Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-08-22

An anonymous chaplain of the fifteenth
corps, army Of the Tennessee, gives the Gin
cinnati Commercial a very interesting report
of an interview he had with the late Gen.
Robert T.. Lee, when Sherman's army, then
on its march TO Washington, stopped for n
few DAYS in Richmond. from which we
take n few extracts. Lincolns assassination
having occurred hut Il few days before, Lee
referred to it and said The death Of that
eminent citizen has filed me with horror. If
there Were blemishcs in his character, his
life exhibited some splendid and rare virtues
He was one of the most extraordinary men
that ever lived in our country. Ills heart
WAS grand and large. He WAS constitution
ally pensive Had he been spared, the South
would he treated with honorable propriety
and with a Gallant generosity good will
and friendlincss would have marked his
treatment of the people of the South The
general denounced Booth as Il - Cowardly
rutlia2," and declared that the soldiers
of the Southern army and the people regard
the murder Of Lincoln as crime against
our Christian civilization and our common
nllllhiltN- ltt, HIT l4lllsNlIttl, went llli'
the war Of the rebellion unwillingly. lie
remarked
Twas opposed to the war al The outset wepi
" hen heard ui the bpmhur'lmrnt at Fort sumter
| sought retirement thal might not hear ar see
any OF the political leaders. the great end ami ann
uf whose stlte>uianshlp waS To prcriptidr The iv'c
that subsequently swept their nrlS AMI citIes. But
when Virginia my native Stale, seeded, th"r" MAS
only one course Tor me To pursur, namely. To fol-
low her fortunes. Had II not been Tor the I"liti-
cians Davis, Tnomhs, laucey AMI others. the war
would never have begun.
of Gen. Grant, Lee spoke in the highest
and most friendly terms, ascrihing to him the
possession of the noblrsi attributes of Amcri-
can manhood, and of all the requirements and
talents for the organization Of armies. said
General Lee:
wish Ia dn simple justice To General Grant.
when saw thai his treatment Ot the army uf South
Virginia Is without parallel IN the history OF the
civilized world. When NV poor soldiers, with fam
Ished faces had neither food nor raiment 1t was
then that General Grant immediately issued the hu-
mane order that fnr1y thousand ratInns should he
furnished To The umpol rrlshr,l troops And thai
was not all Of hts ungnlnimity. Twas giving dI-
rectiun- To one uf my stan officers when making
uni the list ut things tu hc surrendered, To include
the horses. Al that moment. General Grant, WIN
sermed Ia he paying NJ attention To what was trans
prinr. quickly sand: Ne. no, General Lee, not a
norsr-nut une-kerP them all Your people Will
need them i"r the Spring crops
In answer To an inquiry whom he consid-
cred the greatest of the Federal generals, he
replied Indeed sir, have no hesitation in
saying General Grant Both rs Il gentleman
and an organizer of victorious war, General
Grant hath rXccllcd all your most noted
soldiers. He has exhibited more true cour-
age, more real greatness OF mind more con
summate prudence from the outset, and
more heroic bravery than anyone ON your
side
The causes of the failure of the Coufeder-
acy were thus set forth in the interview by
General Lee;
The most conspicuous reason was the superiority
IN men and IN resources at the North. The United
States htl ali the advantages land of houndless
wealth. citieS secure from the horrors nt ciVil war.
and Il constant stream uf rmlgrants ll up the lie
plctrd ranks of Your armies rhr numbers against
~ WAS enormous The population nt the south was
never more than .utd.uhh. Win i've {" one against
them. the Snuihrrnrrs performed mighty work,
and made gigantic step toward their mdrPcn-
dricr.
Another car-r lly IN the vanity of many OF our
people. The nrst battles Of the war being favor
able Us. the South was wild with confidence. and
the whole country was thrown INTO tcTmrnt of eN
,ttrmrnt. Il WAS doubtful. indeed. whether IN
a thousand Of our people supposed Tor moment
that there was any doubt nt an immediate and a sue
cessfu termination ut the struggle. The public
meetings were III every ease tun cuthusi.Isr. The
people were carried away hy arClluIiion- The
cheering proved To be- our folly TINS excess ot
confidence l"St Us New orleans and many other
cities.
A much more serious difficulty arose from the mis- |
taken view uf the southern cause lN the pllinthrO
pIsts OF the old world They We're led Ia believe |
that fighting for the pcrpDtuitN "t slavery.
and that the establishment at the tuntedcracy /
would he the rrop,nIuE ut the African slave trade |
This opinion shopk the flith "l great and good men
IN the humanity and righteousness "t tue south. |
The cuuscript law was another elective check To /
uur success. Instead ui being benefit II WAS a |
iursc-a bagr oi disgrace. The rich were favored; /
fi-rhnnd and Discrimination were ITS natural results.
suspicion and mlsIrust arose where confidence and |
reliance should have happily prevailed. The aiti-
ulr prrscryedhy Mr. Davis and other leaders IN
opposition I" the arnng "i negroes. a policy which
have Hlwavs believed tn hr rNpr,lIrut prov el
most disastrous. The widespread pnvrrtS ut the
-mutry. accompanied hy the Just conviction that
all further efforts were hopeless. these and other
urccs worked Ia dual result. the failure ot the
unfederaCy.