The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-11-26

General Garfield. The Sacramento
was wrecked on the reefs near Mad
| ras. 4a
When Detective Wood returned
from New York to Jersey City, on
Friday, he had plates of the figures
on the 5-20 bonds, the plate Of the
forged coupons and electro gold
| plates for a counterfeit thousand in
terest bearing note, which he says is
the finest piece of workmanship he
ever saw.
The Tribune publishes the testi-
mony of Gen. Grant, Judge Chase,
| Secretary Seward, and others on the
| impeachment case. General Grant
said: Z" have seen the President very
| frequently in reference to the condi-
| ton 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 of the
army, [ was interested; | am not
aware of any interview with the
| President on amnesty; | have occa-
sionally recommended a person for
amnesty; | thought, myself, at that
time, there was no reason why, be-
cause "a person had risen to the rank
of General, he should be excluded
| from amnesty any more than one who
had failed to reach that rank; [ spoke
on that point: [ did not see much
reason for the $4,000 clause: these
are the only two points that | remem-
Der to have spoken about at that
time; | afterwards, however, told him
that | thought he was much nearer
right on the $4,000 clause than [
/ d
cIamation was read in the Cabinet,
but my views were not asked; | never
gave any opinion to the President
that it would be better, at that time,
to issue a proclamation of general
amnesty"
Question. Did YOU ever give your
opinion to the President, that his
proclamation interfered with the stip-
ulatlons between yourself and Gen.
Lee?
Answer No, sir; 1 frequently had
to intercede for Gen. Lee and other
paroled officers, on the ground that
their parole, so long as they obeyed
the laws of the United States, pro-
tected them from arrest and trial.
The Presidential that time occupied
exactly the same grounds, viz that
they should be tried and punished.
He wanted to know when the time
would come that they should be pun
ished. told him, not so long as they
obeyed the laws and complied with
the stipulations. That was the ground
/ took.
Q. Did you not also insist that it
applied to the common soldier.
A. Of course, it applied to every
one who took the parole, bat that was
not canvassed, except in the case of
some leaders. [ claimed that in sur
rendering their armies and arms they
had done what they could. A portion
of them could have escaped, but they
surrendered in consideration of the
fact that they were to be exempt from
trial so long as they conformed to the
obligations they had taken, and they
were entitled to that Grant said
that was his view. Still the President
disagreed with him; he insisted that
the leaders should be punished, and
wanted to know when the time for
their trial would commence.
Grant replied, when they vio-
lated their parole. But these terms
did not apply to jeff Davis, as he
did not take any parole" The Presi-
dent contended for the trial of Gen
eral Lee, but General Grant insisted
that would violate the parole. Gen
eral Grant had urged nothing; he
had only given his opinion when
asked for it. The President at first
seemed anxious to punish the leaders,
saying that treason must be made
Oaious; hut he afterwards got to
agreeing with the General. As TO the
effect of the parole as to political
rights, General Grant did not think
the parole gave the rebels any politi-
cal rights whatever; that was a mat
ter, of necessity, in the hands of Con-
gress.
Grant further testified, that
although he did not advise the grant
ing of amnesty, he was in favor of
doing so, and that the issuing of the
proclamation was only carrying out
President Lincoln's policy for restor-
ing civil government in the Southern
States.
The General then named several
Generals, whose applications for par
don he had recommended. Among
them were Lee, Longstreet, and Stu
art. He had never recommended
universal amnesty at the time. for it
had noy arrived.