The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-18

the crime of rebellion, he procee ls perhaps un.
Willingly, to arraign the Judgment OF Generals
Grant and sherman, sustained as that was,
thoroughly and steadtastly, by President Lin
coin. General Geary says:-"i cannot refrain
from an expression OF regret that the general
Government has not taken any steps to inhict
the proper penalties of the Constitution and
laws upon the leaders OF those who rudely aud
ferOCiOusly invaded the ever sacred soil of our
State. II is certainly morbid clemency and
cenSurable tOrbearance which fail to punish the
greatest crimes known to civilized nations; and
may not the hope be reasonably INDUCED that
the Federal authorities will cease to extend un-
merited mercy to those who inaugurated the
Rebellion, and controlled the movements of its
armiesW
Such reflections as these, coming from
mere political speCulator, or from an amateur
military officer who bad done merely orna-
mental or huTtiul service in the war. would
invite no such comment as they do from an
officer OF General Geary's practical experience.
II would be well enough for a man with General
Buffers military record to revive the question,
either in formal address or in a random
speech, whether General Grant acting i'm accord
anCe with the Presidents instructions, should
have accepted the parole OF the Confederate
Generals or whether the Commander-in-Chief
and the Lieutenant General of the army are
charPeable with ''morbid clemency and ceusur-
able torbearanCen in acting as they did But
such words are hardly those one should expect
from the Governor OF a great State, who had
soberly weighed the character of the struggle
in which our army was engaged, and VINO had
done his full part as an active participant
therein.
General Grant had rly twelve.months'
time TO revise his opinion Cn the whole question
of amnesty and parole, when he forwarded to
the President III March, 1866, his Endorsement
OF General Pckett's application for pardon
reading thus:-"GeneTal Pickett | know per-
sonaily TO be an honorable man; but his iUdg
ment prompted him to do what cannot well be
sustained; though ] do no; see how any good,
either to the friends fthe deceased or by fixing
an example for the future, can be secured by
his trial now. 1t would only open up the ques
ton whether or not the Government did not
disregard its contract entered into to secure the
surrender of an armed enemy
General Picketts case was an exceptional
one, to which, even by ordinary military con-
struCtlon, the general parole might not have
been held to apply He had put under trial,
convicted and punished men who were believed
to be true to the Union, tor deserlion from the
Confederate ranks. Yet, such was General
Grants sense OF national and military honor,
that after the general parole, ue held that the
faith OF the Government would be compromised
in even bringing him to trial.
1t is unfortunate that this deliberate judg-
ment OF the General of the United States Army
should be arragned by any officer that ever
served creditably under him. II is a double
misfortune when the arraignment comes from
so high an official and so worthy a man as the
Governor of the great Common wealth of Penn
sylvania.