The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-11-28
General Grants Testimony before the Ju.
dietary Committee.
HIS OPINIONS ON PARDON AND RECONSTRUCTION.

HIS OPINIONS ON PARDON AND RECONSTRUCTION.
General Grants testimony before the Judiciary
Committee of the House Of Representatives is
published. The General says he was frequently
in consultation with Mr.. Johnson in relation to the
| reconstruction measures; and that he interceded
for General Lee, and recommended the pardon OF
Generals Longstreet, French and Geo. H. Stuart.
On the subject Of pardons General Grant express
ed his views as follows:
PAROLE AND PARDON.
General Lees army was the first to surrender,
and believed that with such terms all the rebel
armies would surrender, and that we would
thus avoid bushwhacking and continuation OF
the war in way that we would make very little
progress with, having no organized armias to
meet.
Q. You consider that the like terms were given
by General Sherman to the armies which surren-
dered to him? A. Yes sir; and to all the armies
that surrendered after that.
| @. And you held that so long as they kept their
parole Of honor, and obeyed the laws, they were
not subject to be tried by courts? A. That is my
opinion.
| 1 will state here that 1 am lot quite certain
whether 1 am being tried, or who is being tried,
| by the questions asked.
MIR. Eldrldge-I am not trying anybody. l am
| inquiring to the Presidents proclamation, and
to the views he entertained. Did you give these
views to the President
| General Grant, have stated those views to the
President frequently, and, as I have said, he dis
agreed with me in those views He insisted on
it that the leaders must be punished, and wanted
| to know when the time would come that those
persons could bo tried. I told him when they
| violated their parole.
Q. Did you consider that that applied to Jeffer-
son Davis? A. No, sir, he did not take any
parole.
@. He did not surrender? A. No, sir. 1t ap-
| nlind t0 who waa paDturad nnIv IN
| those who we're paroled.
@. Did the President insist that General Lee
should be tried for treason? A. He contended
| for it.
Q. And you claimed to him that the parole
which General Lee had given would be violated in
such trial? A. did. / insisted on 1t that Gen
| eral Lee would not have surr rendered his army
| and given up all their arms il he supposed that
| after surrenderlng he was going to be tried for
| treason and hanged. 1 thought we got very
good equivalent for the lives of few leaders in
getting all their arms and getting themselves
der CONTROL bound by their oaths to obey the laws.
That was the consideration which | insisted upon
we had received.
| @. Did the President argue that question with
| you? A. There was not much argument aboIt it.
| It was merely assertion.
@. After you had expressed your opinion about
it did he coincide with YOU? A. No. sir not then.
| He afterward got to agreeing with me on that
subject. 1 never claimed that the parole gave
| these prisoners any political right whatever.
| thought that was matter entirely with Congress,
over which had no control; that, simply as Gene
| ral-in-Chief, commanding the army, 1 had right
to stipulate for the surrender terms which pro-
tecte1 their lives. That is all l claimed The pa
role gave them protection and exemption from
punishment for all offences not in violation of the
rules OF civilized warfare, 80 long their parole
was kept.
General Grant then gave evidence as to the
CHANGE IN TEE PRESIDENTS VIEWS.
| @. You state that you differed with the Presi-
dent as to two points in the proclamation, but that
his views afterwards changed. State when the
| Presidents mind changed and underwent change.
A. 1t would be very hard, reckon to ix it, but it
was along in the Summer Of 1865, not more than
| two or three months after the North Carolina pro-
| clamation Of May 29.
| BY Mr.. Woodbridge-W I said that the
Presidents views underwent change, I meant
that while / was contending for the rights which
those rebel paroled soldiers had, he was insisting
| on it that they should be punished.
By Mr.. Eldridge-Any correspondence I ever
had with the President is official, and can be fur
nished had to make frequent endorsements on
the subject of the rights Of those paroled prison.
ers the only correspondence that l could have
| had on the subject Of amnesty was whom recon-
mended men for pardon, as in the case Of French
and others, Of all Of which have kept copies and
will furnish them. I recolect the North Carolina
proclamation, which WAS the first one giving q
| State Government; was present when 1t was read,
and it was in the direction 1 wanted; was anxious
| to sec temporary government there, and did
not want to sec anarchy.
@. Did you give any opinion in favor Of that
proposition? A. did not give any. opinion
against it 1 was in favor Of that or anything else
| which looked to civil government until Congress
could meet and establish governments there; l
| did not want all chaos left there and no form Of
civil government whatever; was not in favor OF
was simply in favor Of having government there l
did not pretend to give my judgment as to what 1t
should be 1 was perfectly willing to leave it to the
civil department /; l asked no person what l should
do in my duties was willing to take all the re-
sponsibiity, and did not want to give my views as
to what the civil branch OF tue government should
| do.
On tho question of reconstruction, the General
said
BY Mr.. Marshall.-Q. understand yon to say
that you were very ANXIOUS, at the close OF the war;
| that civil governments should be established in
some form, and you so advised the President 2
| A. stated frequently in his presence, but ad-
vised no particular form Of proceeding.
| O. We're you present wien this North Carolina
proclamation was read in Cabinet2 A. 1 would
| not be certain, but am of opinion that the first
time heard it read was in presence OF the Presi-
dent and the Secretary of War only.
| O. Did you assent to that plan? A. did not
dissent from it; it was civil matter, and although
was anxious to have something done, did not
intend to dictate plan; do not think expressed
any opinion about it at the time; looked upon it
| as simply temporary measure until Congress
should meet aud settle the whole question, and
| that it did not mako much difference how it was
| DONE so that there was o form CT government
there; think was present at the time by all IN
vitaton of either the President or tho Secretary OF
| War; auppose was free to exotess my views;
suppose the object was that should express my
| views if could suggest any change; 40 not
| think was asked my views; know that if had
been asked the question, / would have as
sented to that or almost anything else that would
have given stable government there IN REFER
ence to the opinion gave the President on the
| Amnestry Proclamation, think 1 have testified
pretty fully; told the President disagreed with
| him on the clauses excluding volunteer generals,
and as to the $4,000 clause, do not say anything
as to the rest of it, whether it was too lenlent or
too stringent, can state what thought about it,
but not what 1 said about it; know that imme-
diatey after the close OF the rebellion there was
very fine feeling manifested in the South, and
thought we ought to take advantage OF it as soon
as possible but since that there has been an evil
| dent change there. l may have expressed my
views to the President. 1 do not recollect parti-
cularly. 1 do not suppose that there were any
persons engaged in that consultation who thought
of what was being done at that time as being lasting
any longer than until Congress woula meet anu
Q ther ratify that Of establish some other form OF
| government L know it never crossed my mtnd
| that what was being done WAS anything more than
| temporary. 1 understood this to he the view OF
the President and of everybody else. did not
know of any difference OF opinion on the subject.
He was very anxious to have Congress ratify his
views. Mr.. Lincoln, prior to his assassination,
had inaugurated policy intended to restore those
| Governments. l was present once before his muir
der wien plan was read The plan adopted by
Mr. johnson was substantially the plan which had
been inauguratcd by Mr.. Lincoln as the basis for
his future action. do not know that it was uer-
ta,na the same. think tie very paper which l
heard read twice while MIR. Lincoln was President
was the one which was carried right through.
@. What paper was that? \. The North Caro-
| lima proclamation.
| Affairs in Mexico.
President Juarez has issued what his Secretary
of War styles an Amnesty Proclamation. Corpo-
real punishment is commuted to Imprisonment.
1 Noro nd in bn