Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-05-02
The Attorney General on Grants Terms.

We las, week called attention to the ez rlor-
diolry terms gwen by Con. Graft {, Genera,
Lee and his army. aud expressed something o.
the common tesre. that Che rrbe. army IF NJr
thern Virginia should thus virtually be granted
an amnesty. Wes.l then, that Cant, ON Che
acl Of the agreem ut, ex,.elal hls authority,
bat, as We supposed Presiien, Lincoln VS. con
suited before the terms were agreed upla, were
garded the faith of the government PLEDGED t.
carry out in the ls.tra1i spirit, tla agreement
there entered into. Whether the supplsi,o1
that President Lincoln assentad to tie terms, b.
correct or not, it is n evident that t,e prescu,
administration at Washing, oa has no disposition
to treat these articles Of csPi.uhu5n as meaning
anything moro than au ordioay p1roll of prs.
onerS Secretary Stanton ha, required an opio.
ion Of Attorney General Speed On the i3aowi7.
propositions;
FlRsr. Whether the rebel officers whl once re-
sided IN the city Of Washington, ami won't TO
Virginia, or elsewhere IA the souh, and took ser.
vice, can return to the city under the supuati1us
OF the c,pInanon and reside here as their
homes
SEcoND. Whether persons who resided H.
Washington about tie time tho rebsion broke
out lett the city and went 70 Richmond, where
they have adhered u lhs be-, ctu,., en- eod IN
20 the service, or otherwise gwen 1t tnei support
comfort, and aid, can return to Washington
'lnoe the cApi,ulauou Of General Lso S army and
The capture Of Richmond, and reside here un8ur
tue terms u tho population
Inlgo i1u state that, since the ciWuaton
1t General lees arm, rebel olh1ors have appear.
I'd IN pubic IN tho loyal states, wearing she ieh
81 uniform, and you ask whether suoh conduct
5 not "a fresh act OF hostility, On their part, to
.ha United Sa'es, suhactng them 81 / dealt
with as ayowcd enemies OF the government
Attorney General Speed says in his reply
In giving construction to th,s, articles of e..
pltulatl0n, We must consider in what cltacify
General Grant was sp2lking lle, ol rlursa
spoke 10y thg althlrlti OF the Prssl Iva. al the
United States, AS Commander lu.ChlJf ut thc az.
MES Of tn United States. IL mus, be presumed
that he had no authority iron che resident, ex.
cept such As the Comm lnder-ln. Uhc e aid eve
10 a military oiGger.
The IT siden perloyma two functions IT O..
goyernment-0ne civil the Other military. AS
President Of the United States ami i,s ciy'l head,
he possesses the plrdoniog power, as President
oi the United States h. is clmlnler.in chief OF
the mics OF the Unltol States, and J. tho head
OF is bsllisereat power. lis power g pardon
as civil magistrate cannot be deeg ted it isl
a personal trus, inseparabIy connected with the
office oil President 4, Co umandel-lu-Cllef Of
the armies Of the United States, be has power
OF necessity 70 delegate a vast amour, OF power.
Regarding bonerll Grant, then, purely as
military oh 'er, and that be was s,caliag ls one
possessing no power exc IT bellieer.nt anl COO.
slterlng the fact to be well known TO the bellig.
elentr with whom he w,s making he stipulation,
let us eome to the consideration OF the fife,