Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-06-20

Of character, the amiable qualities, the maIll-
ness, and the military ability witch be ls gen
orally believed to have displayed, in our Jldg'
uent rather increase than lessen his crlminahty
lie has, by apparently possessing hose quail
| les, given a more decent character to treason
tban it could otherwise have acquired, making
1t in some sort respec table Tor bis connection
with it, Indifferent spectators Of the war haze
hou ,bt they olscovered in him heroic quail
les, honesty Of purpose, sincerity OF conviction,
conscientious fidelity to cause which he be-
leved rights and they have therefore been III
auenced to look with some degree Of charity, II
lot with positive admiration, upon the cause II
which be had drawn his sword. lie il un
toubtedy held 10 higher esteem abroad among
those who can scarcely be called unlriendly to
The United States, han any other leading rebel
and there Is less demand at home for bis pun.
lshment than for that Of any other Of he chiefs
u treason
But this public opinion, al least 80 far as it
exis among the loyal people OF this country,
has no logical foundation. II an intelligent,
educated, apparently conscientious and KIND
hearted son should deliberately assault and beat
and attempt to xiii bis parents, it would scarce
II be urged in his defense that he had committed
he crime like a gentleman. and never i)r a
moment forgot the prophecies of the occasion ;
fha ka btk al 81 h.
IN tbs details Of his violation Of law that he
cut Of the arm and legs Of his victims with
be skill Of an accomplished surgeon, and rev
erently thanked God that his work was 10 far
well done that be never once forgot himself
never gave way TO passion for a single moment,
out calmly and without the appearances Of any
savage temper or malice sought his victims
lives. The exhibition of these mild manners In
a mere murderer might be put forward as evil
dence that the criminal was INSANE but would
never DO offered as an excavation of guilt once
clearly proved. They would rather, in the
minds OF every Aectng person, be 40 aggra.
walton Of the ofen,e, and an evidence Of the
depth OF the current of wckeiness in the heart
which could impel to such black crimes and yet
n or disturb the nerves of the culprit, or pro
duce a ripple on the even surface Of respectable
life. Passion that drives to frenzy an in it, heat
aud fury urges to crime, may be soma apology
or excuse for violation Of law, but the cool,
accomplished, pIous, respectable villain ought
to receive no favor at the hands Of the law, or
at the bar Of public opinion
But while we bold this opinion OF Lee Grim
InAlity while We regard his treason as more
dangerous to the Union than that Of any rebel
except DEls-and dangerous because Of his
ability, his apparent love Of honor and his mil
Itary genius, which cost Us many thousands OF
lives and many millions Of treasure-and while
We believe that next to the robel President be
deserves to be visited with the seyerest penllty
which the law pronounces against treason, We
faith, for the Government to refuse to him as
well as to all his command the full benefit oil
the terms granted by General Grant to the Ar
ny Of Northern Virginia and we therefore
hope that the limitations given out from time
to tlme by Telegraph, that he IS to be indie ed
for treason, are uniounded. Our readers will
recDllecl that the surrender to Grant was made
upon this stipulation upon his pirl
Il ich officer and man will be allowed to return
TO their homes, not 10 be disturbed by The Uni,d
States auth Dritet - long a. theg ols-rve their
parole, ana tbs laws Ia lorce where they reside
An tempt has boen made by Attorney Cen
Speed, IN an oIiclsl opinion 10 explain this
stipulation. lie holjs that it Is a mere MILF
nty assurance and argues, therefore, that itl
has no force 10 protect the officers and soldiers
IRON prosecution for treason This Is undoubt
edly technically true, lnasmuch as Gen. Grant
had no power To issue an amnesty for political
ollenses, But it If evident, from the peculiar
and unusual language employed, that the sup
ulatIon was intended aud understood to mean
much more than common parole, The words
" United States authority" could TOT have been
Of their m,aulng II the arrangement had been
Understood to be merely a military one, the
expression would have been, " not to be dis
turbel by the United States military author.
lies, - IL is admitted by those who agree with
the Attorney General, that this assurance o
Gen Grant rs pood prot elton to these rebels
until they uTe declared exchanged, or their parole
Is al nn end either by their own act or that oil
the federal government, or until the war II
closed. But this takes from the declslon all it,
logic aud admits that Grant had anght to gls,
them protection from prosecution Tor treason
shlle their parole was IN force, hat II TIM
stipulation ls yalid Tor an hour as protection
against prosecution IN lhe evil c1Gris, TIN
valid for CHI protection against prosecution
until those pcccphug It ulate Its conditions.
lt will be- much more IN harmony with al
reason based upon common sense and the ordin
any construction OF the Language, to hold thr
this agreement means just wha, il Expresses, viz
that these rtbels are " not 20 be dls urbei b,
the United States Authorities 50 long as they
observe their parole and the laws IN fore,
where they reside jim o1her words 50 long a,
they commit no new ID 'nss against the govern
ment they are not to b. pros Gu ed I1r ther
rcsious treason. ltmly be unfortunate and
10 the cise OF Zen Llc We think It is unl1rtu
nate-that Gen. Grant should have made such
a stipulation, bu, having made IT, &c would b.
an exhibition OF bad faith which We cannot
aalrd 10 DO guilty of to refuse on any tcbnl,al
Srounl, or by any special plea, or by any in.
gcnuity OF reasoning, TO adhere 10 il, both in