Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-04-25
q he Gr&Gmau.
MONTPELIER VT.
Tuesday Morning, Apiil %, 1863.
Grants Terms.


when his army laid down their arms, have, in
the present stage Of the war, muchnmore than
ordinary signigcanco Grant said % Each officer
and man will be allowed to return to their homes,
not 10 be disturbed by the UnHod States amhcrihes
a, long as hey obserre their p0role and the l1ps
IN force pIere they reside" This, so far as Gen.
Grants authority goes, is q full amnesty for all
past of5nses against the United States commit
ted by any of the officers or men whose names
appear on the rolls Of the surrendered army.
In this view it is clearly quite beyond any au
thority lodged in Gen. Grant by virtue of his
Office as Lieutenant General and, reaching to
subject over which he has no jurisdiction, IS Of
itself wholly imperative and void. But it is
80 important in its nature, and so far reaching
in its consequences, that it is wholly impossible
TO believe that Gen. Grant did not understand
it's full purport, and had not consulted the pres
ident respecting it and Gen. Lee undoubtedly
understood and received it as a full amnesty for
himself and what remained Of his army. And
now whether right or wrong in Its policy, and
whether strictly binding upon the " United
States authorities" or not IN lts legal elect It IS
an agreement too evident ID lts character,
and 100 important in It's results to be hereafter
repudatei by our government. Our good faith
asa people is now pledged that 10 officer or man
Of Lees army is tn be hereafter disturbed by any
federal authorities - long as theylyiolate no
federal laws
No doubt there is much ground for the cTlt-
cism which this amnesty IN Grants terms has
provoked. The people were not persuaded that
there was any need Of IT, as they believed that
Grants magnificent generalship and the lighting
qualities Of his noble army, we're fully equal to
compelling;an unconditional surrender OF Lees
shattered columns. While there was no d'slre
that the war should be prolonged single
day, there was a strong desire that the military
problem should be kept IN It's solution, distinct
from the question Of amnesty. Whatever the
nation might DO willing ultimately TO agree to,
and however after treason had surrendered IN
conditionally, it might DO disposed to cIemeucy
In its treatment Of rebels, there was beyond
question a very general objection to making
terms with, or yielding single inch to, treason
in arms And after Richmond had fallen, and
our victorious leglous were surrounding and
crushing the remnant OF the defenders Of the rebel
capital the public were hardly sposei to yield
to the army which hal been the principal cup
port Of the conspirators and which was at last
defeated, broken, demoraI1sd, and without an
avenue Of escape, better terms than had been Of
tered at Doneson or Vcksburg
The problem OF reconstruction would have
been much slmpli6ed, 1t Lees surrender had
been unconditional The officers Of Lees army
are as guilty rebels as any in the South. Gen
Lee himself, although regarded with more re-
spect by the North than any other prominent
traitor has given both strength and character
to treason, and caused the shedding Of more blood
than any other rebel chief. The clnpaigos n
Virginia have been the most s,nguinary Il TIE
war, the resistance Of traitors has there been
most consummate in its tkilI nd most desper-
ATE IN lts tehhclty anu hut until ueu' uIduN
foot was on Lees neck did that vanquished rebel
make any talk Of terms. II his crime against
the government is tot the most dangerous kind
OF treason then that crime clnno. be committed,
If he is not to be punished whom shall We pun
ish1
And it is ju,t here tina, tie nation viii find
itself embarrassed by the terms " bch Gen Grant
gave Lee. Every rebel that asks ior terms can
make as good a case as this rebel commander.in III
chief, provided only he has as much ability and is
as much Of gentleman. Yet Tie gov,romtnt
cannot and will not pardon every traitor. 1t
must III some way punish many OF them aud
when it does SO, how will it Justify itse in par
doning the strongest military bulwark Of rebel.
lion The rightarm Of treason, while it brings to
punishment the ploiers and instigators of the
crime which his intelligent will, and his military
genius aided to consummgte?