Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-01-10


Sherman had conference with Johnston
aud Breckenridge, at which the celebrated
memorandum" which attracted so much
attention, was drawn up. This singular
agreement was the cause of much angry
discussion-some of the government or
gans at Washington, for instance, hasten
ing to insinuate that Sherman acted dis
Loyalty. The points of this agreement
were that the government should rccog-
nize the State governments that where
new states had been formed the Supreme
Court should decide upon their legality
that the inhabitants were guaranteed the
rights of person and property, and all po-
litical rights and franchises. This ar.
rangement, making no allusion to slavery.
was abruptly dlsavowed by the President
in memorandum written by Mr.. Stan
ton. Among the points of Mr.. Stanton's
memorandum were these: That Sherman's
plan proposed to restore rebel authority
in the respective states; that it subjected
loyal citizens Of rebel states to debts con-
tracted by rebels in the name of the state
that it practically abolished confscation
laws and relieved rebels of every degree,
who had slaughtered our people, from all
pains and penalties for their crimes, and
that it relieved rebels from the presence
of our Victories" and lett them in a con-
dition to renew their efforts to overthrow
the U. S. Government. 1t is interesting,
when we read over Sherman's memoran-
dunn, and Stanton's abrupt answer to it, to
see that every evil that Stanton professed
to dread has been gradually accepted by
the All nj llstr !tion to which he be-
longs as the basis of Reconstruction Sher-
man came nearer the policy of the new
President than Stanton, The game was
over, however, and our successful cham
pions went on picking up their pieces On
April 2l, Macon was captured Mont
gomery having surrendered to Wilson, and
Mobile to Candy, April l2-Dick Taylor
surrcndering his army to Candy on May
4, and Kirby Smith on May 26-cstab-
fishing peace from the Potomac to the Rio
Grande, and leaving no rebels in arms. On
Nay | L, Jefferson Davis and his family
were captured at lrwinsville In the lat
ter part Of May, our armies were re-
viewed, and from that time gradually
mustered out.
War over, the work of reconstruction
began On April 20, all restrictions on
comperce in the South were abolished. In
Kentucky. May 4, all guorrillas we're cal
led upon to surrender. or be treated as
outlaws. On May 8, the President ode
clared all armed resistance to the govern
men:'s authority at an end" and directed
the arrest of Rebel cruisers as pirates. On
May 27, all sentences for the period dur
ing the war were remitted. May 30,
came the Presidential proclamation Of am
nesty or pardon, omitting from the act Of
grace all who had left Congress, resigned
from the army or navy, or left judicial
stations. all who had cruelty treated our
prisoners, or had been educated at the ma
tional schools, or had been state governors,
or engaged in raids from Canada or on
board rebel privateers, and all whose prop
erty was over $4,000. On the same
day, W. W. Holden was made provisional
governor of North Carolina, with instruc-
tions to prescribe the rules and regulations
necessary for calling a Convention, 80 as
to form a new constitution, and reopen
courts, post offices and revenue agencies.
June l3, Wm L. Sharkey was appointed
! governor of Mississippi. June l6, James
johnson was made governor of Georgia,
and A. j. Hamilton governor of Texas
June 2l, Lewis +. Parsons became cover.
nor of Alabama. July |, B. f. Perry
was made governor of South ;Caroina.
June q, the Virginia Legislature began
its work of reconstruction by aboRshing
the alexandria oath" as a test of citi.
zenship, and adopting the United States
oath OF allegiance June "a, the Presi-
dent announced in convention with del
egates from South Carolina that no recon.
struction would be perfect unless slavery
was abolished in good faith. August l9.
Gov. shalkey of Mississippi issued an or
der for the organization of the militia
The order was countermanded 10y General
Slocum, but was permitted by the Presi-
dent. Slocum probably remembered Stan
ton reprimand to Sherman, and wanted
to do nothing toward "the restoration of
rebel authority in their respective states. +"
September 10, South Carolina repealed
the ordinance of Secession, while, Sept.
%, Alabama abolished slavery. Other
states followed the example, and, Oct. IL,
a proclamation withdrawing martial law
from Kentucky was published. AS the
southern states RECONSTRUCTED" themselves
on the principle Of returning to the Tn
ion with as much power as they could re-
tain, and making as few concessions as
possible, tho President was constrained to
announce Oct. Is, that before any state
could be admitted to the Union every dol.
lar of rebel war debt must be repudiated.
In consequence Of this opinion the con-