The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-05
SHERMAN ON NEGRO SUFFRAGE
HOW GEN. WILLIAM 7. SHERMAN
VIEWED THIS GREAT QUESTION.


gro Before, During and After the
CivII war, and His views Remain
ed Unchanged on Negro Suffrage.
Pine Crest VIVA. Maitland, F a, Nov. l.
l am wei aware that in some parts OF
Georgia and with certain people the opin-
ion Of Gen. Sherman on any subject would
be promptly 'laid on the table, yet as
the LEGISLATURE Is about 10 act upon the
vital question OF restricting negro suffrage,
l feel sure thai his views on this important
measure may prove Of value 10 those leg
islators who favor the movement for
constitutional amendment.
First. let me say. that Gen. Sherman in
war was not Gen. Sherman in peace. He
it was who said war was he'll" and in
the MIDST of it he was a holy terror,
as the boys say. But IN peace he was as
gentle as a dove. No man knew The south
better than he, for he had all his life
nearly, been environed by Southern infu-
ences. When he entered West Point Mil
itary Academy, ne found in his class, that
of 1870 a phalanx of Southern cadets, and
some Northern ones, who, .ater in life, be-
came generals or distinguished subordi-
nate officers in the Confederate army. The
class was headed by Gen. Paul o. Hebert,
Ex-Governor of Louisiana, and Gen. Sher-
man stood No 6 in the class. Then there
were Gems Richard 5. EweI of Virginia,
John F. McCown Of Tennessee. James @.
Marin OF North Caro- Ina, and Thomas
Jordan Of Virginia OF the NOrtherners
who went into the Confederate army,
there was Gen. Bushrod r, Johnson of
Ohio William Steele of New York ana
Robert p McClay of Pennsylvania, who
resigned as captain of The Eighth United
States Infantry to enter The Confederate
service.
After graduation Gen. Sherman serv
as an officer in the United States A my n
in Florida, in Alabama. in South
Carolina and in Loui -iana, re
signing at New Orleans in lSoi'
He came back to Louisi ma in 1853 to be
superintendent of the State Military Acad-
envy at Alexandria, where he was cordial
" received and highly respected In 1861
when the civil war clouds became thi X
and heavy he went to ST. Louis, where
he became president of the Fifth Street
Railroad Now this brief outline shows
that nearly all his active life, up to SOL
was spent In the South, and in positions
where he had every opportunity TO s udy
the negro question in all its bearings, anu
also become familiar W tn the trea m ut
of slaves by their masters In city nj
country Perhaps this is why Gen. Sh r
man never admired the famous war song
Marching Through Georgia." with its
negro chorus of "Hurrah! hurlah! tie
flag that makes you free
| was Intimately associated with Gen.
Sherman after the war and know that he
was at all times friendly 10 the South, IN
many instances taking a deep interest In
her regeneration. This was especially
true of Atlanta, in the evacuation OF
which he is officially reported to have lett
only some four hundred houses undestroy-
ed I was with him when he visited the
great Cotton Exposition that H. l. Kimball
| inaugurated, and at other times, ana ne
| always manifested the deepest interest in
| the prosperity of the city and state All
| his views and acts, after the surrender,
were for the full recognition and encour-
| agement of the Southern states Gen.
Schofleld, in May, 1865, wrote him from
North Carolina as follows: 1.-THE people
are now in a mood to accept almost any
| thing which promises a definite settlement.
| What is to be done with the freedmen Is
| the question of all, and 1t is the all-im-
| portant quest ton. 1t requires prompt and
| wise action to prevent the negro from be-
coming a huge elephant on our hands. If
l am TO govern this state it is important
| for me to know it at once"
| In reply to this letter. after scoring the
politicians at Washington for needless ae-
lays, and unjust demands upon the South
| ern people, Gen. Sherman said: Now that
all danger is past, and our former enemy
| simply asks some practicable escape fro n
| the terrible vicisstudeS Of h S rosiiion. II
| is wonderful how brave and vindi tive for
mer non-combatants have become. 1t makes
me sick to contemplate the fact, but l am
powerless for good, and must ct events
drift as they may. If left alone l know
| you could guide the state of North Car
DINA into a path of peace, Loyalty and E.
| curity in three months, and could pla e
| every negro in the state in a way TO ma Se
an honest livelihood with his freedom Sc
cure but doubt whether those who we're
| so slow to come to the fight win pc init
you TO act. Whatever you may do l ii
back you with my influence, which, row.
ever, cannot amount to much in The pres
| emf attitude of affairs"
Nor did Gen. Sherman hesitate to "beard
| the lion in his dem" for the very next
day he wrote Chief Justice S. P. Chase as
| follows: II am not yet prepared TO re-
| ceive the negro on terms of political equal
| ity, for the reasons that it will arouse
| passions and prejudices at the North,
which, superadded to the causes yet dor
mant at the South, might rekindle the
war whose fires are now dying out, and
| by skillful management might be kept
| down. / say honestly that the as
sertion openly of your ideas as fixed
policy of our government, to be backed by
| physical power, VIII piOuuCS new war;
| and one which, from its desultory char
acter will be more bloody and destructive
than the last. . = 1 think the changes
| necessary in the future can be made fast
er. and more certain by means of our con-
stitutiou than by any plan outside of il.
| l believe you will do me the credit of
! being honest sincere true and brave"
In a serond letter to Chief Justice Chase
in regard 10 Secretary Stanton's instruc>
lions to Gen. Shepley as military governor
| of Louisiana, this fine tribute is paid to
| his Old associates in that state by Gen.
Sherman: Il have had abundant oppor-
tunities to know these people, both before
the war, and during its existence and
since their public acknowledgment OF
submission I have no fear of them, amir
ed or 6isarmed, end believe that by one
single stroke of the pen uine-tenths or
them can be restored to full elations 60
| our government so as to pay taxes ana
| live in peace; and in war l would not
hesitate to mingle with them and lead
| them to battle against a national foe But