Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-30

4
We fod in the Lewiston (Me.) Journal some
interesting notes, made BY the editor, of an
hours interview with Gen. Grant at Wash
ington few days since. The General intima-
ted that it would perhaps have been better for
| the country had the war continued for a year
longer, explaining and adding further obser.
vations on the state of the country, as follows /:
There were some parts of the coultry
| where our armies never trod, particularly
Texas, which needed to feel the biishling
effects of the war to bring their people to q
realizing sense of the enormity Ut their crime
and the necessity Of u thorough repentance
fnd,' eaid he, that those parts of the South
which have not felt the war, and particularly
those which have been within our lines and
nave therefore escaped the rebel conscri ption
and taxes, are much less disposed to accept
the situation in good faith, than those portions
which have been literally overrun with fire
and sword
Referring to the temper OF the southern
people, he remarked that they are much less
disposed now to bring themselves to the proper
frame Of mind than they were one year since.
A year ago. said he, they were willing to
do anything now they regard themselves as
masters OF the situation. Some OF the rebel
generals he added, are beha, ing nobly and
doing all they can to induce the people to
throw aside their old prejudices and to con-
form their course to the changed condition OF
things Johnston anu Dick Taylor parucu-
iariy, are exercising good influence bat,
he added, Lee is behaving badly. lie is
conducting himself very differently from what
[ had reason, from what he said at the time
o! his surrender, Co suppose be would. No
man at the South Is capable of exercising q
tenth part of the influence for good that ne
is, but Instead of Using it, he is setting ex
ample OF forced acquiescence 50 grudglng and
p rnlcous In It. effects To be hardly realized.
The men who we're In the rebel armies,
said Grant, acQulesce 10 the result much
| better than those who said at home. The
| women are particularly bitter against thu
Union and Union men, 'Of course, he al
| ded, there ID some bitterness of feeling among
| ali classes but am satisfied it would soon Gle
| out it their leading men had not somehow sos
the idea that treason alter all was not very
bad, and tina: the southern cause, AS they
phrase 1t, will yet triumph, not IN war, but
in politics. In my Judgment said Grant,
| the tone OF certain IDen and certain papers
at the North, IS such to do incalculabie
mischief in making the late rebels believe that
they are Just rs much entitled to rule as ever,
anu that If they will only stand by what they
are pleaseo TO call ihelr rlRn's, tney Will
nave help from the North This, signlh
cantly added Grant, is only playing over
again the incipient stages of the rebellion.
de was confident that the large majorily of
abe southern people would smother their re-
sentIn, nts and become good citIzens. If these
mischief makers at the North (the Copper
head would only let them alone. For HIM
self, 1t he had the power, the FIRST thing he
would do would be to seize the New York
.fsirs and kindred sheets, which are giving the
Sou III so dangerous An idea of their own posi-
tIon and rights.
'Tro)Is,' said Gen. Grant, must be kept
IN all the principal points in the South for
some time 20 oome. This will be necessary TO
repres. the turbulence of 4 class of the South
very dangerous TO all we'll disposed persons,
ana also To protect the rlghts of the freedmen,
who are looked upon with deep hatred by
very large proportion of she people