Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-11-29
Gen. Grants Testimony before
the judiciary Committee.
He is for Greater Lenience to
Rebels than the President.

The following is the full and verbatim
report of the testimony Of General Grant
before the Judiciary Committee on the
impeachment question. 1t will be read
with great interest:
/ have seen the President very fre-
quently in reference to the condition OF
affairs in the rebel States. When / was
asked to be at Cabinet meeting, it was
because some question was up in which,
as General in the army, l was interested.
| am not aware of interviews with the
President on amnesty. | had occasionally
recommended person for amnesty |
thought myself at that time that there
was no reason why, because a person had
risen to the rank of General, he should
be excluded from amnesty any more than
he who had failed to reach that rank. |
spoke on that point / did not see so
much reason for the $4,000 clause.
These are the only two points that /
remember to have spoken of at the time.
| atterward, however, told him that /
thought he was much nearer right on the
500 900 clause than | was. was present
when the proclamation was read in Cab.
met, but my views we're not asked. /
never gave any opinion to the President
that it would be better at any time to
Issue proclamation of general amnesty.
Q Did you ever give your opinion to
the President that his proclamation inter.
fered with the convention between your.
self and General Lee2
A. No, sir. frequently had to inter
cede for General Lee and other paroled
officers, on the ground that their parole,
so long as they obeyed the laws of the
United States, protected them from ar
rest, and that the President at that time
occupied exactly the opposite ground,
viz: that they should be tried and pun
ished. He wanted to know when the
time would come that they should be
punished. | told him not so long as they
obeyed the laws and complied with the
stipulstions. That was the ground /
took.
Q. Did you not also insist that that
applied as well to the common soldiers ?
A. of course; it applied to every one
who took the parole; hut that matter was
not conversed upon, except in case Of
some Of the leaders. | claimed that on
the surrender of their armies and arms,
they had done what they could not all of
them have been compelled to do, as
portion of them could have escaped but
they surrendered in consideration of the
fact that they were to be exempt from
trial as long as they conformed to the
obligations they had taken, and they were
entitled to that
Q You looked on that in the nature Of
a parole, and held that they could only
be tried when they violated that parole
A. Yes; that was the view l took Of
the matter.
Q. That is your view still
A. Yes, sir; unquestionably.
Q Did you understand that to apply |
10 General Lee2
A. Certainly.
.. That was your understanding Of
the arran cement which you made with |
General Lee2
A. That was my understanding Of an |
arrangement which / gave voluntarily. |
General Lees army was the first TO sur |
render, aud / believed that with such |
terms all the rebel armies would surren.
der; and that we would TINS avoid bush
and a continuation of the war
in a way that we would make very little
progress with, having no. organized
armies to meet
o. You considered that the like terms
were given by General Sherman to the
armies which surrendered to him
A. Yes, sir; aud to all the armies that
after that
@ And you bold that so long as they
kept their parole of honor, aud obeyed
he laws, they were not subject to be
.riei BY court2
A. That was my opinion will state
,ere that I am not quite certain whether
AN being tried OF who is being tried by
he questions asked
Mr. Eldridge-I am not trying any
lody. | am inquiring as TO the Presi-
tents proclamation, and as 10 the views
le entertained Did you give these views
o the President
General Grant-I have stated these
'ieus to the President frequently, and,
Is have said, be disagreed with me in
hese views BE insisted on il that the
eaders must be punished, and wanted 70
now when the time would come that
hese persons would be tried I told
i'm When they violated their parole.
Q. Did you consider that that applied
H.M nawanN I