The sun., 1896-10-18

perfume time. Tho Government and. nation
| were just recovering from the stupor caused
by Llncoln's murder. and we're in high state
OF excitement. Under those circumstances II
was not a matter. OF astonishment that Sher.
! mans unexnmpled terms 10 the South should
cause CONSERVATION and rage in Government
circles, from highest TO lowest. His presump.
ton In assuming to treat on the subject
OF tho political rights of tho rebels IN arms
was considered an extraordinary impertinencc.
violent dispieasure" Of the secretary Of war,
who, was unsparng in his denuncatIon of the
| whole business.
Tho siEnincance Of tho order OF March . to
| Grant is emphasized by this Shermnn-John-
ston flasco. One thought, was constantly M;
In the mind OF Lincoln that In bringing the
war TO- q close, and adjusting tho new pol,itl- p,u
must not bo allowed in any W mapnsr 10 en-
croach upon the domain of the, civil authorl.
ties. Valuable testimony to their patriotic
| and proper Jealousy in this regard has been
supplied on many occasions since the war by
Mr.. Dana, the Assistant Secretary of War,
Lincoln and Stanton. Thus Sherman had,
| perhaps innocently, but none the less flagrant-
y c9untervailed the great Secrotarys cher.
| prerogative.
THE TERMS sTARTLE TIE NORTH.
His warm friend, Gen; Grant, at once, telc:.
Sosb fhe pods
strnte that Grant, betoro consulting with any
Of the civil authorities, was very decided IN his
its author He did not. however, yield 10 tho
nearly every one in Government and political
circles; while he firmly disapproved his ac.
trotlc t tH motives Of Sherman immsdiately upon
receiving aud reading shermnn,s despstches.
Grant sent note to , Sc Secretary Stanton; stating
action should be taken, and That il should be
done by tho President IN council with his
| Grants perturbation strongly indicates tho
| stunning effect of Sherman's convention at the
no Government. not even Lincoln himself, could
| have retained tho nations confidence mo
ent after approving such terme as he had vou;h-
| sated the South under the cunning manipula-
| tlon of Its leaders.
| In accordance with the Lieutenant Generals
pEttt. yiz'. April i'V 81. and Grant was present
during ITS proceedings. "A, As may woll be imaG.
ined, feeling ran hixh; The Shlsrmsn;Johnston
| This action was set forth in paper by stan
ton: addressed to Grant. reciting snccipetly
and disapproved. and in.tructing tho General
in Chief to notify Sherman of its disapproval.
earliest moment" It further stated that tho
Lincoln,.Stanton Instructions of Marsh to
AnSr.w and Ds s Tfs'
served by Gen. Sherman" IL closed thus: Tho
President desires that you proceed immediate; ate
In n compliance With this order. Grant wrote
|
Government and the reasons therefor, and di-
| recting him to notify Johnston of the tsrmna-
tions Immediately thereafter. And before day
light OF tho norhi1G Of tho o@d Grant was on
pains was taken to keep his presence from
becoming generally known, as ell az its pur-
ernmcnt's commands in detail Grant quietly
kept in the background. leaving Sherman to
offer Johnston the same terms upon which Lee
| SurrenderCN: IL accepted. he to he
Pu pushed to the wall. Then Grant quietly With
as to ns% nSSs ns
terrupt them. After some ptrryinV. John.
ston surrendered on the a6th of April or, the
| man and Johnston took place at Benefits.
| SHERMAN SEES HIS MISTAKE
Sherman WINS keenly aware that he was
| transcending his authority in embracing politi-
| cal questions In a military convention. The
papsr on its face SHOWS that its final effect was
conditional on its approval by his superior the
he indirectly refers TO some OF its provisions as
mo .ubieet OF a military CONVEX tion;" TO
og IN M IN i'm
yent!on any civil matters" In his memoirs
Sherman says that II LincoIn's order. to
with political questions had been sent to hinl
also, "as 1t ought to have been, it would have
Sherman justified his action upon various
| grounus among them that o. rxpedien ncy. He says
erals ere schoed Howard 'X logan sar and
others to agree to some terms" Also. that
Logan anu Blair approved the terms he made.
| The chief justincation he sets mp was Lincon's
liberal attitude toward the South. and his
manifest anxiety, to close the war. SEerman
came fully possessed Of tho views OF Lincoln
and Grant: He left the President fully per-
almost any terms. But the astonishing thing
about about this 3Sstincat'on is that Lincoln was
| Johnston; a new man was ut the holm who
| might have different views. 1t is curious
| fact that mind 20 keen and penetrating as
I.incoln's murder would have on the Union
doyernment ard people. and especially fits
ston. Proceeding on this line OF argument
Sherman says: The Presldcent distinctly
q Soh Hna as the
rebel armies laid down their arms and re.
| sumed their civil pursuits they would at once
common country" Another controlling FAC
tor. with Sherman was his knowledge that
Of the Virginia legislature. but he had not
been informed that that authority was subse-
no matter what had gone before. the Prosi-
| den''s violent death had changed tho situation
In regard to al such matters very materially;
| to appreciate.
1t seams certain from all internal evidence.
aside from Sherman's positive st ststement,sthat
| he. know nothing of LIncoln's determine
tion to hold all political questions in his own
to Grant. Yet that order was sin in active m S force
when Sherman became ''fully possessed" OF the
| Prestdent's'and Grants viows at tho City Point
meeting on tho 27th and cath. Grants sub
| sequent negotiations with Lee are strong proof
| that Its tenor had in no wise been modined at
| that date Now. why did Grant fall to in.
form his subordinate Of these instructions3
Why did President Lincoln. in the course OF
two days visit neglect to instruct Sherman on
| this Toint? Or was Sherman to be allowed
| greater liberty Of action than GrantH Hardly
| probable. Moreover. II the order only related
| 10 Lee. there was the imminent contingency
| that Lee would secretly withdraw from Rich
mond and become SherInan's antagonist. These
| are interesting speCulations.
HOW DID THE MISTAKE oCcUR7
! The Northern public knew nothing of the
proceedings in North Carolina. or OF the Cabl-
| nets action, until informed OF them by the
War Department after Grants departure for
| tho front. The form of tho discl ,suro adopt
ed was Of doubtful wisdom. but was part and
| parcel OF tho excitement and passion of the
! hour. 1t was calculated to inhame the pub
lie mind against one of its most faithful AMI
successful of1cers, without any apparent ade-
| auats reason or compensatory advantage. The
und'ubted object was to inform tho people of
| the real facts. and not leave the case dis.
torted and falsfed by the reports and rumors
| that were sure tn spring up in the absence OF
| genuine knowledge. Sherman and his friends