The mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1863-1943, 1865-07-08

understood thet paTfeoily.r But" said
hs, "Breekihti6gs, whom ron do not
krow, save By public rumor, as Secretary
o. WaF, isi n Iact. Major General, I 1--WE
you my word for that Have you any
Oojectio1 t. HE bSink present a q Major
GeneralI" replied, y have no Objec-
ton to any military officer you desire be-
ing present Is part Of your personal
staff" myself had my own officers near
me at call. ~
= srnttS5dws came : S::s.y..sJIsy. u a.s! g
whom had never spoken to IL my life,
and he Joined In the conversation while
that conversation was going on q courier
arrived and handed to Gen. Johnston Q
package Of papers be and Breckenridge
sat down and looked over them for Gome
time, and put them away IN their pockets;
what they we're | knew NOT, bat one Of
them was . alp Of paper, written, - Gen.
Johnston told me. by Mr.. ,ReaRan, Post.
master General to The Southern Coniod-
sracy; they seemed to talk about il soto
v0ce, and finally hsndedhit to me; gIanc.
ed over Il; it was preceded by q preamble
and closed with few general terms; re
jected 1t ct once.
We then discussed matters; talked
about slavery; talked about everything.
There was . universal assent that slavery
vas dead as anything could be; that It
was one Of the issues Of the war long
since determined; and even Gen. john
ston laughed at the folly Of the Confede.
rate Government in raising negro soldiers,
whereby they gave up all the points in
the case. told them that slavery had
been treated BY us a. dead institution,
first by one class Of men from the initia.
ton Of the war, and then from the date Of
the Emancipation Proclamation Of Presi.
dent Lincoln, and finally by the assent Of
all parties. As to reconstruction told
them I did not know what the views of
the Administration were. Mr.. Lincoln,
up to that time, IN letters and by tele.
grams to me, encouraged me by all the
words which could be used in general
terms to believe, not only in his willing.
ness bet in bis desire that should make
terms with the civil authorities, Govern.
OrN Legislatures, even IS far back as
1868. 1t then occurred to me that |
might write Of some general propositions,
meaning little or meaning much, accord
ing to the construction Of parties-what
| would term "glitteriDg generalities"-
and send them to Washington, which !
could do in four days That would ena.
bic the new President to give me Q clue
to his policy in the important juncture
which was upon Us, for the war was over;
the highest military authorities so con.
frSsed TO me openly, unconceitedly and
repeatedly. | therefore drew up the mem.
orahdum (Which has been published to
the worldly for the purpose of referring it
to the proper executive authority Of the
United States, and enabling him to define
to ME what | might promise, simply to
cover the pride Of tbs Southern men, who
thereby became subordinate to the laws
of the United States, civil and military
| made no concession to General john
ston's army, or the troops under his di.
rection and immediate control and il any
concessions we're made in those general
terms. they we're made because then'6e-
lieved, and now believe, they would have
delivered into the hands Of the United
States the absolute. control Of every Con.
| federate officer and soldier, all their mus.
ter rolls and all their ArmA II would
save US ell the incidental expense result.
ing from the military occupation Of that
Country by provost marshals, provost
guards, military governors and all the
machinery by which alone military power
can reach the people of . civilized cOun.
try. 1t woGld have surrendered to US
the armies Of Dick Taylor and Kirby
Smith, both of them capable Of doing in.
finite mischief to US BY exhAus,ing the
resources of the whole country upon
which We we're to depend for the future
exlinguishment Of our debt, forced upon
US by their wrathful and rebellious con.
duct. never designed to shelter hu
man being from any liability incurred in
consequence of past acts Of the civil tri.
bunals Of the country, and do not be.
lieve fair and manly interprAtinn Of my
terms can so cOnstrue them, for the words
United States Courts" Omitted States
authorities" Limitations Of Executive
power" occur in every paragraphs And
il they seemingly yield terms better than
the public would desire TO be given to theI
Southern people, il studied closely and
well, it will be found thst there is an ab.
solute submission on their part to the
Government Of the United States, either
through its executive, legislative or judi.
cial authorities. Evcry,.aaap in the pro-
gramme Of these negOtidlIOhS was report.
ed punctually, clearly and truly, by the
most rapid means of com nunication that
| had. And yet had neglected not one
single precautiOn necessary to reap the
full benefits Of my position in case the
Government amended, altered, or absO
lutely annulled these terms. As these
matters were necessarily mingled with
the military history Of the period, would
like at this point to submit to the Com.
mittee my official report, which has been
in the hands of the proper officer, Briga
der General Rawlings. Chief Of the Staff
Of the Army of the United States, since
about the 18th inst 1t was made by me
at Manchester, Virginia, after ! had re-
turned from Savannah, whittier l went to
open up the Savannah River, and reap
the fruits of my negotiations with General
Johnston, AID to give General Wilson's
force in the interior q safe and sure base
from which he could deaw the necessary
supply Of clothing and food for his com.
mand. It was only after had fulfilled
all this that learned, for the FIRST time,
through the public press that my conduct
bad been animadverted upon, not only by
the Secretary Of War, but by General
Halleck and the press Of the country at
large. | did feel hurt and annoyed that
Mr.. Stanton coupled with the words Of
my memorandum, confided ID him,a copy
Of telegram to General Grant, which he
had never sent to me. He knew, on the
contrary, that when he was at Savannah,
| had negotiated with civil parties there,
for he was present in my room when
| thnsa narfias ware comforting with me.