ss；　or　confer　upon　any　political　questions。　　Such　questions　the　President　holds　in　his　own　hands；　and　will　submit　them　to　no　military　conferences　or　conventions。
  Meantime　you　are　to　press　to　the　utmost　your　military　advantages。
  EDWIN　M。　　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War。
  The　orders　of　General　Sherman　to　General　Stoneman　to　withdraw　from　Salisbury　and　join　him　will　probably　open　the　way　for　Davis　to　escape　to　Mexico　or　Europe　with　his　plunder；　which　is　reported　to　be　very　large；　including　not　only　the　plunder　of　the　Richmond　banks；　but　previous　accumulations。
  A　dispatch　received　by　this　department　from　Richmond　says：　〃It　is　stated　here；　by　respectable　parties；　that　the　amount　of　specie　taken　south　by　Jeff。　　Davis　and　his　partisans　is　very　large；　including　not　only　the　plunder　of　the　Richmond　banks；　but　previous　accumulations。　　They　hope；　it　is　said；　to　make　terms　with　General　Sherman；　or　some　other　commander；　by　which　they　will　be　permitted；　with　their　effects；　including　this　gold　plunder；　to　go　to　Mexico　or　Europe。　　Johnaton'S　negotiations　look　to　this　end。〃
  After　the　cabinet　meeting　last　night；　General　Grant　started　for　North　Carolina；　to　direct　operations　against　Johnston's　army。
  EDWIN　M。　　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War。
  Here　followed　the　terms；　and　Mr。　Stanton's　ten　reasons　for　rejecting　them。
  The　publication　of　this　bulletin　by　authority　was　an　outrage　on　me；　for　Mr。　Stanton　had　failed　to　communicate　to　me　in　advance；　as　was　his　duty；　the　purpose　of　the　Administration　to　limit　our　negotiations　to　purely　military　matters；　but；　on　the　contrary；　at　Savannah　he　had　authorized　me　to　control　all　matters；　civil　and　military。
  By　this　bulletin；　he　implied　that　I　had　previously　been　furnished　with　a　copy　of　his　dispatch　of　March　3d　to　General　Grant；　which　was　not　so；　and　he　gave　warrant　to　the　impression；　which　was　sown　broadcast；　that　I　might　be　bribed　by　banker's　gold　to　permit　Davis　to　escape。　　Under　the　influence　of　this；　I　wrote　General　Grant　the　following　letter　of　April　28th；　which　has　been　published　in　the　Proceedings　of　the　Committee　on　the　Conduct　of　the　War。
  I　regarded　this　bulletin　pf　Mr。　Stanton　as　a　persona）　and　official　insult；　which　I　afterward　publicly　resented。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　RALEIGH；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　28；1865。
  Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　General…in…Chief；　Washington；　D。　C。
  GENERAL：　Since　you　left　me　yesterday；　I　have　seen　the　New　York　Times　of　the　24th；　containing　a　budget　of　military　news；　authenticated　by　the　signature　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　Hon。　E。　M。　Stanton；　which　is　grouped　in　such　a　way　as　to　give　the　public　very　erroneous　impressions。　　It　embraces　a　copy　of　the　basis　of　agreement　between　myself　and　General　Johnston；　of　April　18th；　with　comments；　which　it　will　be　time　enough　to　discuss　two　or　three　years　hence；　after　the　Government　has　experimented　a　little　more　in　the　machinery　by　which　power　reaches　the　scattered　people　of　the　vast　country　known　as　the　〃South。〃
  In　the　mean　time；　however；　I　did　think　that　my　rank　（if　not　past　services）　entitled　me　at　least　to　trust　that　the　Secretary　of　War　would　keep　secret　what　was　communicated　for　the　use　of　none　but　the　cabinet；　until　further　inquiry　could　be　made；　instead　of　giving　publicity　to　it　along　with　documents　which　I　never　saw；　and　drawing　therefrom　inferences　wide　of　the　truth。　　I　never　saw　or　had　furnished　me　a　copy　of　President　Lincoln's　dispatch　to　you　of　the　3d　of　March；　nor　did　Mr。　Stanton　or　any　human　being　ever　convey　to　me　its　substance；　or　any　thing　like　it。　　On　the　contrary；　I　had　seen　General　Weitzel's　invitation　to　the　Virginia　Legislature；　made　in　Mr。　incoln's　very　presence；　and　failed　to　discover　any　other　official　hint　of　a　plan　of　reconstruction；　or　any　ideas　calculated　to　allay　the　fears　of　the　people　of　the　South；　after　the　destruction　of　their　armies　and　civil　authorities　would　leave　them　without　any　government　whatever。
  We　should　not　drive　a　people　into　anarchy；　and　it　is　simply　impossible　for　our　military　power　to　reach　all　the　masses　of　their　unhappy　country。
  I　confess　I　did　not　desire　to　drive　General　Johnston's　army　into　bands　of　armed　men；　going　about　without　purpose；　and　capable　only　of　infinite　mischief。　　But　you　saw；　on　your　arrival　here；　that　I　had　my　army　so　disposed　that　his　escape　was　only　possible　in　a　disorganized　shape；　and　as　you　did　not　choose　to　〃direct　military　operations　in　this　quarter；〃　I　inferred　that　you　were　satisfied　with　the　military　situation；　at　all　events；　the　instant　I　learned　what　was　proper　enough；　the　disapproval　of　the　President；　I　acted　in　such　a　manner　as　to　compel　the　surrender　of　General　Johnston's　whole　army　on　the　same　terms　which　you　had　prescribed　to　General　Lee's　army；　when　you　had　it　surrounded　and　in　your　absolute　power。
  Mr。　Stanton；　in　stating　that　my　orders　to　General　Stoneman　were　likely　to　result　in　the　escape　of　〃Mr。　Davis　to　Mexico　or　Europe；〃　is　in　deep　error。　　General　Stoneman　was　not　at　〃Salisbury；〃　but　had　gone　back　to　〃Statesville。〃　　Davis　was　between　us；　and　therefore　Stoneman　was　beyoud　him。　　By　turning　toward　me　he　was　approaching　Davis；　and；　had　he　joined　me　as　ordered；　I　would　have　had　a　mounted　force　greatly　needed　for　Davis's　capture；　and　for　other　purposes。　Even　now　I　don't　know　that　Mr。　Stanton　wants　Davis　caught；　and　as　my　official　papers；　deemed　sacred；　are　hastily　published　to　the　world；　it　will　be　imprudent　for　me　to　state　what　has　been　done　in　that　regard。
  As　the　editor　of　the　Times　has　（it　may　be）　logically　and　fairly　drawn　from　this　singular　document　the　conclusion　that　I　am　insubordinate；　I　can　only　deny　the　intention。
  I　have　never　in　my　life　questioned　or　disobeyed　an　order；　though　many　and　many　a　time　have　I　risked　my　life；　health；　and　reputation；　in　obeying　orders；　or　even　hints　to　execute　plane　and　purposes；　not　to　my　liking。　　It　is　not　fair　to　withhold　from　me　the　plans　and　policy　of　Government　（if　any　there　be）；　and　expect　me　to　guess　at　them；　for　facts　and　events　appear　quite　different　from　different　stand…points。　　For　four　years　I　have　been　in　camp　dealing　with　soldiers；　and　I　can　assure　you　that　the　conclusion　at　which　the　cabinet　arrived　with　such　singular　unanimity　differs　from　mine。　　I　conferred　freely　with　the　best　officers　in　this　army　as　to　the　points　involved　in　this　controversy；　and；　strange　to　say；　they　were　singularly　unanimous　in　the　other　conclusion。　　They　will　learn　with　pain　and　amazement　that　I　am　deemed　insubordinate；　and　wanting　in　commonsense；　that　I；　who　for　four　years　have　labored　day　and　night；　winter　and　summer；　who　have　brought　an　army　of　seventy　thousand　men　in　magnificent　condition　across　a　country　hitherto　deemed　impassable；　and　placed　it　just　where　it　was　wanted；　on　the　day　appointed；　have　brought　discredit　on　our　Government！　　I　do　not　wish　to　boast　of　this；　but　I　do　say　that　it　entitled　me　to　the　courtesy　of　being　consulted；　before　publishing　to　the　world　a　proposition　rightfully　submitted　to　higher　authority　for　adjudication；　and　then　accompanied　by　statements　which　invited　the　dogs　of　the　press　to　be　let　loose　upon　me。　　It　is　true　that　non…combatants；　men　who　sleep　in　comfort　and　security　while　we　watch　on　the　distant　lines；　are　better　able　to　judge　than　we　poor　soldiers；　who　rarely　see　a　newspaper；　hardly　hear　from　our　families；　or　stop　long　enough　to　draw　our　pay。　　I　envy　not　the　task　of　〃reconstruction；〃　and　am　delighted　that　the　Secretary　of　War　has　relieved　me　of　it。
  As　you　did　not　undertake　to　assume　the　management　of　the　affairs　of　this　army；　I　infer　that；　on　personal　inspection；　your　mind　arrived　at　a　different　conclusion　from　that　of　the　Secretary　of　War。　　I　will　therefore　go　on　to　execute　your　orders　to　the　conclusion；　and；　when　done；　will　with　intense　satisfaction　leave　to　the　civil　authorities　the　execution　of　the　task　of　which　they　seem　so　jealous。　　But；　as　an　honest　man　and　soldier；　I　invite　them　to　go　back　to　Nashville　and　follow　my　path；　for　they　will　see　some　things　and　hear　some　things　that　may　disturb　their　philosophy。
  With　sincere　respect；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。
  P。　S。As　Mr。　Stanton's　most　singular　paper　has　been　published；　I　demand　that　this　also　be　made　public；　though　I　am　in　no　manner　responsible　to　the　press；　but　to　the　law；　and　my　proper　superiors。　W。　T。　S。；　Major…General。
  On　the　28th　I　summoned　all　the　army　and　corps　commanders　together　at　my　quarters　in　the　Governor's　mansion　at　Raleigh；　where　every　thing　was　explained　to　them；　and　all　orders　for　the　future　were　completed。　　Generals　Schofield；　Terry；　and　Kilpatrick；　were　to　remain　on　duty　in　the　Department　of　North　Carolina；　already　commanded　by　General　Schofield；　and　the　right　and　left　wings　were　ordered　to　march　under　their　respective　commanding　generals　North　by　easy　stages　to　Richmond。　　Virginia；　there　to　await　my　return　from　the　South。
  On　the　29th　of　April；　with　a　part　of　my　personal　staff；　I　proceeded　by　rail　to　Wilmington；　North　Carolina；　where　I　found　Generals　Hawley　and　Potter；　and　the　little　steamer　Russia；　Captain　Smith；　awaiting　me。　　After　a　short　pause　in　Wilmington；　we　embarked；　and　proceeded　down　the　coast　to　Port　Royal　and　the　Savannah　River；　which　we　reached　on　the　1st　of　May。　　There　Captain　Hoses；　w