Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-04-27

The correspondence between Gen. Grant and
Gen. Lee on the sutje0 Of the surrender Of the
army Of Northern Virginia rests that act, on both
aides, on the grounds Of O political sequence
Gen. Grant not only asked the surrender in the
interests OF peace, but, with humanity that does
him honor. did 50 on the express ground that, to
use his own words, 'nl our difficulte. msy be
settled without the lOss OF another life" This
language, IL IS true. the lieutenant general em
ployed 10 reference 70 the special act OF the sur
render Of the army Of Northern Virginia: bet in
demanding that act, IN his official correspondence
on the broad grounds Of peace" aud vith a
hope OF settling all our difficulties. without the
loss OF another life" he stands. by the clearest
inference, pledged, as the representative on the
occasion OF the government of the United States.
to the settlement Of the whole-"all our Difficult
ties by an express limitation in the interest Of
mercy-"witbout the lose of another life :"
The very terms Of the correspondence be-
tween Lee and Grant cut of all the pleadings Of
turculene hate. The implication of the fact OF
the surrender involves general amnesty; for.
surely. when IL is admitted 10 cover "rebeis in
arms, from the private to the major general, the
lieutenant general. the commander iz-chief, ii
cannot be supposed 10 exclude any others. Can
i, be supposed possible that General Grant, when
accepting Lees surrender. did so under reserv-
alton that would place army Of battle tried
soldiers 10 the position Of saving themselves at
the sacrifice of the homes they had defended and
the men they had obeyedf
On the 9Th Of April, General Grant laid down
the terms OF Lees surrender In bis letter OF
that date he says: Each officer and man will
be allowed to return to their homes, not TO be
disturbed by United States authority 90 long a.
they observe their parole and the laws in force
where they may heside.''
The civil power has no right whatever to go
beyond that solemn contract; 20 do so is forbid
den on all those grounds of morals and policy
which lend sanctity to the solemn acts of govern
ment. Not to be disturbed by United States
authority" is. indeed. wording so broad, that
it shields the men aud officers OF the army Of
Northern Virginia from. not only the military
bat from even the civil power. An amnesty
more full and generous cannot be conceived
and, offered to "rebels in arms, must clearly be
supposed, under every view of the case to en-
brace. by inevitable inference all grades of their
fellow "rebels" in civil life
General Grant stood to Lee in the position vi
representative of the United States If plenary
powers had not been intrusted TO the leutenan.
general, his acts and their consequences are
equally binding on his princpal--the govern
ment But he may be fairly supposed to have
been, during the negotiations for surrender, in
constant communication with the late president
and for that reason may be assumed to have iii cd
the terms Of the surrender under the direct sane
| ton Of the executive The conciliatory spirit
tina. followed, the revolutionary passions that
Kissed upon II il passed into the public feeling
Of the country, show plainly that Mr. Lincoln &C
| cepted the terms OF Lees surrender as the inau
| guration of broad aud generous Cancellation.
/ The policy OF the question set altogether aside
the mode of dealing with The people of the south,
soldiers and civilians. priystes aud generals men
OF all grades, civil and military, is guaranteed
beyond all the sophistries OF brutal malignauce
by the pledge of the public faith Mr. johnson,
then in treating the people OF the south, is bound
by the fairest possible inference, from a solemn
obligation Of the country, to accept the golden
rule, under which Lee has met his second defeat
LET gentleness my strong enforcement be-"
The plain differences from the terms on which
Grant received the surrender Of the army OF
northern Virginia have been laid down. in er
press terms, ia the agreement made with General
Johnston by General Sherman. The lieutenant
general has !; j. said, been sent to North Caro-
lima to discharge the very delicate duty of tear
ing up the armistice entered into by Sherman
bnt cannot do so without objecting 70 the conces-
sion in direct terms, of what lac has himself stp-
ulated for, in the plainest possible differences
from tte wording of Lee surrender New
York News