The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-06-10
The Status Of General Lee and other
Rebel Soldiers.

Our Washington correspondent stat
ed few days since that the authorities
we're contemplating the arrest of Gen.
Robert E. Lee A cotemperary of this
morning, adds: Colonel Walter H.
Taylor, General Lees Adiutsnt GeneF-
al, Surgeon W. J. Moore, and about
fifty Confederate soldiers, at present re-
siding in Norfolk, have been summons
ed to appear before the United States
District Court st ten O'Clock this morn
ing, with a view Of testifying against
General Robert E. Lee and other prom
ipent rebel officials, on charge Of trea-
son.
Can General Lee be justly arrested
and tried for treason 2 fhis Is sques-
ton of vital importance, not only ins
lvolving, as it does. the fate, of the rebel
Chief and all the South
ern leaders and followers accepting the
terms of capitulation, but the national
faith and honor. General Grant acting
by and with the advice Of President
Lincoln, offered to his antagonist terms
of capitulation which contained the
folIoxing stipulations Each officer
and man viii be allowed to. return to
their homes, not to be distE5ea 5gj United
States d,ahorig so long as they observe
their parole and the laws IN force
whefel they reside General Lee,
on receiving these terms, repli-
ed They are accepted, and
forthwith capitulated. When a few
days later. General Sherman offered
| different and more liberal terms to
johnson, they were repudiated b. the
Government and General Grant, hasten
ing to Raleigh, substituted those ten.
dered 10 Lee, which were accepted.
Y These conditions were further made a
basis of treaty eapitulation with Tay-
| lor, and all the various insurgent com
msnds scattered through the trans
! Mississippi, and have, doubtless, been
accorded by. General Candy to Kirby
Smith. Having thus acquiesced in the
course pursued by Grant, Sherman (in
the second case), Candy and other Cen
erals, can there be any doubt that oul
Washington authorities sanctioned, ap
proved and indorsed these terms o.
surrender which resulted in ending the
WARP By no meana The fact that they
! ignored Sherman's frst conditions ar
gues conclusively that they approved
Of the others. Government is unable
therslore, TO claim that il was no party
to these stipulations, and consequently
is not responsible for or amsnable e
them. There stands the record, eleal
landuadisputable, however disagreeabls
, 70 reflect or look upon, aud cannot bt
4 gainsayed or ignored PRESIDENT Lin
coin and Presidents Johnsonwere cloth
: ed with authority TO either repudiate o.
indorse the course of thsi1 Generals In
the field. By not repudiating the &C
tiou Of General Grant and others, they
proclaimed to the country and Ia,
world that they Endorsed them.
Neither can there be any doubt a. 4
the meaning Of the stipulations, aEses
officer and man are allowed 70 return {,
their, homes, not to be disturbed by
y limited States anthOrity 90 long as thel
. observe their parole and the laws ii
force where they may reside" Could
anything be more. clear The insur-
! gents took Us at our word, and sue
i cuinbed IA every quarter. and the re
beIiion ended at once Does any one
suppose that they would have thu.
Yielded If they beliesed that the stipu
lations could be 50 Interpreted a. &c ad
NIT Of their arrest and trial for trea
son Would they not rather haye held
out longer, and essayed tosecure safety
IN Mexico, or some Other. country
Such being the case, We do not per.
ceive how General Lee OF aBV OF hi.
fsoldiers can be zrrested without viola
ting a solemn compsct, and our na
tional faith and honor General Les
and Others may have merited the
: seveFest punishment, but We cannot
now mete il out % them without ignor
ing the conspact made with them The
terms were, perhaps. too liberal, but
they secured an immediate peace, anC
We must not repndiate them
As the case now stands, the iusur
! gents are pledged 70 obedience and &C
| quiescence in the laws Of their local.
. tiestill exchanged. on, IN other words
they are liable 70 the punishment FOL
lowing violated parole, for any over
set duTlug all coming limes for. .szsu
r0re