The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-09-07
INTERVENING SHERMAN.
4 Reporters Recollection Of the crus
u cormsnder.

From the St Louis Globe Democrat
| have just seen photograph oE
St Gaudens statue OF General Sher-
man, on the south drive AZ the Pan
American exposition The head Is
thrown back into just the poise il had
at the climax OF my last interview
with him The face, however. al
though St Gaudens has made stri-
king likeness. is much more serene
than il was at the time TO which
refer. 1t must have been something
4 over fifteen years ago when | called
on him in behalf OF certain citizens OF
ST. Louis, who were interested In Sc
curing his influence with the war de-
1 partment against changes at Jefferson
barracks, which wouio have been to
I the detriment of St. Louis trade.
tThen, as now, | had a more or less
remote connection with the newspaper
business, and il was one of General
Sherman's harmless raise pretenses
that he had a fierce dislike for news
paper men think now, as | thought
at the time, that the only newspaper
man he really disliked with any ap-
proach to the cordiality he pretended
was the one who had reached the
newspapers with the report of the re-
suit of the first days fight at Shiloh
| have never written report of my
last interview with him until now.
and | cannot pretend that l am re-
porting it verbatim at this late date,
but it made deep impression L
me, and | think | can say, conscienti-
ously, that, in part, it was substantial
ly as follows:
Bring him in. heard him say,
as | waited in the reception hail.
after having sent him my card. Bring
him in, and if he don't want to inter
view me, let me see what he does
| want"
In compliance with this not very
encouraging consent to see me. q
very polite young man came out into
the hall and told me that the general
would be pleased to have me walk
| in l walked in, accordingly. and the
| general, who was sitting at his desk
with his back to me, wheeled half
way round in his chair. and said
with the very slightest suggestion OF
amiability in his severe official man
ner; We'll, sir, what do you want this
time? What can l do for YOU'RE"
As | had bearded most of the great
West Pointers of the civil war gen.
Grafton, and as | knew that General
! Sherman was one of the least formid
| able to newspaper men of them all
| was not to any considerable extent
| intimidated. and when he pushed q
| chair toward me | sat down and pro
ceeded to tell him with as much hui
mility as | thought necessary what
| | had come to his house to say. BY
the time he had finished telling ME
what he could and could not do witt
the war department, he was in a great
good humor, and, as l had expected
had forgotten all about his alleged
objections to newspaper men. At bot
tenn when you got below his guard ht
had the simplicity of a child. and an.
one who knew how TO ask him leading
questions which would not involv,
him in things which he did not carr
to talk about, could turn him from on
of the gruffest to one of the mos
/ affable men living. He was still be
ing mentioned as presidential pos
sibility, and when the conversation
turned, perhaps not wholly -withou
my continuance, in that direction, h.
told me bluntly that he never ha,
been and never would be presiden
tiaI candidate. He said that the gen
eral of the army had no business t
be. The subject was evidently no
displeasing to him, however, and tn
conversation rapidly drifted back t
the beginning of the civil wal
Grant and T. he said, were bot
Democrats, and if the Democratic par
ty had had any sense we might b
yet. 1t never did have any, however
since | have known it, and | don
suppose it ever will" He discusse
the civil war and the leaders OF
both sides in way which, as remen
Der it, was in accordance with tn
views he has expressed in his book.
would not attempt to quote him i
that connection in any event, howevel
as it was only the latter part of tn
, interview which made an impressio
so deep that l can recall now. as
think accurately, not only what h
said, but just how he looked whe
he said it.
It was not long after his hose |
: cense trouble with the st. Louis cit
authorities, and perhaps I may hav
had some slightly malicious recollet
J ton of the official severity of the ton
. with which he received me when
, asked him tjust as / was about t
, leave) what he thought of st. Louis a
a place of residence His manner be
came vigorous at once. He told m
with increasing animation what b
liked and disliked apout the city.
: happened to know that one of his s
Louis acquaintanees-a lady whom
while further South. say in 1868. h
had suspected of holding commune;
ton with her husband in the Cor
federate army-had been taking d.
layed revenge for his request that sh
and her family should move into tn
Confederate lines, by sending hiI
ali the newspaper jokes she could fin
about the difficulty ne had in sprinb
ling his lawn with an unlicensed hos
l was not wholly surprised that hi
animation increased as he gave me hi
views of the pernicious effects o
. slave holding on society As he warn
, ed up to the topic he half rose in hi
/ chair and brought his fist down on til
: desk with an energy which suited tn
climax l think | can recall his las
sentence exactly Yes. sir be sale
~ like Ct T.,,tfS and will 90 on iIkin