Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-11

mon IN all It's grand and homo sc
eneous entity, upon the downfall T
{ the rebellion, and saved to the IL
ountry millions of dollars that al
ave been wasted in holding the /
southern States as conquered pro- y
-inces and reconstructing them in a
he interest and for the benefit of /
he Radical party. This revelation a
If Mr.. George Wilkes does not rest
upon his authority alone, He says
Mr.. Lincoln dictated the terms ;
which were granted by Gen. Sher-
man to the Confederate army under
Gen. Joe Johnston, in the presence of
three credible witnesses, by whom
he says the fact can be proved. One
of them is Gen. Sherman himself;
another is Gen. Grant; and the
third is Admiral David D. Porter.
These gentlemen, with Mr.. Lincoln,
constituted the parties to the inter
view at Fortress Monroe, where 1t |
is alleged the terms were prescribed
by Mr.. Lincoln; and "from
one Of the parties to that inter
view" Mr.. Wilkes says he re-
ceivcd the information that he now
reveals. This revelation has been
before the country for ten days or
two weeks, and has not been de-
MED by the witness referred to by
Mr.. Wilkes, nor has its truthfulness
been questioned by any Radical
Journal, so far as we have seen. 1t
must be admitted that it is quite
consistent with the known views OF
! Mr.. Lincoln. In his famous letter
to Mr.. Horace Greeley, dated Aug.
%, 1862, in reply to one addressed
to him through the New York Tn
bune, Mr.. Lincoln said:
GAS to the policy l seem to be pursu-
, ing as you say, l have not meant &c
!, leave any one in doubt. would save
the Union. Iwould save it in the short
est way under the constitution :.
"The sooner the National authority
Q can be restored, the nearer the UmoI
will be-the Union as it was"
In this letter Mr.. Lincoln stated
= that his paramount object was t.
save the Union, and not either II
save destroy slavery" This wa
clearly his object at the close OF tn
war, as it was with the great mas
of the Northern people. They
! with Mr.. Lincoln, wanted peace
and were willing to receive tn
"erring sisters" as Gen. Scott wa
pleased to term the Southern States
-. back to the fold of the Union upoI
very liberal terms. Only the Rad
cal clique wanted state of chror
ic discomfort and turmoil, tina
: would furnish pretext for Il mill
. tary despotism in these States. L
"reconstruct" the South in the ne
gro, and maintain that unnatura
position by military power, wa
= their purpose, and how faithful
they have carried out the schom
over all constitutional barriers, IS
= matter of history; but Mr.. Lincol
mover wrote a line or uttered
word that favored it. The term
which Gen. Sherman granted tn
: Confederate army under Gen. Johr
ston. and which Mr.. GeOrg
. Wilkes statos were dictated b
President Lincoln, stipulated
the most material points as 10
lows
J "The recognition by the Executive
e the United States of the several Sta
: Governments on their officers and Legs
latures taking the oath prescribed {
IL the constitution of the United States
d and where conflicting State government
% have resulted from the war the legit
macy of all shall be submitte4 to the
/ preme Court of the United states arm
Il and munitions of war to be held suoJe
/, to the action of the Congress OF II
United States"
That these terms conform
Mr.. Lincoln's avowed opinions,
IL shown in his anxiety to save :" tn
Union as it was so earnestly e.
ie pressed in his letter to Mr.. Horac
= Greeley, as well as in the fact th'
while in Richmond, only a few day
- before his assassination, a call &c
VI 4" the immediate meeting Of tn
IL Legislature of the State OF Sn
- ginia." was issued to those VIII
p" were members of that body at til
time of the surrender Of Gen. Lee
II and had been elected under Coz
II federate rule. 1t was believed thu
~ this call was issued at the sugge
=" ton of Mr.. Lincoln. 1t was TO
malIv endorsed and approved b
:" Gen. Weitzel, the Federal con
J. mander in Richmond, and Mr. In
" coin being then in that city his a
no thorisation must be assumed, as
Us matter of course. Gen. WeItz
nc would not thus sanction NOV
- ment of this character unless 1t h'
." the approval of the President OF u
g United States, whowasatt the time
lei personal communication with hi
oi II was not until Mr. Lincoln got ba'
ey 70 Washington that Stanton al
rs others of the Radical clique broug
N So pressure to bear upon him, al
III fins induced him to retract the a
nj thority he had given for the
IA assembling of the Virginia Leg
lr. lature His lamentable death It
1t the Radicals in the possession
-aI power. and they were not slow
is E. 4, corTv ont the