The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-02-03

was Attorney General under Presidents Lin
coin and Johnson, has addressed the follow
ing letter to Senator Maxey Of Texas, in re-
lation to the stand taken by General Grant
in respect to favors granted soldiers of the
Confederate army after the surrender of
General Lee at Appomattox:-
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Jan. 10, 1885.
Senator MdIey, Washington, ID. c.:
Dear Sir,-I feel constrained to address
you this letter, expressive of my thanks for
your position and remarks in the Senate up
on the bill to place Gen. Grant on the re-
tired list of the army. l was particularly
struck with your forcible presentation of
the fact that when the supreme hour came
to the Southern States, and they had to yield
up their most cherished hopes and abandon
their struggle, no man ever acted wi more
magnanimity and generous sensibilitY than
General Grant. At that time, Immediately
following the death of Mr.. Lincoln, General
Grant was the most conspicuous man in the
country. His word was more weighty than
that of any one, not excepting the President.
/ have often Thought of the debt of graft
tude the country owes to General Grant that
he was just the man he was at that hour,
clear sighted, resolute and imbued with SEN
timents exactly adapted to the emergency. 1
was at that time, as you know, in the Cabi-
net of President johnson, and in my capaci-
ty as Attorney General, case came before
me very soon after the surrender at Appo-
ma.tox, which will relate.
General Bradley Johnson of the Confeder-
ate army was at that surrender, and received
there military parole With that in, biz
1~S<.1k NaNoA al iuuACtul0ub
for treason, he addressed letter to General
Grant from prison 1nclosng his parole. Up
on receipt of it General Grant at once wrote
to the President most positive and emphat-
ic letter demanding the discharge and re-
lease OF General Johnston. The letter while
respectful was most determined. 1t took the
ground afterwards fully established that mil
itary paroles were not to be violated by civil
arrests. President johnson, however. was
not disposed to acquiesce. he laid the mat
ter before me for an opinion. i saw the DIFF
hcnlty presented by the legal aspects of the
case, and proposed to the President that /
would avoid it if possible by consultation
with General Grant. found General Grant
in his ohice, and spoke of the legal difficult
ties, and suggested that he Withdraw the
letter be had addressed to the President and
ask that par0on be issued to General john
ston, which would solve the difficulty. This
he positively refused to do If it in any way
yielded the position taken by him that his
paroles were to be respected. He expressed
his unaltered determination that they should
not be violated Said he: "That is the way
General Lee and 1 understood it at the
time, and will be drawn and quartered be-
tore they shall be violated" He added that
he would take the same stand in every case
that might arise. BE agreed to write the
letter proposed asking the pardon. | said
would send for it; he said, mo, I will
write it now" Turning to his table, he
wrote the letter with his own hands In a
very few moments. 1t was model in its
clear statements. 1t expressed his fixed de-
termination to have his paroles observed,
and from that time the law was settled that
they were to be respected. ] had the pardon
prepared at once and signed by the Presi-
dent, aud General Johnston was discharged.
Thus the Southern people, through their
military leaders In the late war, have cause
to entertain the kindly feeling for General
Grant which you 70 admirably express in
your speech in the Senate; and not only in
the particular have mentioned, but for ma
ny others also. The other portion of our
now united country can never fail to remem-
Der him as the strong arm of its power in the
great struggle General Grant left the army at
the call OF his country. His administrations
were in times of excitement and distraction,
incident to the vast descriptions of war. He
should have been restored to the army years
ago. he certainty should be now. In my
judgment, military men who perform great
and notable service should be suitably re-
warded and hon0red. l sincerely trust sthe
House will promptly pass the bill, and that
It will become a law. 1t seems to me but
justice, and, l may add, tardy justice. I
should add that President johnson, while
sustaining the legality of the parole as a
civil pardon, had no hesitation in granting
the executive pardon.
am, sir, most respectfully,
JAMES SPEED.