The morning call., 1894-09-30
THE EVOLUTION OF TECUMSEH
SHERMAN.

Mrs. Thorndike has rendered service
to the country by publishing in full the
CORES spondence between her father, Gen.
eral William Tecumseh Sherman, and his
brother, John Sherman. now Senator
from Ohio. Some of the letters have been
published in magazines from time to time,
but it is we'll that they should all be pre-
served as materials for history. Some
day we shall have a history of the Civil
War. 1t will be on such material that it
must be based. 1t is exceedingly instruc-
tive to observe how the events of 1860
struck level-headed soldier like Sherman,
who was thoroughly loyal to the Union,
but was imbued with the conservatism
which West Point stamps on its graduates.
The correspondence begins in 1887 and
ends in 1S91-a period of over fifty years.
When the warclouds began to darken the
sky in 1859. the general, as everybody re-
members, was principal of military
school in Louisiana. With his surround
ings he could not but feel sympathy for
the South, though his brother was one of
the prominent leaders Of the Republicans
at Washington. He kept writing to John
to be moderate. aud rot to assail slavery,
as TO which leach State has q perfect
right to assume the position it chooses"
As to abolition, he was clear that ii meant
disunion, civil war and anarchy universal"
His idea was that it would be 1.-THE height
of folly to drive the South 10 desperation"
that the Shareholders should be assured
that there is no intention to disturb the
actual existence of slavery" As events
progressed he saw disunion looming MP In
the early future. and with disunion war.
After Lineoln's election he became salts
fed that war was coming. He predicted
the secession of Louisiana, and when the
arsenal at Baton Rouge was seized he re-
signed his position.
Even then he thought that with wisdom
war might be averted. He agreed with
Horace Greeley that the errng sisters
should be permitted TO 90 in peace, DEEM
ing two contederacies better than anarchy.
But he foresaw the inevitable conflict that
would arise over the question of revenue,
when the Southern COnfederacy adopted
free trade, as it was sure to do. Coming
North, Ike all far-sigbted men who were
in touch with both sections, he was amazed
at the apathy of the North :: when he
stated his forebOdings to Mr.. Lincoln, the
President replied with a laugh, "Oh! L
guess we'll manage to keep house."
There is an anecdOte of another public
man at that crisis, which deserves TO be
printed as note in this book. The man
was Burnside; ne was the vice-presidentOf
the Illinois Central. The railroad company
held lafge quantities of corn which it had
received for freight and could not sell.
Burnside persuaded the directors to ship
the corn to New Orleans. and to.send him
as supercargo. The sagacious Southern
leaders bought the corn on arrival, and
being good fellows they gave Burnside a
dinner, at which he made a little speech.
He told his hosts that they were going into
a war, and as they were brave and tena-
cious, that it would be long war. But"
said he, mark my words: in the end you
will be licked out of your boots" Shouts of
laughter made the rafters ring.
For long time Sherman was not hope
ful. He had no faith in volunteers or
militia, and be predicted that Lincoln.
would some day drop them like a hot
potato. 81 take a gloomy viewof affairs"
he wrote, but these States Kentucky,
Tennessee and Missouri are full of seces-
sionistS, allied by birth, interest aud pref
erence to'the South. II they get posses
sion of the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri
rivers they will control the continent, aud
it will not help you to hold Washington. l
will obey orders, but / will never allow
myself to be In command" 1t was not till
October. 1862, tnat Sherman realized the
true inwardGess of the situation. He then
wrote to his brother: 81 don't see the end
or the beginning of the end, but suppose
we must persist and prevail or perish.
don't believe that two nations can exist
within our- old limits and as war is on Ds
we must fight it out" After this his
letters were more hopeful and at last be-
came thoroughly sanguine.
Tecumseh Sherman was brilliant gen.
eral; but there were many brilliant gener-
ais. He. presented the noble example of
obeying orders when his judgment disap-
proved them, and of submitting to injustice
rather than SOW disaffection.