The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-01-04

Carl Shurz is herewith transmitted, as re-
quested by the Senate. No reports from
the Hon. John Covode have been received
By the President The attention of the
Senate lis invited to the accompanying
report of Lieutenant General Grant, who
recently made tour Of inspectionthrough
several of the States whose inhabitants
participated in the rebellion.
~ ANDREW JOHNSON.
WASHINGTON, D. G., December Is, 1865.
GENERAL GRANTS REF oRT.
HD'oRs ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES,
WASHINGTON, December 13, 1865.
Els Ercellency A. johnson, President Of the
United States
SIR: In reply to your note of the six
teenth instant, requesting a report from
me, giving such information as I may be
possessed of coming within The scope OF
the inquiries made by the Senate of the
United States in their resolution of the
twelfth instant, 1 have the honor to SUBJ
nit the following: With your approval,
and that of the Honorable Secretary Of
War, left Washington on the twenty
seventh OF last month, for tie purpose Of
making q tour of inspection through some
of the Southern States, or States lately in
rebellion, and to see what changes were
necessary to be made in the disposition Of
the military forces of the country; how
these forces could be reduced and expenses
curtailed, etc., and to learn, as far as pos
sible, the feelings ard intentions Of the
citizens of these States towards the Gen
eral Government. The State of Virginia,
being so accessible TO Washington City,
and information from this quarter, there
fore, being readily obtained, 1 fastened
through the State without conyersing or
meeting with any of its citizens. In
Raleigh, North Carolina, 1 spent one day;
in Charleston, South Carolina, two days;
in Savannah and Augusta, Georgia, each
one day. Both in travelling and whilst
stopping saw much and conversed free
ly with the citizens of those States, as
we'll as with officers of the army who have
been stationed among them. The follow
ing are the conclusions come to by me: |
am satisfied that the mass of thinking
men of the South accept the present stu
alton of affairs iu good faith. The ques-
tions which have heretofore divided the
two sections-slavery and State Rights,
or the right of State to secede from the
Union-thcy regard as having been set
tied forever by the highest tribunal-arms
that man can resort to. l was pleased
to learn that the leading men whom l
met, that they not only accepted the de-
cision 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 o fortunate
one for the whole country, they receiving
the like benefits from it with those who
opposed them in the field and in council.
-Four years Of war, during which law was
executed only at the point OF the bayonet
throughout tho States III rebellion, have!
left tho people, possibly, in condition
not to yield that ready obedience to civil
authority the American people have gen
orally been in the habit Of yielding. This
would render the presence of small garri-
sons throughout those States necessary,
until such time as labcr returns to its
proper channel and civil authority is fully
established L did not meet any one ei-
ther those holding places under tho Gov
ernment or citizens of the Southern States,
who think it practical to withdraw the
military from the South at present. The
white and the black mutually require the
protection of tho General Government.
There is such universal acquiescence in
the authority of the General Government
throughout the portion of tho country
visited by me, that the mere presence of .
military force, withoutregard to numbers,
is sufficient to maintain. order. The good
of the country and economy require that
the force kept in the interior, where there
are 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 mentioning
many of them. The presence of black
troops, lately slaves, demoralize labor both
odu;nn md hr f1rnishinn In their