Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-01-23
GRANT And raE sourH.

What the Hon. James Speed says.
WAsHIEaToN, Jan 10 The Hon.
James Speed OF Kentucky, vho was
attorney general under Presidents
Lincoln and johnson, has addressed
the following letter TO Senator Maxey
of Texas, In relation to the stand taken
by General Grant in respect to fayors
granted TO soldiers of the Confederate
army after the surrender of General
Lee at AppomatoX
LOUISVILLE, KY. Jan. IS.
To Senator Maxev, Wasnington:
Dear Sir--I feel constrained 10 adj
dress you this letter expressive OF my
than ks for your position and remarks
in the senate on the bill to place c. n.
Grant on the retired list of the Amy.
was particularly struck with our
forcible presentation OF the fact that
when the supreme hour came TO the
Southern states and they had 10 y ield up
TIN ir most cherished HOPES and abau-
don their struggle, no man ever acte
with more magnauimity ana generous
sensibillty than Gen Grant. AT that
| fundamentally following the death
of Mr.. Lincoln--Gen Grant was the
most conspicuous man in
the country. His word was
more weighty than that OF any one,
not eXceptin the president. / have
often thought II the debt of gratitude
| the country owes to Gen. Grant, that
he was Just the man he WAS az that
hour, clear-sighted, res lutte and im-
| bued with sentiments exactly adapted
10 the emergency
/ was at that time, as you know, In
the cabinet of Presid, Mt Johnson,
and in my capacity AS Encouragement
a case came to me very soon after the
surrender at AppOmattux which wnl
| relate
Gen. Bradley johnson of the Con-
tederate army was at that surrender,
and received there military parole.
With that in his possession he was az
rested and impri. oned in Baltimore,
being under an Indictment for treason.
| He addressed letter to Gen. Grant
from prison, inclosiDg his parole.
Upon receipt of 1t Gen. Grant AT once
wrote TO the sdent most positive
and emphatic letter, demanding the
discharge and release of Gen. John
son. The letter, while Iespec fnl, was
most determined Is took the ground
aftcrwaTd fully established, that the
military paro es were not to be vio-
lated by civil arre5 g.
President johnson, however, was
not disposed TO acquiesce. He laid the
matter before ME for an opinion. !
saw the difficulty presented by the
legal aspects of the case and proposed
to the president that | would avoid IL,
II possible, 10y consulting with Gen
Grant. / found Gen. Grant in his Of
ice and spoke of the legal difficulties,
and suggested that he withdraw the
letter he had written to the pTesi-
dent and a. k that pardon be issued
TO Gen. Johnson, which would
solve the difficulty. This ~
positively refused to do II II in any
way yielded the position taken
by him that his paroles were to be re.
spected. He expressed his unalterable
determination that they should not be
violated. Said he:
THAT Is he way Gen. Lee and un-
derstood IL at the time, aud l will @
drawn and quart cred before they shall
be violated" He added he would
take the same STAND in every case that
might arise.
He agreed TO write the letter pro,
posed, asking the pardon. i said |
would send for it. He said: mo, |
will write II now Turning 10 hia
table, he wrote the letter with his own
hand in very few moments
1t was q model in its clear state
ments. IL expressed his fixed deter
'iinatiOn 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 president, and General Johnson
was discharged.
Thus the southern people, through
their military leaders In the
, entertain the kindly feelings fuy
General Grant which you 50
admirable expressed in your speech in
the senate. And not only In the par
, ticular have mentioned, but In many
= others also. The other portion of our
now united country can never fail "a
remember him a. the strong arm of It's
power in the great struggle.
Gen Grant left the army at the cal
of his country His two administra'
tons We're In times Of excite menU and
distrac ion incident 10 the vast dis
ruptiOnB of war. He should have
7 been restored TO the army
several years ago. He certainty
should be now. In my Judgment mil.
itary men who perform great and not.
able service should be suitably re.
= warded and honOred / sincerely trust
the house will pass the bill and that il
will become q law. Ii seems to me
!, but justice and, may add, tardy jus.
iice. l sh uld add that President
, Johnson, while questioning the legal y
: of the parole AS civil pardon
had no hesitation in granting the ex
ecutive pardon, / am, sir, most r..
specltully, JAMES SPEED