Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1865-04-13
THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1865.
GRANT AND LEE.
THE SU RR E N d Z r..


After almost four years Of bloody, fierce,
and devastating war, the rebellion lies crushed
and mapgled corpse at The foot of the alter Of
Freedom and Union. Laus Dec. Our country
has passed through terrible ordeal and comes
out VI j. not merely with undimned lustre, but
with brightness Of glory which is far beyond
the comprehension Of the old world, and will
no less astonish than chagrin those hereditary
enemies of human liberty. The diplomacy Of
Grant in ertinguishing the army Of Ice, is a
master stroke of policy, which in its achieve.
men. and effects is puzzle to them, and seems
to be to some of our friends. The suddcnness
Of its accomplishment and apparently without
u blow struck after the evacuation of Rich
,nond, is startling, when westake into consid-
Grafton its effects.
Dissatisfied some are or may be, that GRAM
should propose and accept such terms as he
offered to Lee with the tone adopted by Lee
in his notes 1t illustrates on the part Of
Gen. Grant, profound knowledge of human
nature, as well as of military strategy and
military diplomacy. lie had brought a bold
and fearless enemy to his last stand, point
where desperation must override reason and
calculation, and where thousands Of lives
would have been sacrificed for the name and
temblunce Of honor. and instead of rendering
to an eneNy, thus pressed and straitened,
battle, fierce and bloody as it would have been,
he holds up before him the hopes Of peace and
prevention Of carnage. The terms of that
surrender were such as could not be refused
by any man who regarded his honor as mill
tary commander, and was not blindly intent
ON bloodshed Gen. Lee felt that he could
not justify himself before God or man, for the
refusal of such terms, and the consequences
which must result from that refusal. The
terms proposed placed no unnecessary marks
of humiliation on him or his army, but af-
fordsd him every mark Of honor that can be
given by the conqueror to the conquered.
Instead of finding fault with this course, we
have every reason to rejoice that the com
mander Of our armies comes up to tho full
standard Of man. perfect man, in all emer-
gencies and under all circumstances. He
has in this displayed character SO noble that
1t may well be said it is one
"where every God did set his
Seal to give the world assurance of Man."
Let US not forget that it was battle of
brother against brother, that it is our duty
and our interest to restore the whole Union to
its old standing of fratcrnal relations, not to
degrade by humiliating subjugation or bloody
determination, all who have unfortunately
been arrayed against their country. If we
manifest noble, discreet and magnanimous
forbsarance, we shall much more cifectually
and securely accomplish this great end, than
by nm inhuman sacrifice Of human life, Or tho
degradation of human honor.
General Grant has by few timely strokes
Of his pen, accomplished more in a few min
utes. and far more ehesply, than all the swords
Of his whole army had done in twelve months
or could have done IN another mouth of bloody
war. lie has shelyed tho mhole -army Of
Northern Virginia to the end of the rebellion.
That Army, the pride, the power, the boast
and the glory Of the rebellion, is extinct.
without the loss of life or drop Of blood.
No widowed wife Or helpless orphan, no aged
father or mother trembling on the brink Of
the grave. is left to mourn its bloody end, or
vail over its terrible anpihilation, but all
stand free and thankful to verify the mighty
truth that,
ain tho bands Of the truly great,
The pan is mighiier, far than the sword
Instead of murmurings or fault findings, let
ill unite in thanks and praises that the rebel
lion has ended its power by this surrender in
the MODEST Of conquests, conquest without
bloodshed Let all unite in Te Dcum
Laudamus" for this great and noble victory