Washington telegraph., 1865-05-17
+ From. onyl Ballst.n of.llleeT he 12AI

Ao AAo n 'niS uoP PditHcHI ~ - unCer-
stood that Federal commissioners are at
/ present in Shreveport, under dag Of
! truce, for the purpose Of conferen CO with
Geo; Smith regarding the surrender of
his army. What terms they propose, or
what Gen. Smith will do. it boots not
now to discuss. Whatever NAV be the
result, We, believe it to be tho dusy aud
best policy of citizens to abide by it
Gen Smith viii not yield our cause, sn-
less compelled by sense of It's hopeless
ress and his duty to protect the citizens
and save the. lives If our soldiers. It is
rumored also. that a commissioner from
Aaximilian 10 with Gen Smith, bearing
important dispatches but we know No
thing certain Of this r.F r.l. '..-....a,
Through the courtesy Of Gen. Fsgap.
we have the St. Louis Republican of the
lst inst, from which We take the follow
ing news. 1t is to be read with the cau=
ton heretofore given wth rerard to
Northern dispatches. M
New York. April 2sth. Eewbera sd-
vices state that Johnston attem pied to
haggle with Grant for terms which would
provide for the pardon of Davis, and
other leading insurrectionary conspirs-
tors, but the Lt.-General would listen to
nothing of the kind. and Johnston was
compelled to be satisfied with the condi-
tions granted to Lee 4l N an.f
Intelligence of the arrival Of JEFF
Davis. and his accompanying fugitivss,
as far South as South Carolina, has been
received in Washington. --.-
The Herald's Selma, Ala, dispatch
says. Among the captured here are $50
officers. 1t. Gen. Dick Taylor made his
escape on steamboat; n. b Forrest.
Dan Adams, Roddy. Armstrong, and
Grassland, under cover of darkness.
reached the swamp East Of the city and
eluded capture
Nearly all the parties directly implica-
ted lin the assassination Of Lincoln) are
now in custody. Payne, the Seward a.
sassin is brother Of the st. Adams
raider There were six brothers. all
reckless and daring. Two were with
Walker in Nicaragua. -e. t-f. .
The Herald's Richmond co.respon-
dent had an interview with Gen. Lee to
obtain his political views and lay them
before the public. Gen Lee said: am
a aparoled prisoner. ! have never been a
politician, and know little Of politics. [
am a soldier" He said he was ready to
make any sacrifice. or do any henorabls
act that would tend to the restoration Of
peace and tranquility. lie said that, a.
believer in States Rights, he had con
sider-d his allegiance due primarily to
hisnative State. He had opposed s. cessiou
but when his State went out, he eonsid-
cred it his duty to go with il; when he
accepted command undsr tins rebel go
vernmsnt, he considered hs was serving
his State lie regarded his surrender Of
military not political irnportancs that il
was not surrender of the doctrine Of
State Rights; when the South was Who'll
ly subdued only would the doctrins of
State Rights be surrendered; the surren-
der of a single army was only military
necessity; when the south surrendered all
its forces and returned to the Ueion,
then only will she surrender her favorite
doctrine of secession; that principle
will then be settled by military power
On the question of state sovereignty,
he contends there exists legitimate ca
sHs belk. question was lettunsettled
IN the Convention forming the organic
law. and the war is destined to settle it,
Therefore, the war raised on this issue
cannot be called treason.
If the South j. forced to submit, It Of
course can only bs looked upon rs the
triumph of Federal power over State
Rights, and the forced annihilation Of
the latter. The South have net been,
and are not yet, prepared to beg forterms.
but are ready to accept fair and honor
able terms, their own political views be-
ing considered. As to slavery, they cor
slider it dead, and the best men have long
been anxious to do away with it,
He explicitly expressed the opinion that
should rsvengeful policies be adopted,
the end Of the war is not yet. He rs-
garded the assassination Of Lincoln as
one which could not be approved. AS to
the suggestion that political leaders only
would be held to strict accountability,
he asked would that be just. What has
Mr.. Davis done more than any other
Southerner, that he should be punished
1t is true, he has occupied prominent
position as the agent Of the whols peo-
pie. and the sets Of the whole people are
his acts. e-.1 .-,-1r .-.,1.. = i-ia lr.
New York. April 29.-Ths Posts
Washington special says:-"It is osti-
mated that Secretary Stanton's order
will dismiss from the military service at
1aact S0 00n porvops
o.. The last adviccs show q good prospect
Of capturing jeff Davis specie and bag
gage train, if not himself and the cabinet
The Commercials Washington special
says:--The surrender of Gen. Johnston
to Gen. Sherman is regarded as making
the termination of the war 1t is not ap-
pretended that any great difficulty will
be encountered in disarming the rest OF
the insurgents. ln- 9.H-s 9ll i' -t"
Gen. Grant having virtually concluded
the war, will return to this city, and will
apply himself to the reduction of militia
ry forces. The initiatory steps have
been taken for large curtailment ofiex
penses..nos 9-a1il l- I- l-alc1i
The policy to be adopted towards the
rebels in civil life, who have not availed
themselves of President Lincoln's amnes
ty, begins to excite attention 1t is pro