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

we were to DEPEND for the future extinguish-
ment OF our debt, forced upon US by their wrong
lul and rebeIlous conduct. ! never designed
to shelter human being from any liability in
Cured IN consequence VI past acts to the civil
tribunals Of our country, and DO not believe
that lair and maaly Interpretation OF my
terms can 80 cJnsrue them for the words - Unl-
tea States courts, -" United States authorities
limitations OF executive power" occur in every
paragraph And II they seemingly yield Terms
better than the public would desire to be given
to the southern people, Il studied closely and
well it will be found that there Is an absolute
submission on their part to the government OF
the United Stats, eli her through Its executive,
legislative or judlcal authorizes. Every step
IN The programme OF these negotiations was re-
ported punctually, clearly and fully by the
means OF the most rapid communication had.
And yet | neglected not one single precduton
necessary to reap the full benefits oImy position
IN case the government amended, altered, or
absolutely annulled those terms AS those mat
ters were necessarily mingled with the military
history Of the period would like at this point
to submit to the Committee my Official report,
which has been in the hands OF u proper officer
! l}rgadier General Rawlings, Chief u Stall OF
the army Of the United States, since about the
l2,h instant. Ii was made by ne al Manches
ter, Va, after had returned from Savannah (;
whittier ] went to open up the Savannah river
and reap the fruits OF my negotiations with
| Gen. Johnston, and to give General wilson's
! force in the interior d safe and sure base from
which ho could draw the necessary supply Of
clothing and food Tor hls command 10 was
only after had fulfilled all tina that learned
for the first time, through tie public press, that
my conduct had Teen animadyertei upon, not
only By the Secretary Of WaT but by General
Halleck, ami The press Of the country at large.
did feel hurt and annoyed thut Mr., Stanton
coupled with the terms OF my memorandum
conided to him, u cory Of q telegram to Gen
Grant, which he had never sent to me. lie
knew, on the contrary, that when be was at
Savannah that had negotiations with civil
parties there, for be was present IN my room
when those parties were conlerrlng with me,
and wrote HIM a letter, setting forth many
points Of il, In which said aimed to make a
split IN jeff DAVIS dOminlOns, by segregatng
Georgia from their cause. Those were civil
negotiations, AMI far from being discouraged
from making them, was encouraged By See.
Stanton himself in making them
By coupling tue note 10 General Grant with
my memorandum, he gave the world fairly and
clearly to infer that ! wac in possession Of it.
Now, was not in possession OF It., and | have
reason to know that Mr. stanton knew was
not in possession oi it. Mex, met me General
llAlecks telegram, indorscd by Mr.. Stanton,
10 which they publicly ayowed an act OF perhdy
namely the violation Of my terms, winch !
bad H. ht to make, an which, by the laws OF
war and by the laws u Congress, IS punishable
BY death and no other punishment. Next they
ordered an army to pursue my enemy who was
known to be surreudering to me- IN the pres
enc9 Of General GNnt himself, their superl r
officer aud finally they sent orders 10 General
" lson and 10 General Ibomas-my subordin-
ales, acting under me on plan Of the most
magnificent so4le, admirably pxecuted-to de-
leat nay orders aud to thNart the government
OF the United States dd feel indignant !
do feel Indignant. rs to my own homer can
protest it. In my et.,r Of the 18Th Of April /
used this language. " have invited Governor
Vance to return t. Raleigh with the cNil fiji
Gers Of bis state DID So b,caus, Pr,sid, ut
Lincoln hs4 himself encouraged me to d similar
course with the Governor Of Georgia, when
f was 10 Atlanta. Aud here wa, the opportunI.
ty which the Secretary Of War should have to-
ken to put me on my guard against making
terms with the civil authOlitl,s, If such wer,
he settled policy Of our government Hal
President Lincoln lived know he would have
sustained me.