In sim
Die military Wow. lie thought IN" d@handng Of their
armie, J. the end Of the war. Will" We knew mat 10
arm them with the elective franchise and state orgnn
feel troubled at this matter, following 20 close
upon Tie death Of rop Mr. evcrIlR RfSn ' ad
20 to Raleigh. bnt l promised 10 Join the funeral
ccrtcge here and on saturday week have agreed 10
deliver eulogy Of Mr.. Lincoln at Mansfield. Iius
| vii glull. 10 10 where
General sherman Ia be- uniI-tly dealt with, ana /
know that you Will not permit II. aud especially do
heads. M, military service, have been too
valuable to the country 10 be stained by any
such fellowship II yoa can In your multiplied
engagemenA drop me 4 line, pray do so. You can
If yon choose show this % the President or Indeed TO
any one VERY truly yours, JOHN SHERMAN.
Hon. Edwin NJ stanton.
Commenting on this letter. Mr. Gorham says:
cannot ind In this letter any reference 10 the In
terms were rejected BY President johnson and Mr
stanton. But / do Ind In II assurance IRON y0n
permit General sherman 10 be uuJustly dealt WIN
iou could not have sad this had you thought Mr.
stanton himself Ind already dealt unustiy BIZ him. by
publishing the reasons above pnQicd, ana winch hah
been ~ print every leading newspaper ~ the country
four days before you wrote Your letter.
honOred aud admired General sherman. knew
him personally aud cnjOyed the honor Of lbs friendship
80 patriotic American, no Drawer or more laltl
ful soldier ever lived But aLO hOn0rcd and admired
Mr. stanton whose biography have undertaken. aud
wiose private papers arV III my possession hu1 ''t'
moi remain silent when VI the greatest and wscH
Of his official act u brought FORWARD, mroi"t-d ana
nerycrted I'm a useless effort show that General Sher
man was right when he himself admitted with TIE
concurrence OF Senator sherman that he was wrong
FANCY BOSTON'S HORR0Rl