The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14
4 POST-BELLUM pT0T.
rHEsoHEME OFsoCTHBRN LEADERS
TO 6ULLIFF TINE VICTORY
OF THE WORTH

The Pian By witch Gen. Sherman was Ia
auced to Grant MS Rsussrhasie Terne "a
asn. Sshnstsn-staptenAs 1naiGnsns De-
spateh That spelled the Gane-Essw the
Conservative Party That wa - Rest ere
the status Of sol Cast rairsed success.
WARRINGTON, Nov. 19.-Recent discussions
which have occurred here in private inter
course between prominent actors in the clos
sing scenes Of the war have thrown much i'd
'ditionAl light upon events which, whom their
full history can DO known, will undoubtedly
tconstItute the most sensational politicotn mill.
itAry chapter of the war. II was momontous
In Its every aspect. The prominent features OF
the story are the incidents Immediately pre-
'oedfng tho surrender Of johnston's army, tho
tefms OF the surrender, their prompt rejection
81 Washington and tho organization u few
months later Of the so-called Andrew johnson
movement, Tho connection Of this latter politi-
cal project with the former has not heretofore
been recognized by the public, or, in fact,
known to q very largo number. IL was the
/ sudden death Of Mr.. Lincoln which inter
fered between these W branches Of what
was intended to DO q continuous whole. This
was no less than a plan OF largo dimensions
and far.reaching Importance. which involved
tho overthrow. at the frst general election after
The war, of the Lincoln Administration and its
party supporters. by q new conservative party
led by the prominent military leaders North
and South. 1t il not intended TO convey the
idea by this statement that there had been at
any time either direct or indirect communities.
ton with Confedcrates upon this subject, but
there was full conviction at Raleigh, where
the question first received active consideration,
that such conservative plans of settlement and
Suoh projects for tho creation of a national con-
pervative party, to which tho South should DO
admitted upon terms Of political equality.
would unquestionably command universal sup.
port In that section. II it's leaders approved Il 1t.
Tho elimination Of the earlier hidden at
tempts among certain officers Of the Army Of
tho Potomac to combine q political overthrow
OF radicalism with their prosecution Of tho war
was reached at Raleigh, and found expression
In the terms of the herman-Johnston surren-
der. Gen. Sherman himself did not properly
belong to this company Of politico-military
malcontcnts, and the terms to which he was
induced to assent wero commended to him by
very insidious means.
As Gen. Badeau says Of Gen. Sherman In his
military history Of Gen. Grant tvol. 3, p. $751;.
Q volume which had Gen. Grants revision and
was issued by his authority: "The country and
posterity will doubtless always hold that Shcr.
man erred in Judgment at this crisis. " 4" I"
everything COHSpIcu v u Hiu dCCOuo "
readily to the specious propositions by means
Of which the willy Confederates sought still to
secure all that they had lost by the war. The
frank and outspoken soldier was no match in
diplomatic arts for those who had conspired to
betray their country and piloted the sinking
cause Of the rebellion through desperate and
stormy years. He did not perceive the object
OF the skilful Vaccinations which first sug-
Gested the presence of q Cabinet officer and
then secured amnesty for the rebel Government.
He was looking SO intently to the respite from
war that the precautions Of politicians and
statesmen were neglected"
But In spite of this opinion Of Badeau's,
Gen. Sherman at the last was found to be q wiser
man than many" Of his leading 0flcers. For q
month before the final surrender at Raleigh,
there had been much quiet talk ct several
headquarters in regard to the political SETTLE
xnents that should follow the close Of the con.
hict. which all saw was close at hand. This
talk originated In Army of tho Potomac
quarters. 1t was imported from the East,
and had manifested itself in restricted circles
rs far back as the time Of the capture of At
lants. Its form of expression there was that 1t
was high time Mr.. Lincoln and his radical ad-
visers should be checked. and that conserva-
tive men should take charge Of affairs.
This talk was not strange in tho quarters
where 1t found expression. Two years before,
on the eve of the battle Of Antietam, this spirit
was on the point Of open revolt. This can be
stated on the assertions Of Col. Thomas NJ. Key,
then Gen. McClellan's Judge Advocate Gen.
Oral. The night before the battle Of Antie-
tam Col. Key occupied q room at q farmhouse
with his friend, Mr.. Nathaniel Paige, now O
well-known attorney at Washington, then q very
prominent war correspondent. In a pro-
longed conversation over the situation Col.
Key explained that there had been constant
and heated discussions Mt McClellan's head
quarters since crossing the Potomac into Mary
land over o proposition to turn the army back
on Washington, drive out Stanton and other
radical supporters Of Mr.. Lincoln, and compel
the latter to change his policy in regard to
slavery, and SO make 1t possible to end the war.
Col. Key further said that he had opposed this
plan with persistence, and had just come from
O discussion lasting six hours. He and those
who thought with him had carried the day,
the Army of the Potomac would now be pushed
forward with vigor, and the next day would
witness q battle.
With the concentration Of Gen. Sherman's
army and that Of Gen. Schofield about Goldsboro
discussions over tho political aspects of tue war
were revived. 1t was agreed that the strug-
gle was about to end, and it was plain that no
plan OF reconstruction had been devised by
those In power. 1t was argued that IL the
leaders OF the Union Army should agree upon
conservative terms Of political restoration.
they could carry the great mass OF Union SOL
diers with them, and be certain Of the subse-
quent support OF the Confcderates.
Tho proposition was to inaugurate immedi.
Ately upon the collapse Of the rebellion q politi-
cal movement which should declare, through
its ballots, for putting aside such leaders as
Lincoln, Stanton, Ben Wade. Charles Sumner,
Thaddeus Stevens, Henry Wilson. and others
OF this class. and elevate some popular soldier
upon a conservative platform. This PROPOSE
ton was understood by several general Off
GERS TO whom 1t was communicated TO have
boon brought from Washington. As 1t was q
matter Of free talk about Gen. Frank p. BlAir's
headquarters. the impression became general
among those who know about 1t that Mr.. Mont
gomery Blair, who 30 shortly after became ono
OF the most active directors of the Andrew John.
son detection. a movement Of very similar
character. was Its originator. But whatever its
origin, the proposition itself made a decided