The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-11-27
uNPARDONED REBELS.
The Reward for the Capture OF JEFF Davis.
The following corresp ondcnce explains itself:
WARtDEPARTMENT,

Au0 IOllOWluS CUrIcsEouucuCe eApldiuS llSoU' .
WARDEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON CITY, Oct. Ii, 1884.
SIR: beg to acknowledge the receipt of
your communication of the I'd instant referring
to letter of Daniel Tedd, of Fort Scott, Kan,
requesting informatioHy relative to the reward
paid for the capture Of JEFF Davis, and the
number of unpard pned, rebels, and asking that
you be furnished with this information for
publication. ,st9 ;eJ
In reply, I beg to advise you that the matter
was referred to the Adjutant-G General of the
Army, who reports as fellows:
1.-The money (S100.000) appropriated by act
of Congress, approved July 81 1868, providing
for the distribution of the reward offered by
the President of the United States for the cap
ture of Jefferson Davis tsee Stat. at Large, Vol.
XIV, PIP. 400-403) has been distributed by the
Third Auditor of the Treasury Department.
1t seems that in April, 1865, reward of 900
was offered for the capture of John II. Surratt,
but in November, 1865, prior to his capture,
the reward was revoked. Upon the applica-
ton to the War Department of Henry b. Ste.
Marie, in 1867, who, by information, etc. as
sisted in the capture fSurratt, and who claimed
the reward, Board, consisting of Gems. Town.
send, Rawlins and Holt examined into his
case and recommended that $4,000 be paid
Henry B. Ste. Marie for giving information
which led to the arrest of John II. Surratt and
for his subsequent services in the case. The
original report of this Board was sent to the
Secretary of War Nov. 13, 1867"
Section 3, act of Congress approved July q,
1868, authorizes and directs the Secretary of
the Treasury to pay, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to Henry
b. Ste Marie the sum of $4,000 for services
and information in the arrest of John IL. Sur
raft. (See Statutes at Large, Vol. XIV, p. 234.)
Of this amount II. B. Ste. Marie alleges he only
realized about $4,000, after paying lobbyists,
exchange on Canada, ETC., and in Dec, 1872, he
petitions the President for relief. From pa
pers on file in this office, it would seem that
the claim of Ste. Marie for the entire reward
offered was before the Court of Claims in 1872.
This Office is not in possession of any Off
cial data showing how many unpardOned
traitors remain of late rebellion and who they
are; it is possible that the Department of State
may be in possession of such information.
Very respectfully,
ROBERT LINCOLN,
Secretary of War.
Editor of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE,
Washington, D. G.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, Oct. %, 1884.
To the Editor of The NATIONAL TRIBUNE,
Washington City, ID. G.
SIR: have to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the Goth instant, in which you
ask how many rebels yet remain unpardoned,
and the names of the more prominent, other
than Jefferson Davis; and to say that this De-
partment has no record which would permit
of an authentic answer to your inquiry. All
persons who violated an oath of Office by TAX
ing part in the late war of the rebellion were
DISTINGUISHED according to section three of the
XIVth Article of the Amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States which reads as
follows:
mo person shall be a Senator or Representa-
tive in Congress or Elector Of President and
Vice president, or hold any office, civil or mil
itary, under the United States. or under any
State, who, having previously taken an oath,
as member Of Congress or as an officer of the
United States, or aas q member of any State
Legislature, or as an executive or judicial ctf-
Ger of any State, to support the Constitution of
the United States shall have engaged in insur
rectiOn or rebellion against the same or given
aid and comfort to the enemies thereof. But
Congress may by q vote of two-thirds of each
House remove such disability"
On the 22d of May, 1872, an act of Congress
was approved removing the constitutional dis
abilities from all save certain specified classes.
The act reads as follows:
"Be 1t enacted" ETC., "That all political disa-
bilites imposed by the third section of the
Fourteenth Article Of Amendments of the Con-
stituton of the United States, are hereby re-
moved from all persons whomsoever, except
ochdtOEs anu REPRESENTATIVES, VI VIC ootu AM
37th Congresses, officers in the judicial, mill
tary, and naval service of the United States,
heads of Departments, and Foreign Ministers
Of the United States.'
Congress has, since the passage of the above
general act. entertained many special applica-
tions for the removal of political disabilities
from persons belonging to the excepted classes,
and in most cases granted them.
There seems to be no mode of ascertaining
the number of those who living under the dis
abilities imposed by the constitutional amend
ment and excepted by the Statute of 1872 from
the general pardon, have not made application
to Congress to be restored to their former po-
litical rights.
l herewith return as desired, the letter ad-
dressed to you by the Secretary of War.
/ am, sir, your obedient servant,
w. HUNTER,
Acting Secretary.