The sun., 1896-09-13

nhtl r.esting OF I5ucknor and Mcclellan an un-
dent that the kentucxlan was acting in good
faith in the belief that he had u solemn Agree
neutrality was to be respected. Al later
meeting OF the two at Cairo. Ill. he Eave Nc
nt Mempnis with Pillow regarding the subject
3I neutrality. 1t Is certain that he visited
through BueSner's NG TeprSsentHtions an inn. i'm.
mediate advance by the Southern forces into
Kentucky was prevented.
1t would seem to be improbablc on the face
Of II that Buckncr volunteered his word OF
honor as the representative of Magoftin and
keep out Pillows Tennesseeans without re-
ceiving from tho Union commandsr some
corresponding concession. That Mcclellan
fully understood Ruckner tn be clotacd with
Pillows advance Is admitted IN his p protest OF
June u. which in some sort also confirms
"a" PROBABILITY OF mutual agree nsnt where
though. OF course, there may have been a Jug
handle arrangement in Th,ch Buckner prom
ner being confident meanwhile that u-der ex-
isting conditions the Federnls would commit
no overt act anyhow. But. inasmuch as there
was then and for long atterward no advance
of the Union tr"ous, McCel,a-'s quick and
curt protest at threatened infringement of
y warrants the belief, aside from Buckner's
state stassmsnt; ,. that hat some cotntTrung essuranees
have no object in drludinE his uarty.
What gave the Cineinnati Interview pc
p, hlic press n few weeks later OF a letter from
buckner TO Maronin. stating that he had sn-
at the Cincinnati conference that ksntucky,s
s nepsraiay ns,c was h to be m"intatped S by S9th
himself states. was the soul OF honor. bc-
ieved there was such an understanding
i oeJond the shsdoT Of doubt, Iha; That
such stpulations existed is also certain. There
is in fact no ,disput" that ,here was on the
part OF the Federal authorities. or Us W,s;-
ern comm InGcrS, at least tacit recognition
OF k-ntueky's nep,ratity. lasting Trough
may nave been viewed ir the Leg.unins. Il .
soon became palpable that the continuance
OF KeutpcEy's attitude OF neutrality would
signs Tor the suppression OF the rebellion.
m nsq1Tn, nT1 xUe: Htsnra hsi i9bS"NHMe b
and the most vI:lEerab,e POINTS ut the new Con
teLcraty. absolutely closed UP TIE most availahle
rams cTc vnt. II ca rr-d beyond mere inakeshift
to sootbo the leople OF Kentucky. All the aG.
the south. which merely asked to be let alone:
the IJntederates had 10 purpose TO invade
wired this, and no doubt that Is why he en-
tered the fed OF diplomacy and sought the
mad. deal with the Union General. he clearly
La he b!st Of the bargain.
Mcclellan positively denied the existence nf
any pledge ON hi, part to resp"st The neutrality
e,,eH NSn5HS To- Masein tfre% hin IN into % Ns rryas
(, IS. II WAS clear that he had taken a false
step. which must be condemned by the North
err public. In his PERSONAL memoirs. Issued
IN lSST, he takes pains 10 explain in detail his
version OF the Buckner interview. He rays;
,b, %o5eS @ cid W fread .hSpId SoRpere sns Vews
aud see IL we could do any good: thus under
stood it. RuCkner,s nain purpose seemed to he
kentucky shurld tc invaded Ny the secession
forces. thea cciectiuG under Zen. pillow:
forces should respect the neutrality OF keu-
tucky. and stated that he Mould DO ne beSt 70
cross the boundary line. / could assent to
iL!s ouly TO the extent that shoul" ac salts
drive on. AM. rebel force that might invade
/ kentucky. atd continued, almost in these very
words You had better be very quick about
It. simon, FOR II learn tha: the rebels are IL
Kentucky. Will. with o. Sithous orders. driye
them ont without delay. expressly told
LI.-uar that tad no power 70 S@aTiTtec the
neutrality OF Kentucky. and that, although
my command ola not extend oyet II. would
not tolerate tbs presence OF reUel tr5ops in that
State. Not many days atterward I met Buck
ner, agnin a. Cairo, and had c2nyersation
with Tim in presence OF john u. b"tSia.s OF
Chicago. Buckner had just then returned from
u visit TO Pillow. and he clearly showed by his
% versatiou that h. understood r,y determina-
ton at the rrSt interview, Just as have re-
lated II above. Bu"kner's letter 10 GOV.
Maxoain. subsequently pqhltshet stain: shs.
the neutrality OF Kentucky, gave an iuco--
rect account of the case, which was rs have
This il cer:airly explicit ard clear enough,
and undoubtedly recites the iacts A. hctlel'
Ian remembered lIIc..l. Lul hr II was NIIittA
tweuty-slN years AFTER the event. II IS possible
! he may have forgotten sone OF the details OF
his conversation with BucEuer.
McClelans CORES spondence at this period
! makes it probable that he was calle 20 bcoz BY
Gen. Scott or President Lincoln about his
matter, though no letter or tele:Ian on the
| sub ect from the Washington END .: the line
$ found. but on June 26, after he had entered
! upon his brilliant West Virginia campaign,
| Mcclellan sent u long telegram To Scott from
Grafton. in viii IN lie SHOWS great anxiety TO eN-
plain satisfactorily TO his super!or ms relations
/ Nyif Hutkuer, lhl- tran 1lCtlDn. ~Slu NC
! CleIlan. has surprised me- beyond expression.
| My chief fear has been that you; whom ! re-
| might have sGpl' -ed me TO he guilty OF the
! extreme Of folly This telegram was sup
intruduc in full. en- bOdyiEga as II does the sub
stance OF both. and covering the whole case:
GsAyrox. Va June 20, 1881.
Lieut. Gen. Winfield Scott. commanding L $. Army
Huntington. d. g
| GENERAL: have teI.graphed you rather at length
in relation TO Gen Buckners letter referring 10
interview Cincinnati on the s'h OF J.ne In Jus.
| ttce 10 myself deem it necessary 10 explain the
! matter 10 you more fully. Gen. Buckner seVerAl
times wrot. teIeeraphed TO me as an oil friend
| requesting an interview, which avoided unit!
! received Il telegram from GIL. true Union man.
| strousIy ur,Ing interview. Hoping tEat my In
| d.ence ovc7 Buckncr might possibly reclaim him
! I reluctantly granted the request, and Informed
| him that would be at my house In Cincinnati On
tho evening of the 9Th inst. Burkner and GIN
sation with them un;iI O'Clock the next morning
! From the beginning regarded the Interview as
altogether a personal one. having no official bear
| inx or Significance. We discussed the state of ar
fairs freely. and expressed my views plaihiy and
| emphaticaliy, telling hm frankly the policy had
pursued ar Intended to pursue but stating at the
| same time that had orders IN the case, and
| that might any moment either receive orders
! from Washington that circumstances might
render lt Incumbent upon me, In the absence OF
orders TO change my policy. We differed entirely
as 10 the position kentucky should assume In the
present controversy. lie regarded tho State as toe
| mos; loyal one In the UniOn. considered his view
of the status OF Kentucky Inconsistent with true
| loyalty.
In tue course of the conversation Buckner Volun'
tarily proered his ~ord OF horror that ne would
| nae nil hi, influence have Kentucky troops drive
out any Confederate forces that might invade the
stat, and that II he did not possess tho necessary
mower he would take steps TO have me called on for
CO.,