The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-04-19
Grant and Lee.

On the tomb of gallant soldier of former
days, il is recorded in his honor that, when
made prisoner of war he chose to share
Them, paid the forfeit of his life, a victim 10
disease Let us, in our moment of triumph,
remember that this is General Rober, f
Lees distinction, and that by remaining
with the gallant men who had fought under
him, voluntary prisoner. he secured, at
the hands of an enemy as maguanimous as
himself, not merely mercy but generosity.
No one can read the correspondence pub-
lished yesterday, between Grant and Lee,
without being s,rucK, not merely with the
agreeable revelations it makes of the iudi-
vidual characters of the men bu: with the
truth that, alter all, the generous instincts Of
our nature have more ready developemept
in the hearts Of true soldiers than of others
who bear and encounter less suffering and
danger There is no word OF harshness
There is no tone o! assnm plion, no signs OF
humiliation. On The sword which is sur
rendered, there is no stain. The blade OF
FiNtOiJ II Sppste w llS eCdUbdiu dDu - iiul
braudished OF hourished over fallen foe
In fact, The foe neither falls nor kheeIs he
yields with grace and dignity. And what a
comment is there in General Grants dicIa.
ton or exaclion of easy terms-his permit
ting, nay, offering to his caplives, rank and
file. the privilege of going home and re-
naming quiet ill exchanged. What a COM
ment on the lruculent civilian tone OF GER
tain ne wspapers less than week ago. II
will be vain, sd id he North american "to
seek 10 discourage future rebellions if we
deal Thus leGienlly with the chiefs OF this
one With the leaders who created and
welded The machinery of lbe rebei on we
can make no terms. Especially with such
men as Lee. perjured officers of the United
States army, who have waged war against
the republic they had sworn TO serve, can
we have nothing 10 do. Such a crime is
unpardonable" away" shrieked the
Press, "away, then, with the pretext thai
this wrelched ,ingrae has'any claims TO :he
consideration of the American Govern
meut."
How summary did General Grant brush
away such vindiciive trash, ard hov gladly
and generously, without word OF Insult
or reproach did hs meet, on terms of per
iect equality, his fellow soldier. victory
over whom, after many bloody field and
frustrated manGuvre, is the highest glory
he has won. MIR Stan,on's congraiuIatory
despatch 10 General Gran, proves that the
Administration approves all that he has
done, and said, and wriuen-and even If it
did not, the soldiers word OF honor was
pledged, and no power on earth could ef
feet it's violation. No one better than Gen
Grant knows how precious is a bloodess
victory. II was made matter of reproach
to him 5y such a man as Butler that he
was regardless OF human life, and cared
not how many friend or foe he immoFaied
The answer to this is in the frat words he
addressed 70 General Lee, in which be sug-
gesied surrender "as means of saving
bloodshed" He had fought too often and
too long his brave antagonist 10 wish, with
Oul UcCSoellDS W H-ih Hiiu ozaihf OECsi III
despair. Such man as Butler, filed with
fierce resentment and a consciousness Of
ingrauitude, would, with the poor remnant
of Lees wasted legions hemmed in by
mnI,i'udes, have rejoiced in bloody sacr-
flee, and the more rejoced in Il because 1t
involved no personal peril 10 himself Not
so, we are happy TO say, the successful
soldier who now leads the great armies OF
the North. Of General Lee, the victori-
GUS North, still his countrymen, can afford,
in his .moment OF disaster, 10 speak gently
ard generonslY, and 10 do him al least tie
poor Justice 10 concede that he shared the
dark fortunes Of his soldiers with the same
chivary with which he had so often led
them to victory Age