The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-29
"On the part of the United States:
"che Union preserved,
"Slayery abolished


.'Then pointing to the blank space beneath,
be said: There. let them write their own
terms underneath that"
Mfr. Garrett said that many Of ths South
ern leaders felt that the Federal Govern ent
could properly ask no less than that, and
that the Confederacy could ask no more for
itelf. Peace ought, they felt, n have been
established then. General Lee, vito whom
MIR. Garrett was on terms of special intimacy
after the war, grieved greatly because the
peace conference was a failure, tor be could
only lcok forward to useless shedding OF
blood after that. "In fact" said Mr.. Gar
reit General Lee, like General Joe John
sion, realized, as military man, that after
the fall of Atlanta the end of the Conted-
eTscy YVES near at hand. Like Johnston and
every other great General in the South, Lse
understood that with the defeat st Gettys-
burg and the surrender OF Vicksburg, the
only military poilcy left for the South was
that of defence long enough to obtain terms
of peace that would not be humiliating.
With the fall of Atlanta, it was plain to
Lee that the terms OF peace would be Just
what the Federal Government chose
TO make them, and, as q mill
tafy man, General Lee told me that he
often, though unoffcislly, protested to the
civil authorities that further prolonging of
the war meant only unnecessary loss of life
and destruction of property. His pleas how
ever, were wholly without avail. Mr.. Davis
seemed to De convinced that the Confederacy
would succeed in establishing itself. There
was much of the highest Importance of the
| inner history OF the last year of the rebellion
| that has been lost by reason of General Lees
| failure to write history. In tbs very last
interview 1 had with Lee he was guest ar
my house in Baltimore. He had been telling
me some of that inner history, showing in
his view, that the war bad been unneces-
| sarily prolonged. / told him that ne ought
| net to allow those facts to be lost to history.
| and that he ought at once to begin the prep
arstion OF an account of the war from bis
understanding of 1t THAT should be complete,
! and should, without hesitation, tell the whole
/, truth. He told Il that ne fully intended to
| write such book, bat nc thought that it was
too soon then to do so. He had, he said,
LAUGH valuable matter, many documents
that would throw light taken in connection
! with other fac cts that he personally knew, b at
| which did lot appear OF record, on the last
year of the war. l urged him not ID lose a
| moment. but to begin the work ut osce, and
before be left LIE he promised to set sboat 1t
soon as possible. 1t was not long alter that
! be was stricken with his last Illness.
81 don't think continued Mr.. Garrett
| that it was ever known how near Lee came
| 10 being arrested as one OF the cOnspiratOrs
IN the plot to assassinate President Lincoln
! snd his Cabinet. I know that Andy John
| son, in some unacccuntable way,got the idea
| in biz head that Lee was in that conspiracy.
| Somebody had told Johnson something, l
have some reasons for believing that led
| d II TO think SO. Johnson wanted Lee ar
rested at once, and know that he proposed
| if Lee was found guilty, to have him be-
headed. Johnson told me that Lee coaldn't
te hanged, shouldn't be shot aud he would
! order him beheaded a warm friend of
mine and of Mr.. Johnson's, who knew
what was going on, came to me in great
| hsste, knowing that had long been a per-
sonsl friend of General Lees, and was also a
| warm friend of General Grant. This gentle
| man said that Lee was in great danger of ar.
rest, and that in the then excited sta te of the
| country it was hard to cay what might hap
pen. / at once telsgraphed to General
Grant to meet me. and stsrted for Washing
ton. I met General Grant q few moments
| after my arrival there told him what
| wss in Johnson's mind. I have seen men
black with anger, but / meyer saw such
anger as Grant then showed. He was not
passionate. but ne was terribly angry. SAID
| he: This is Observation-Disclosures I vii!
throw up my commission if there is fhs
| slis htest attempt to do it. and il there be the
shadow OF circumstance to justify even the
| fain.est suspicion against Lee 1 will throw
up my commission, too. It's as impossible
for Lee as for me-
II said, Can't you see President Johnson
and his Cabinet and tell them what you have
| told u a.A he uoy11o and he loot M