Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-01-06

the Senate is invited to the accompanying re-
port of hieutenant.G General Grant, who recent
ly made tour of inspection through several
of the States whose inhabitants participated in
the rebellion. \
ANDREW JOHNSON.
WASHINGTON, D. c., December Is, 1865.
g GEN. GRANTS REPORT.
HID oRs ARMIES OF TIIE UNITED, STATES,
Washington, Dec. l8, 1867
Ills E:rceUency A. yohnson, President Of tie
United States.
Sir: In reply to your note of the sixteenth
instant, requesting report from ME, giving
such information as [ may be possessed of
coming within,the scope of the inquiries made
by the Senate of the United States in their
resolution of the 18th instant, / have the hon
or to submit the following: With your ap-
proval, and thnt.of the Honorable Secretary
of War, | left Washington on the twenty
seventh of last month, for the PURPOSE of ma
king tour of inspection through some of the
Southern States, or States lately in rebellion,
and to sec what changes were n6ccssdfy to be
made in the disposition of the military forces
of the country; how these forces could bcre
duccd and expenses curtaled, etc, and to learn,
as far as possible, the feelings and intentions
of the citizens of these States towards the
General Government The State of Virginia,
being SO accessible to Washington City, and
information from this quarter, therefore,
being readily obtained, I fastened through
the State without conversing or injecting with
any of its citizens. In Raleigh, North Caro-
lima, spent one day; in Charleston, South
Carolina, two days; Savannah and Augusta,
Georgia, each one day. Both in travelling,
and whilst stopping saw much and converscd
freely with tho citizens of those States, as we'll
as with officers of the army who have been
stationed among them. .The following arc the
conclusions come to by me: [ am satisfied
that the mass of thinking men of tho South
accept the present situation of affairs in good.
faith. Tho questions which have heretofore
divided the sentiments Of the people of the
two sections-slavery and State Rights, or the
right Of State to secede from the Union---
they regard as having been settled forever by
the highest tribunal arms-that man can
resort to: I was pleased to learn from the
leading men whom met, that they not only
accepted the decision arrived at as final but
that now the smoke Of battle has cleared away,
and time has been given for reflection, that
this decision has been a fortunate one for the
whole country, they receiving the like benefits
from it with those who opposed them iii the
field and in council. -Four years Of war, du-
ring which law was executed only at the point
of the bayonet throughout the States in rebel
lion, have left the people, possibly, in condi-
ton not to yield that ready obedience to civil
authority the American people have generally
been in the habit of yielding. This would
render the presence of small garrisons through
out those States necessary, until such time as
labor returns to its proper channel and civil
authority is fully established [ did not meet
any one, either those holding places under the
Government or citizens of the Southern States,
who thipk it practicable to withdraw the mil
itary from tho South at present> The white
and the black mutually require the protection
of the General Government. There is such
universal acquiescence in the authority of the
General Government throughout the. portion
of the country visited by me, that the mere
presence Of military force, without regard to
numbers, is sufficient to maintain order. The
good of the country and economy require that
the force kept in the interior, where there arc
more freedmen than elsewhere in the Southern
States than at forts upon the sea. coast, where
no force is necessary, should all be white
troops. The reasons for this are obvious,
without n,entionipg many of them. The pres
ence Of black troops, lately slaves, demoralize
labor both by their advice and by furnishing
in their camps resort for the freedmen for
lono distances around. Whita troons oe,,er.