Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-04-20
GEN. GRANTS FAITH.
How He Kept it to Gen. Lee and His
Officers.
A Cabinet Plot to Violate the Terms o
the Surrender Defeated.
" You Must First rahc My Sword from Me-
taia Grant.
Times-Democrat.

III AllG t1A l0lft VIC EHtht
an evening with the late John w.
Garrett, ESQ then president of the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad, who made
to him the following communication /.
After the assassination of Mr.. Lin
coin the cabinet met In the treasury
department. and passed resolution to
arrest and try, by military commits
sion, the leading men of the Confed-
eracy, beginning with such as Messrs.
Davis, Gen. r.. II. Lee and others, and
meaning thereby TO strike terror into
the hearts OF the Southern people,
suspicion Of completely in that crime
being the ground for such intended
trials.
They concluded that to carry their
resolution into effect Gen. Grant must
give the requisite orders. Tired OF war
he was seeking repose on the banks of
the Delaware. He was, therefore,
telegrsphed to come Immediately to
Washington, and the railroads were
ordered to bring him without deten.
ton.
Mr.. Garrett was at the moment in
Washington, and was instructed by
Mr.. Stanton to go forthwith to Balti-
more in single express car, there to
meet Gen. Grant, and bring him to
Washington as quickly as possible.
He was also told by Mr.. Stanton to in
form Gen. Grant of the resolution
passed, which he WAS expected to exc
cute, and that the cabinet would be in
permanent session until his arrival.
When the message was delivered in
the car, Gen. Grant said:
"These gentlemen do not reflect that
such action would be stain upon the
escutcheon of this nation which could
never be wiped out. The assassination
seems to have unsettled their wits.
Tell me that such men as Gen. Lee
and Mr.. Davis had anything to do
with murder, gentlemen whom
have known and esteemed for years,
and who are incapable of crlme AS
well suspect myself"
The response was: "Well, general
the cabinet are waiting only for you
to give the orders: and you will go
into their meeting as soon as you get
there. hope when you do that you
will speak to them just rs you have
now done to me.n
Then came the noble reply: II shall
go further, Mr.. Garrett. / shall tell
them they must first take my sword
from mel
Upon their arrival Gen. Grant
went directly into the cabinet meet.
ing, and Mr.. Garrett remained in the
corridor. After some time the post
master-general came out. Approach
ing him, Mr.. Garrett said II do not
wish to pry into that which is con-
| fidential or secret, but you know the
message with which / was charged.
When delivered it Gen. Grant said
he would tell you gentlemen that you
must first take his sword from him. !"
The answer was: HE has done that
very thing, Mr.. Garrett"
To which the response was: "That
Is all wish to know. Please tell Mr..
Stanton he will find me at his house
when your meeting is over. He told
me he desired to see me on railroad
business, and l shall go there and talk
with Mrs. S. until his return" When
Mr.. Stanton went home he confirmed
what his colleague had said, and gave
Mr.. Garrett the information that
what took place in the cabinet was
substantially the equivalent of what
had occurred and been said in the car.
When this statement was made to
me, in 1867, by Mr.. Garrett, was as
ISOLATED ia Washington college, at
:
and upon my return from Baltimore
l repeated it to him, remarking that
| it might be news to him. He ad-
mitted that it was, but instantly said.
81 can add to 1t for you.n And then
he told me bat one of his kinsmen
! hearing rumor that military trials
and executions were contemplated,
and, apprehending trouble, went to
Washington aud was then making
| inquiry. Learning which Gen. Grant
sent for him, and said: "Please go to
Gen. Lee from me and tell him 10 have
no fears; that the government must
respect what the army has done, and
that not an officer or private TO whom
| terms of surrender and parole have
been conceded shall be disturbed"
1t was long hoped by the under
signed that publicity would be given
to the above facts by Mr.. Garrett him.
self. But now that his death precludes
the possibility OF such testimony, they
are hereby made known as told to me,
and as doubtless they have been also
communicated by Mr.. Garrett to
others, If never published before.
The world has admired the courte.
Gus magnanimity of Grant when Lee
surrendered on the field OF Appomat-
tox, and our people have felt and ap,
preciated 1t ALL But they do not gen.
orally know, though they should, that
the lives OF our leading men were In
| great danger, and that they were then
protected by Grant alone.
After the war suffering was inevita-
BILE, but we might have Jared much
worse II power had been committed
TO president less generous and hrm.
Now, therefore, after twenty years OF
peace, let the veil be drawn over any
political mistakes OF such man. And
in view OF such facts as the above, lei
all wrongs, real or imaginary, be for
| given aud forgotten, while we
sympathize sincerely In the sad afiiic.
ton OF one so noble, and who so well
knew how to esteem and treat fallen
foe. A few days only OF life now seem
TO remain for him. let US offer him
therefore, while still living, the well,
merited tribute of our coincidence and