Year: 1865

| advise the breach of a truce-the soldiers
higher law He knew that Johnston
had surrendered, was awaiting the ac-
ton of the President upon that's lrrender,
| and that Grant, his superir " officer, was
conveying that action TO Sherman; ana
vet he advised a course that could only
be justified by the clearly ascertained
| fact that both Grant and Sherman were
traitors TO their country.


| And then, why publish this orderiE-
| What motive conld possibly induce this3
| If some grave syigency justified the or
| der, it should have been kept secret as
the grave. If they foand Sherman was
playing the traitor, their precautions
should have been concealed. In any rs
pect the publication of this paper seems
the grossest folly or the meanest malice.
| If justified by events il was a blunder TO
publish their plans, but when viewed 10y
the light of events it was most gross
public insult heaped upon soldier while
in the successful discharge of the highest
duties. The writer of this does not


know that either Stanton or Halleck su-


thoriZed its publication, but he does


know the withering effect it had upon


Shermans reputation, not for what vas


alleged in it, but rom iahat icds fairly In


Piled from It, Why is not this explained1


Who published itl Where was the pub


lie censor then2 Why not now an


nounce in an equal specific order that the
fears upon which il was based proved


utterly groundless IfMr. Stanton pub
lished this order, and will not now open
ly acknowledge that it was founded in
error, he continues an insult and evinces


malice Then he must expect open def
ance and insult, and neither his person


nor rank can shield him.


- 1t cannot he denied that after this or


der was issued, while the telegraph was
under a strict military censorship, the


public mind was poisoned against Gen
eral Sherman by kilograms since shown


to he false, as that he refused to obey tho
summons of the Congressional Commit


tee, and that facts relieving him from


blame were not stated as that the order
of General Weitzel was approved by Mr.


Lincoln, but afterwards withdrawn
And this, too, while General Sherman
was beyond tho reach OF letter or tele-
gram, actively engaged in his official du-





can or ought to control the press, and is
often roughly handled by it Yet had
not ail officer in General Sherman's posi-
ton the right to expect some effort on the
part of his department TO stay tho tide
of calumny. the very moment the return
Of General Grant with the unconditiOn-
al surrender of Johnston proved how
groundless and foolish had been the idle
fears at Washington


= Now. it is plain that the true course is
to publish the official report; to respect
the natural resentment Of soldier sensi
tive on account of palpable wrong to
avoid mingling personal feelings with the
general joy over great triumphs; to neith-
or force or oppose public Judgment upon
the merits of controversy no longer
important to the nation, and leave to the
country and history to settle the credit
due to the prominent actors in the war.
The writer of this is not disposed to be-
little either the services of General Sher-
man or the energy of Mr.. Stanton, and
would rather see both expended on the
common enemy.