The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-08-30
How Pardons are Granted.

A correspondent Of tho Cincinnati
Commercial gives the following interest
ing information in regard to tho subject
of pardons. Many persons, have been
opprchcnsive lest the President should
act too hastily in many instances, and
restore men to citizenship whose uotori
Gus character during the war should de-
priye them Of the amnesty. But it
seems that the President is acting very
cautiously, and that none but the plain.
es, cases will be finally disposed of until
the applicants shall have had opportuui-
ty to prove their disposition toward the
Government
Applications for pardon began to ar.
rive within week after the issuance Of
the Amnesty Proclamation. At first
they were merely sent directly to the
President. whence they were referred
to the proper quarter for initia! action.
At the beginning, the President resolved
to gran, no pardon except on personal
careful examination Of the case. This
resolution, Of course, laid the foundation
for great deal Of hard work. A de-
termination was soon reached to make
the Provisional Governors share in this
work, and circular letter was issued
that allapplicatious must pass through
the hands of the Provisional Governor
of the State in which the applicant re-
sides. In the circular were also some
suggestions to the Governors respecting
the persons whom they had better recon.
mcnd for pardon. This letter did much
to simplify and systematic tho business
Of asking pardon.
Finjing that their applications must
20 before the Provisional Governors at
ny event, persons desiring pardon soon
learned to begin the work of getting it
with these Offices; and now the large ma.
,iority Of applications come directly from
the Offices Of the Governors, endorsed
with such. recommendations as they sec
fit to give, most of them being Of fav
orahlc character. The Governors. Know.
ins that ;he President takes up no case
until it has been examined by the Attor'
ncy General. send the applications direct
ly to Mr.. Speed. \ few individual ap'
pIications 20 to the President, few
reach the War Department, and few
find their way to Mr.. Sewar1's desk !:
bat the great mass Of applications now
20 at once to the Attorney General.
The forms 10 which pardons and am.
ncstcs are asked are nearly as various
as the persons asking. The application
of Alexander II. Stephens covers over
City pages of legal cap manuscript.
Many others cover twenty-five or thirty
pages. Some come in on French note
paper, aud saw one which covered one
page Of dingy, white book.papcr that
was nearly or quite thirty inches square.
Some applicants content themselves with
the endorsement Of Provisional Gov.
errors, while others support their case
with the evidence Of neishbors and
friends. Some applications come through
the regular channel Of the mail many
are brought by the applicants themselves;
and not unfrequcutly ono applicant ap.
pears, bringing his own papers and those
Of dozen other persons. Some are
eouched in very humble terms, but not
few seek to justify themselves for their
part in the rebellion.
The applications, endorsed favorably
by the Provisional Governors, are care.
fully examined at the Attorney Generals
office, to sec fany reason appears Why
they should not be granted, An exami'
nation is also made at the State Depart.
mcnt, to sec if any charges are on file
against the applicant, or if he has at any
time taken and broken the oath of allie
gianco. They arc then sent to the Presl.
dent, with the proper recommendations
and Endorsements. There they lie now
over three thousand Of them.
Each one Of these individual cases is
taken up aud examined by the President
before pardon is granted. The labor OF
this examination is so great that he finds
time for but few cases. When he grants
pardon he signs an order directing the
Secretary Of State to issue warrant Of
amnesty. This goes back to the Attor-
ney General for registry, where the war
rant Of amnesty is filled out. Thence
to Mr.. Seward for his signature and the
great seal Of the Government, and thence
to the President again for his final sig.
nature-and the applicant is once more
an American citizen.