Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-10-03
.NnnEw IoHNsoN AVN GEN. LEE.

ANDREW JOHNSON AND GEN. LEE.
General Andrew johnson having de-
MED that he wanted to punish General
Lee after the war was over and peace
proclaimed, the following testimony has
been dug up from McPhersons History
of Reconstruction. General Grant tes-
tilted before the House Committee on
the Judiciary as follows:
| frequently had to intercede for Gen.
Lee and other paroled officers, on the
ground that their paroles, so long as
they obeyed the laws, protected them
from arrest and trial. The President
occupied exactly the reverse ground
that they should be tried and punished.
He wanted to know when the time would
come when they should be punished.
told him not so long as they obeyed the
laws and complied with the stipulation.
| claimed that in surrendering their
arms aud armies, they did what all OF
them could not have been compelled to
do: but they surrendered in consldera-
ton of the fact that they were to be ex-
empt from trial, so long as they con-
formed to the obligations they had taken.
The conversations with the President
were frequent after the inauguration.
He seemed to be anxious to get the
leaders to punish them. He would say
the leaders of the rebellion must be pun
ished and treason made odious.
General Lee and other leaders having
been indicted at Norfolk, Va, petition
for pardon was presented to President
Johnson and refused. The following
Endorsement appeared on the petition;
HEADQUARTERS. ARMIES Y. s.,
June Is. 1866.
In my opinion the officers and men
paroled at Appomattox Courthouse, and
elsewhere upon the same terms, cannot ,
be tried for treason so long as they OBJ
serve the terms of their parole. Good |
faith as we'll as good policy dictate that
we should observe the conditions of that
convention. Bad faith on the part Of
the Government, or a construction OF
that convention subjecting officers to
trial for treason, would produce feeling !
of insincerity in the minds Of all paroled
officers and men. Ii disposed they
might even regard such an infraction Of
terms by the Government as an entire
release from all obligations on their part.
will state further that the terms met
the hearty appreciation Of the President
at the time (Lincoln) and the people
generally. The action of Judge Under
wood at Norfolk has had an injurious
effect, and would ask that he be ordered |
TO give up all indictments found against |
parolled prisoners of war, and to desist
from all further prosecution Of them.
Z. S. GRANT, Lieutenant General. |
Fanatics in. the North thinking that
Johnson did not carry out his Surratt
programme, became FESTIVE because
General Lee wasn't tried and convicted |
before a military commission, and hung
according to the pre-arranged plan so
successful with Mrs. Surratt. Senator
Doolittle, ia his speech at Philadelphia,
May 10, 1866, showed that Andy john
son was powerless, and could not again
convoke a military commission to do the
bloody work. He said, by way of
apology for Andy's failure to hang Gen.
Lee:
But they say he has not tried him.
Why has he not tried him? Some say he
ought to have tried him by courtmar-
tial. The Supreme Court of the United
States has decided that civilians, persons
not in military service, cannot be tried
and condemned by a court martial. Who
does not know that Mr.. johnson from
the beginning Of this Congress-ay, from
before the beginning-was urging upon
one Of the justices of the Supreme Court
20 hold a court ia his circuit in Virginia.
so that some Of the leading traitors might !
be brought to trial2 Mr.. johnson can !
not compel a judge TO hold court. and
he cannot try one Of these criminals
without a court | say, therefore, the
charge against him is groundless.
Johnsons tool, Judge Underwood, of
Virginia, attempted to bring General
Lee to trial, but was prevented by Grant
to HE honor be it said. When Andy
found his Northern war party failing to
sustain his illegal and unconstitutional
reconstruction policy, he turned South
ward to seek consolation from a people
whom be had oppressed for years.