The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-31
vIRGINIA's INaRATITUDR.

Grant, instead of opening his artillery
and pouring in death and destruction
upon the demoralized forces of the Con.
federacy, kindly received an offer of ca
pitulation, and accepted the surrender
Of the boosted army of Northern Vir-
ginia, there was not voice raised
plauded the -maganiatnlfimity ct 81 the 't great
General. He then gave them such terms
as no other conqueror, who had a foe in
his grasp as he then held Lee, would
have given. Indeed, it furnished new
precedent in history, for hitherto the
maxim of voe q'ictis--wo to the conquer
ed--had been the rule. But Grant,
actuated by those fraternal feel
ings, with which every bosom in
the North is filed, said; "These are our
brothers; they are of the same race
from which we sprung; have attended
the same schools, learned their alphabet
from the same spelling-book; played
the same plays of youth and childhood;
have the same feelings, thoughts, aspi-
rations and faults that we have;-there-
fore, why should press them sorelyY'
There, upon that field of surrender, he
forgave them everything, and taught his
soldiers to receive them back, and well
come them as they would have welcom-
ed long absent friend or brother.
These were the kindly views and senti-
ments that governed General Grant,
and the same feelings pervaded the army
commanded by General Sherman, when
johnson surrendered to him the last
hope and stay of the Confederacy.
Were these feelings reciprocated? We
answer they were not; and events that
have since TRANSFERRED prove that the
surrender made at that time was not
an honest one. The rebels gave up only
because theywere driven to the wall, and
had not the courage or the fortitude to
endure further trials of war, hardship
and restitution. They might, had they
been made of clay tough as that of which
the men of the North and the West are
moulded, have fought on for years; but
they yielded at the first misfortune that
overlook them, and cried peccdvi even
before they were hurt. These men now
return to the city of Richmond, place
to which, but few days before, they
had applied the incendiary torch, and
destroyed the fairest portions of the
city; they come Haunting in the light
of MONDAY the insignia of their treason
foul as the dagger of Booth, the assas-
sin-wearing the fine gray cloth furnish
ed by England, the brass buttons and
the bars and stars of their late traitorous
government They look down with
scorn and contempt upon the blue-coated
defenders of the Republic, and appear
surprised that they should have the au-
dacity to place their foul footsteps upon
the sacred soil of Virginia. If one of
them deigns to converse witha Yankee, it
is in order that he may boast of what Lee,
Longstreet, Jackson, Semmes, or some
other distinguished rebel generalorpirate
did. How they slew the cowardly Yam
KEGS in this battle, and how they routed
them in the other. They never expert
enced defeat themselves-that was an
lmpossibility. Ask them if the Union
forces had any Generals, and the only
ones they ever heard of were Fremont
and Mcclellan. About Grant, Sherman
and Sheridan they know nothing. All
they know is that Lee is the greatest
General in the world; and in this belief
they have been confirmed by the Eng
lish and copperhead press. So prejudiced |
are these fellows, that they honestly !
believe there are no people living on !
this Continent north of the Potomac:
ana Notwithstanding they were whip.
ped, and acknowledged they were
whipped, and badly whipped, thew
cannot tell where the forces, came from
that whipped then. Or who commanded
tnem' ley are actually so ignorant as
to suppose that Grant was a Butcher,
Sherman a Brute, and Butler Beast
and think they walk on four legs. All
these things, however, must not he laie
at the door of these unfortunate Virgin
ians It was not their fault that thei
education was circumscribed, that thei
knowledge of geography and histor.
never extended beyond the confines 9
their native State.
But we will discontinue this strain
and endeavor to find billof indlctmen
against this people for one OF the pasef
crimes known to society-the crime
ingratitude. Since Weitzeps soldier
displayed their hatred and malice, o.
distinguishing the fire that had beel
kindled by rebel hands, and saved mil
lions of property for the people of Rich
mond, down to the present time, the.
have received nothing but kindness AM
indulgence at the hands of the soldier
and officers of the United States. Ever
insult and contumely have not been nc
ticed, but the largest allowance has bee
made, that magnanimity could make
for the chagrin of defeat. Our officer
and people have patiently listened
their nauseating panegyrics of Lee an
Mosby and other great criminals, witt
out offering to offend against the rules
GOOD breeding by suggesting that the