Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-15

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disqualified for taking up arms against the
government Of the United States till prop
erly exchanged. will meet you, etc.
In exact accordance with the zone con-
dition" were the terms of the surrender.
TERMS OF SURRENDER.
APPoMATTox COURTHOUSE, VA
April 8, 1865.
GenerGL-In accordance with the sub
stance of my letter to you of the Sth inst,
I propose to receive the surrender OF the |
army of Northern Virginia on the follow.
ing terms, to-wit: Rolls of all officers and
men TO be made in duplicate; enc copy to
be given to an officer to be designated by
me, the other to be retained by such officer
or officers as you may designate. The
officers to givetheir individual paroles not
to take up arms against the government of
the United States until properly exchanged,
and each company or regimentsl COM
mander TO sign like parole for the men
of their commando.
The arms, artillery and public prop
erty to be parked and stacked, and
turned over to the officers appointed by
me to receive them. This will not en-
brace the side arms Of the officers nor
their private horses or baggage. This
done, each officer and man will be
allowed to return to his home, not to be
disturbed by United States authority SO
long as they observe their paroles, and
the laws in force where they may reside.
U. S. GRANT, Lieut.. General.
General R. E. LEE.
We are not left to conjecture why
these liberal terms were accorded. We
are not certain that General Grant him
self has not admitted that his object was
| to remove every inducement to guer-
| rilla warfare.* His friends have FREE
uuently confessed that such was his mo-
| tive, and we copied an article last week
from the New York Times to this effect
and expressly conceding that it was a
wise stroke Of policy as well as a grand
act Of magnanimity. General Grant
knows that there never would have been
peace that Southern men, with arms
in their hands, never would have sur
rendered them on the condition that they
were to exchange position with their
slaves.
Quibbles may be raised about a military
/ Cd{lllultliOu SuDIdCADB POllelSoA AiSHNHj
sc. Bat General Grant knows the full in
tent and whole scope Of that capitulstionr
and he knows it would never have been
agreed 10 by the Confederates on the terms
| of Radical reconstruction. We appeal to
his honor1which is more concerned in the
matter than ours is. He has testified tc
our faithful observance of the condition i'm
posed; he is now in a position to exact a
| ike compliance on the other side.
That We do not pervert the meaning oil
the capitulation, we subjoin the views q
the French Courier des Etdts, whose editor
being foreigner and unbiased by our do
nestle factions, may be supposed 10 speak
in the impartial tone of posterity. Wa
give as accurate a translation az we can:
"The charge of inconsistency and mora
weakness is imputed to General Grant
based on his acceptance even of the Presl
dencv at the hands of lhe Republican
party. What, in fact, is the act by which
The policy of that party is especially char
acterized? The despotic laws OF recon
struction, which impose on the vanquishet
A tyrannical yoke, which treat them ST
snbiugsted enemies, which four years aftel
The end of the war hold them still with
foot upon their necks, in contempt Of the
yerv treaty signed at AppomattoX Court
house-which treaty imposed no Other
conditions to a full and entire reconcilia.
tion than the laying down arms by the
yapouished aud the dispersion Of then
forces. Now, the signer of that treaty was
no other than General Grant; and it j:
the violation of his own parole, the setting
at naught his own sacred engagements
which he signs with both hands, in acqul
escing in the suppression Of rights con
coded by him to the co.slgners OF The
treaty of pscifcation."
Gen. Grant may have considered tina
heretofore it was only his duty to guard thu
capitulatiou in its purely military bearing
as he did when he protected Gen. Lee from
the loyal fury of Mr.. johnson; now hi
role is enlarged, and the whole subject fall
within his puryiew.
We conceive there is no want of respec
to Gen. Grant in thus frankly expressiD!
oUr sense, and that of all Confederates, a
to the responsibility resting on him as
soldier and a gentleman, in this regard
He has only 10 recur TO the sweeping ant
comprehensive words Of the terms OF sur
!, render" not to be disturbed by tn
! ! United States authority" Not merely IN
! military, but any authority of the Unite!
States; and to recall the motives whicI
prompted him, to know what honor, to say
nothing of simple justice, demands at hi
E hands. One crack OF. his whip would sent
back bowling to their kennels all the cur
Of low degree, and give peace and pros
! perity to the country.
] We have referred 10 General Grants test
| ,ronv before the Congressional Committee. an
| find our recollection correct He says:
T Il believe with such terms all the hebei al
e mics would surrender. ard that we would the
avoid bushwhacking and continuation Of IN
war in a way that we could make very Httl
2 progress with, having no organized armies |
; | Incot."