The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-04
THE INTERVIEW BETWEEN PRESIDENT
GRANT AND GENERAL LEE.


From the NJ Y World.
If it be true that the consultation between
these distinguished chieftains, on Saturday,
took place at the request of the President, and
that his purpose was to avail himself of Gene
raj Lees advice respecting the steps most suit
able TO be taken for restoring Virginia to her
Federal relations, it is the most judicious and
creditable thing which General Grant has done
since his accession to Office. General Lee is
doubtless better acquainted with the actual
public sentiment of Virginia than any other
man in the State and the measures which the
President may adopt will be successful just in
proportion as they accord with, and are sup
ported by, that public icsentiment. To proceed in
telligently, he must know what the people
will consent to; and an officer in quest of
correct information acts sensibly in applying
where it is to be had. All men of real infu-
ence in Virginia are in the habit OF expressing
themselves to General Lse with the most
entire unreserve, and he is better judge
than any other man in the State of the CO.
operation or the opposition which any parti-
cular course Of policy would meet from the
great body of its respectable citizens. A pre-
viOus consultation with General Lee ought to
prove valuable on other grounds, besides being
The most authentic source of information. So
great is the confidence which he enjoys in that
State, that whatever he advises or assents to
| will be likely to receive the support OF that
large and most influential class of citizens
; who hold his judgment and character in re-
spect. Whatever President Grant attempts in
! Virginia with their cooperation cannot very
we'll fail.
The fundamental mistake which the radical
party have made throughout the whole pro-
gress of the reconstruction controversy, has
consisted in spurning the advice and assist
ance of the representative men of the South.
Had it not been for their bigotry in this re-
spect all questions could have been settled
Immediately after the close of the war, and
the country have been spared these four try
ing years OF distraction and turmoil. The
fact that these representative men had been
stepped in the Rebellion so far from being a
valid reason why the Government should not
have arranged terms with them, was the
strongest reason for doing 80. The whole
Southern people had supported the Rebellion,
and there was no way of reclaimiDg them To
loyalty go short simple, and easy as by
operating through the leaders whose mora
ascendancy it was impossible to destroy
The sentimental repugnance to utilizing tine
leaders of the Rebellion ought to have weighed
no more against arranging the terms OF
political, than it did in arranging the terms
of military surrender. Why did the wal
end all at once end completely, every Rebe
soldier laying down his arms and returning tt
his home to act the part of peacetul citizen
Why was there no necessity for dealing with
any scattered military remnants OF the Rebel
lion in detail IL was because the Confederate
armies respected the authority of their gene
rails, and were willing to be bound by their en-
gaRements. The consent Of three mel
suthced to disarm and scatter all the Rebe