Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-18
useful BY economy, by honesty, by sound

judgment and common sense
"His Cabinet will be selected with a
view to render him assistance in this
practical way. The measures he will re-
commend to Congress will be entirely OF
this sort. The finances and the civil
service will be among the foremost OF
general political subjects to receive at
tention, and we may safely predict that
the great work of the hour, the great fea-
ture to strike all observers, as soon as
Gen. Grant has been month IN power,
will be the confidence inspired in people
of all parties and all political creeds. :,
"Grant, as a soldier, understands well
the bounds of coordinate and subordi'
nate authority. Congress will not be
suffered to encroach upon his preroga'
tives as the executive, nor he attempt to
eneroach upon Congress as the legislaa'
tive department of the government A sol.
dier is used both to command and to obey,
an admirable training, say what civilians
will, for any administrative office, from
pound-keeper up to President
"We shall make bold to predict that
he will realize more than any man who
has sat in the chief magistrates chair
since Andrew jackson, the executive
idea should be the central idea connected
with the Presidency"
If General Grant will realize this idea,
if he will assert the functions of the Ex'
ecutive officer so as to see that the laws
are faithfully executed by subordinates,
he will fulfill great task. In no country
in the world are officials so corrupt, &c
disproportionately paid for services, and
so lax in the ful6llment of duties. u
General Grants military education will
enable him to hold bis subordinates tc
duty and strict accountability, he will
render a memorable service to the Amer
lean people. The incoming of the new
administration is the time to set about
this great reform, and to put stop to
abuses that have for years been culmi'
mating till they have at last reached
hight that overshadows the land. The
Richmond Whig of the 10th instant has
lengthy article on the result OF the
Presidential election, in which, while 1t
denies it to be free and unawed express
sion of the popular will, it gives utterance
to the feelings and hopes of the great
body of Southern people touching the ad'
ministration of Gen. Grant. That paper
says, 49,, -. .,ou
know it or not, have a master as well as
we. Our hope is that he will be mild
and merciful to us poor, miserable SIN
ners. All the little we know OF him, OF
imagine we know, is derived from news
papers and current talk, and is scarcely
sufficient to justify an opinion that Is
worth anything. We cannot assert that
he will cut the Radicals, or give fresh
turn to the screw with which they are
torturing the South. We know not
whether he will be a bloody Nero, or a
mild and benignant Augustus; whether
be will lay deep and broad the founda-
tions Of domestic empire, or restore the
lost rights of the States, and re-establlsh
the Constitution in its original vigor and
purity. There are some favorable indi-
cations-our ignorance does not enable
us to use stronger word-there are IN,
dications which may excuse the wronged
and oppressed for indnlging hope. :.
"If he be, as Gen. Butler says, indit-
ferent to human suffering, he has never
manifested, by act or word, as far as we
are aware, any pleasure in torturing his
victims. He has left the indulgence OF
that noble feline propensity to others,
who more loudly vaunt their humanity
He acted with manly herosm In de.
manding that the parole of Gen. Lee, and
other Confederate officers, should be re-
ligiously respected. His conduct on that
occasion induces the belief that, when 10
position to control the matter, he VIII
insist that the spirit and intent OF that
parole shall not be confined to the othcers
alone, but shall be extended to all the
people of the Confederate States. No
man knows better than he does that Gen.
Lee would never have surrendered his
sword if it had been understood that the
people whom he represented we're to be
subjected to African domination. Gen.
Grants letter, demanding q surrender,
excluded the possibility of such an inter-
pretation. That letter, the second to
Gen. Lee, says:
"GEsERAL: Your note of last evening,
in reply to mine of same date, asking
conditions on which | will accept the sur
render of the army of Northern Virginia,
is Just received. In reply, ] would say
that peace being my great desire, there
is but one condition / would insist upon
namely, that the men and officers sur
rendered shall be disqualified for taking
up arms against the government OF the
United States till properly exchanged. l
will meet you, etc.
"In exact accordance with the one
condition we're the terms Of the surren-
der.
"TERMs or SURRENDER
"APPoNArTox covETHoUsE, Va,
." April y 1865.
GENERAL: 10 accordance with the
substance Of my letter TO you Of the sth
inst. propose to receive the surrender
Of the army Of Northern Virginia on the
following terms, to-vit: Rolls Of All OH
GERS and med TO be made in duplieate;
one copy to be given TO an ohcer TO be
designated By me, the other 10 be re-
tained By such officer or officers ss you
may designate. The officers to give
their individual paroles not 70 take %
arms against the Government Of the
United States until properly exchanged,
aud each aanpany OF reEiuental com
mander 10 siEn q ike parole for The men
Of their commanda