Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1865-09-27
GENERAL LEE.
His Application for Pardon
The Manner i'm which he Pro-
ceeded-A Semi-OniCIaI State
ment.

Some days ago the Chicago Tribune
stated that General Lee had applied fol
pardon in ''voluminous document de
nying his guilt" Mr.. Dana, editor of the
Chicago Repu ,lican, and late Assistant
Secretary of War. replies by saying that
Lees application is not vlouminous, but
very brief one, containing only some
forty or fifty words"
| He says further that he has never heard
of any of Lees friends who claimed that
his surrender involved pardon. The ut
most that any one has ever claimed about
1t is that it guarantees his personal secur-
ity, so long as he obeys the laws in force
at the place where he resides. But this
is not pardon, because it leaves him with
out any civil rights and liable to trial and
punishment for his great political and
military crimes, should he ever commit
any infraction of the laws in question"
10 all of the above the Richmond Whig
replies thus:
In regard to the particulars of General
Lees application for pardon, about which
much that was purely imaginary has ap-
peared in PRINT, we have some reason, in
no way derived from General Lee, for
thinking that something like the follow
ing are the facts: Upon the appearance
of President JOhnsons's proclamation of
amnesty, or not long thereafter, General
Lee determined to avail himself of its in
vitation to apply for special amnesty.
Whether in coming to this determination
he was actuated by motives of interest or
by desire to influence those who would
be governed by his example, there is no
occasion for us to express our opinion.
We happen, though, to know that Gen.
eral Lee never failed to dissuade those,
who, considered themselves prescribed by
being excepted from the amnesty, medi-
tated expatriation, from carrying any
such purpose into execution. He urgent
ly counseled all who approached him on
the subject to remain in the country, en-
couraging them to hope that, by acquies-
cence in the new condition of affairs, and
an energetic effort to retrieve the fallen
fortunes of the State, Virginia could
again be made the abode of prosperity
and happiness.
His application for pardon, if we are
not mistaken, had been prepared, and
was about to be transmitted to Washing
ton, when a supeT-serViceable Judge,
holding a Federal court at Norfolk, caus-
ed an indictment TO be found against
him, with number of other distinguish
ed gentlemen, for treason. Thereupon,
General Lee, instead of forwarding his
application to Washington, enclosed it
to General Grant, with a note calling his
attention to what had been done at Nor
folf, and remarking that, if according to
his General Grant's) understanding of
the articles of capitulation, he General
Leel was liable to Indictment and prose-
cution for treason, then he did not feel
at liberty to make the application for
pardon.
But if General Grants understanding
was the reverse then, General Lee would
be obliged to him if he would forward the
petition to the President. General Grant,
if we have not been misinformed, re-
sponded to General Lees note promptly
and in the most complimentary and
friendly terms, enclosing a letter he had
addressed to Washington i'm forwarding
the petition, taking the ground that, un-
der the terms of the surrender, the pro-
ceeding at Norfolk was wholly inadmissi-
BILE.
This brought to a sudden close the plan
of Judge Underwood to make his name
immortal by associating it with trial in
which Robert Z. Lee occupied the prison
er's dock, and at the same time brought
Gen. Lees petition before the President
in the mode most agreeable to himself
and most honorable to his successful an
tagonist.
We do not vouch for the literal accura-
cy of this narrative, but have no doubt
of its substantial correctness.