Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-05-04


10 seek IL. giving any reasonable chance for the
country 20 escape the consequences which the ex-
aspersted north seemed determined 20 impose
The south has, during all this time, been ready
and anxious FOR peace. They have been looking
for some word or expression Of compromise or
Cancellation from the north. upon which thew
might base return 20 the union They were
not prepared, nor are they yet. TO come and beg
Tor terms; but were ready 20 accept any fair ana
honorable terms, their own political views being
cODsidered The question OF slavery did not lie
in the wsy ataH The best men OF the south
have long been anxious 10 do away wiih the Ia
sttutIon. and were quite willing to-day 10 see Il
abolished They consider slavery forever dead
TBE GENERAL a xArIoSAL MAN.
The conversation then turned into other chan
nels, and finally touched UPON the prospects OF
peace And here very noticeable form of eI-
preston was used by the general 10 speaking
OF the probable course of the administration TO
ward the south. the general remarked that, If
We DO" 50 and so. Immediately called bis at
tention TO the expression. and sought an eIplana-
ton of the sense in which he used the pronoun
we" but obtained none other than a marked
repetition Of it.. IL was noticeable throughout
the entire interview that in no single instance
did be speak OF the southern confederacy, nor of
the Yankees nor the rebels. he frequently al
luded to the country, and expressed most earn
estly his solicitude for It's restoration to peace
and tranquility, cautiously avoiding any express
sion that would imply the possibility of its disn
tegration.
THE SOUTH NOT YET CONQUERED.
Throughout all the conversation be manifesto /
earnest desire that such counsels should pre-
vail. and such policies be pursued, as would con-
duce 20 an immediate peace. implying in his re-
marks that peace was now at our option. But
ha IL. ~
or vindiotive, or revengeful policies be adopted,
the end was not yet There yet remained a
great deal Of vitality aud strength in the south.
There are undeveloped resources. and hitherto
unavailable sources of strength, which harsh
measures on our part would call into action, and
that the south could protruct the struggle for an
indefinite period. And this We would be com
PEELED TO do il extermna atom con6scaton and
general humiliation and destruction are to be
our policy. For if people are TO be de
stroyed, they will sell their lives as dearly a.
possible.
CONDENSATION or TIE Assassination or PREsI-
DENT LINCOLN.
The assassination of the president was then
spoken of. The general considered the event,
in itself one of the most deporable that could
have occurred. AS a crime, il was unex implied
and be, ond execrstion. The scheme was wholly
unknown in the south before its execution, and
would never have received the slightest encour
agement had IL been known, but, on the con-
traTy, the most severe execratiOn; | called the
generals attention at this point TO A notice that
had been printed in the northern papers, purport-
ing to be taken from paper published in..the in
terror OF the south, proposing. for the sam OF one
million of dollars, to undertake the assassination
of the president and his cabinet The general
affirmed that he had never seen nor heard OF
1 a ha heli II bod
been printed in the SOUTH though if il had, il
had been permitted merely as tue whim of some
crazy person that could possibly amount to moth
ing. Such crime was an anomaly in the his
tory of our country. and we had yet before lis
preparation to learn that III was possible of either
earnest conception or actual execution.
| The SOUTH NEVER HALF IN EARNEST IN TIE WAR.
| 1t was most singular and remarkable ex-
preston to escape the lips OF such man as Gen
Lee, that the south was never more than hall
| in earnest in the war j cannot attempt to
translate this remark or eucidate it Its utter
ance conveyed to IRE the impression that the
south was most heartily sick of the war, and am
| iOus to get back into the union and to peace
! The general added that they went off after poll
teal leaders in a moment of passion, and under
the excitement of iancied wrongs honestly be-
lievng that they were entering a struggle for an
| inaensble right aud a fundamental principle OF
| their political creed. A man should not be
| judged harshly for cOntending for that which he
honestly believes to be right Such was the DO.
sition Of the vast majority of the southern people
now. And now that they are defeated. they con-
slider that they have lost everything worth con
tending for in the government They have sac
rifcei home, friends. property. health, all on this
issue Men do not make such sacrifices for
nothing. They have made the sacrifice from
honest convictions
REPATRIATION SCHEMES
| And now that they have lost in the issue. they
feel that they have no interest left in this coun
try. It is the opinion of General Lee that. IN
less moderation aad lberality be exercised upon
them the country will lose its best people Al
| ready, he says, they seeking TO expstriate
themselves, and numerous schemes are started
TO 20 TO Mexico. to Brazil. to Canada, To France.
or esew here. He is called upon frequently to
discOuntenance and suppress such undertakings
| The country needs these strong men. They are
its bone and snew, its intelligence and enterprise
its hope for the future and wisdom demands that
no effort be spared TO keep them in the country
and pacify them.
sENERAL LEES STAND POINT.
1t was IA most noticeable feature Of the COZ
yersation that General Lee, strange as il nav an
! pear talked throughout a citizen of the Unit
/ ed States. lie seemed 10 plant himself on the
national platform, and take his observations
| from that stand point. He talked calmly, de
! liberatey, earnestly, but with no show Of inter
est other or different from what might be ex-
pected from an honest believer in his peculiar
opinions .
TERN.s PEACE
The conyers ition which had been greatly pro.
tracted. so much so that | became uneasy for
| fear of trespassing on time that 1 had no right
/ TO claim. terminated with some alusiOn to the
| terms OF peace Here there was perhaps natur-
ally and properly. more retcence than on any
other topic But it was plain. from what trans
| PRED that the only question in the way Of i'm
/ mediate peace was the treatment to be accorded
the vanquished. Everything else. by implca-
/ ton seems to be surrendered Slavery state
| rights. the doctrine of secession, and whatever
else of political policy may be involved in the
strife Is abandoned. the only barrier to an imme-
date and universal suspension of hostilties and
return 10 the union being the treatment the ma
tional authorities may promise those who have
been resisting its power and paramount authority
IL is proper 10 sav that this not so stated by
/ General Lee, but Is simply an inference from the
conversation that took place on that topic On
the contrary. the general seemed very cautious
| in regard TO terms
| In order to get at his views. if possible.
suggested the conservative sentiment of the
north. which proposed general amnesty TO all
soldiers and military officers but that the polti-
cal leaders of the south be hell to a strict sc-