Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-11-25


before, could not see any reason why tue
fact of vOlp rising 10 the rank Of q gen.
efst tsnhold exclude hIxl any more ;ean any
other grades. With reference 10 the tweaty
sOOsand doiior cieuse, thought that "A mans
success 10 the world was no rea son for his
being exc nd ec FROM amnesty; but L recoilect
aferwsrd saying u the Pres dent tna. 1
thought he was r Ssht in that particular and 1
y as wrong have heard him say 1t a num-
hrr OF tines He said l. 10 me, aud he said IL
10 my prettsce at the time that delegations
were coming up 10 hinl from the Souln. 1
r|collect hat on one occasion be talked 10 a
DEL cation rom Richmond that way. i do
rot Know OF any other l never changed
ny views. II he wSs going to give
amnesty 10 a soldier a. ALI. ! dit not why
the fact OF a mans having rissR 81 Ine RANK of
Generai should be reason to- excluding
him. q uic You not advise tue President
'hsG /, was proper and right he should grant
amnesty. A [ do not think i said any on tnat
'ubJect. ! only looked on he Proclamation as
on- we'ch De- was detsrmi1ed 10 issue aud as
a thing sGssep table 10 anne adment or i'm
provemeni y. DID yoa not siye
your opinion At ali that amnesty
ought to be ersuied 10 those people to any
sxIenr A. know that i was IN IA vor Of some
procls NATION OF the sort. and perhaps / may
have said IL was necessary 10 do some
thing TO establish governments and civil Law
here. i wanted 10 see tnat done, bat do not
Inink ever pretended 70 diet what ough to
he done. q Did you not advise A. don't
mink L eve" did. l have given my opinion,
perhaps, as TO wha. has been done, but l
90 not think I advised any course
myself any more than that 1 Was very aux
ions to see something done 10 restore civil gov
ernmen's les tored in tho : 3 ates. Or did you
ever give 20 ar opinion az all TO the President
as 20 what shonId re dore. A. / do not think
1 did, after matters were donsI was willing to
express aud opinion for or against praticnlar
clauses was in favor, and so ex pres sed myself
OF something being done TO res tore civil rule
there Immediately as near as il could be done
under the circumstances. q. Did You suggest
anythiDel A.. No. sir. by MIR. WOODBRIDGE
4 m ho ,ho,
you did not assume TO originate or inaugurate
any policy; out that hen any question came
up aud y our opinion was asked as to what the
PRESIDENT wss going TO do, or had done. you
gave au opinion. A That IS 1t exactly. and
presumed the whole committee SO under.
Stood me- 1 have always been attentive
with other peoples. Was always ready to
orig mate matters pertaining 10 the army, but
i never was willing 20 originate matters per
tanning to the civil government of the United
states. Win i was asked nv opinion abou.
what had been done 1 was willing to give II; /
originated no plan and suggested no plan for
civil government; 1 only gave my views on
me- as ures after they had been originated; l sim
ply expressed An xiety th At some ID ing should
be done 10 give some sort OF control down
there. There were no governments there when
gsvern mens estabiisbed aud wanted to see 1t
done quickly; did not pretend 10 say that II
should be doDe, or in what form.
by Mr.: Eldridge.-o contine my ques-
pressing the opinion that something should
be done, and done quickly. Did you make
a suggestion of what ought 10 be done
A. No sir / will state here tina. before Mr.
Lincoln's assassination the question about
l. suing proclamation of some some sort, and
ESTABLISHING some sort Of civil government
continued after Mr. johnson came into office
q. DID you give your opinion on that after IL
was done. A. was present 1 think twice
during Mr.. LiHcOln's administration when a
ny Is Srr1a atsnp fhar had honn taA
been read. After his ASSASSINATION it continued
right along. and / was there with Mr.. John
son. q. DID you give President johnson
your opinion on the subject OF The procIama-
ton which you say was mp before Mr.. Lin
coins death, and was continued alter ward
A. say fave given my opinion on particu-
as far a. 4 can recollect, L disagreed with
TIVE clauses of the proclamation as to
the plan of establishing provisional
knew nothing about, and which 1 do not rceoi-
lect having expressed an opinion about. The
only opinion l recollect having expressed on
Il III subject at al was 10 the Secretary Of War.
thought there would be some difficulty in
ge eitIng people down there 10 accept offices; bot
four d aIterward they were ready enoug 20
lake Ihsm. BY the Chairman o If 1 under
sand you correctly, the ooly op' uiou you ex-
pressed, and the only advice yeu gave were In
reference 10 the Military side Of the que7t'on,
and not in re'erence to the civil. A. Notnipg
further than that was anxiors that something
should be done 10 restore some sort OF govern
ment. q. Bot you gave no advice as 10 whit
should be done! A. ave 70 advice as to
q. State be con versa ion you had on the sub
ject. A. 1 have he'd repeated con versations
with the President, but l cannot specify what
the con versations were any more than 1 have
already done. In answer 70 questions as 10
how many pardons for rebel Generals he
recommended, Gen. Grant named Longstreet,
J. q. French, George II. Stuart, p. ID. Roddey.
Examipeton contlnutd q. do you recollect
any other officers OF the ebel army who were
recommended for pardon by you. A. No sir.
cannot mention any more, have already gone
over a bigger list than thought had recon-
n erded. 1 don't think / recommended Gen.
Picket for pardon. ] recollect receiving letter
after letter from him and letters were sent me
time and again in his behalf He was especi-
ally upeasy least he shOu Id be tried by q mill
tary commission, on sccount OF some men who
were executed In North Carolina. 1 do not
recol'ect ever havirg talked TO the President
about hIn. 1 read ore appeal after another In
Picket's behalf, lot only from MIN
but IRON officers in ;be army who had known
him before The war. z. Do you know whether
De tas been perdoned yet A. do not know.
I was Pot in favor Of MS pardon, nor was in
favor OF his being tried by military commits
sIoD. j think his great nxiety WINS TO receive
some eEsurenee that he would not be taken up
and imprisoned for Offer ses alleged against him
commander In North Carolina he wanted
10 be able to 60 TO work and make a living. Ii
Is likely may have recommended that ne be
given assurance that ne would not be arres led
and imprisoned. do not think that signed
recommen da;ion for his perdon- You have no
right TO esk what my opinion IS now. He was
charged with executing a number Of North
Carolipa refugees who were captured with O
garrisos. under Gen. Vessels, in North Caro-
Ira These men had gone there 10 eyade rebel
cons cription, or il may be had deserted from
he rebel army, and were tried as deserters and
quite a number OF them exec uted. Pickett
was IL command at the time and q good deal
was said as TO his having approved the pro-
ceedings. French was an active rebel on Ger,
and served in the field. he (Gen. Grant, bad
not heard Of him much in the field but he was
on the James River when Mcclellan was an
cCmmard q. Did you ever advise the
pardon Of General Leeg A. Yes, sir aener-
al Lee forwarded his application for amnesty
through me, and l forwarded IL 70 the Presi-
dent as proved. do NOT recolleet having had
any conversation with the President on that
subject. think 1t probable that recommend
ed the pardon Of General johnson immediate
~ after the surrender of his army on ac-
Count OF the sddTess he delivered TO It,
wh ba considered in good tone and spirit
I recollect speaking OF that, And saying that L
his pardon, on account OF the manly manner
in which be addressed his troops 1 have no
recollection Of any conversation with the
President on the subject Of general amnesty.
or on the Gubject OF amnesty At all I have
never recommended general amnesty, and
never was In favor OF II until the time
shall como when IL il safe 90 give n 4.
BY MIR. Wocdbridge--Wben I SAID that the
Prefidsnts views underwent a change 1
meant that while i was contendins fer the
rights which those rebels, paroled soldiers, mad,
he was ipsisting on it that they should be pun
,sAed- BY Mr. EidridGe.-Any correspondents
n