Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-01-29
Grant and the South
WHAT THE HON. JAMES SPEED sA

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 The Hon.
James Spec of Kentucky. who 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 favors
granted soldiers of the Confederate
army after the surrender of Gen. Lee
at Appomatox:
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Jan. 15-To Sen.
Maxey, W ashlngton-De Dear Sir: feel
constrained to address YOU this letttr
expressive of my thanks for your posi-
ton and remarks in the Senate on the
bill to place Gen. Grant on the retired
list.
I 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 with more magnanimlty and
generous senslbility than Gen. Grant.
At that time-lmmedately 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 excepting
the President. | have often thought
of the debt of gratitude the country
owes to General Grant, that be was
just the man he was at that hour,
clear-sighted. resolute, and lmbued
with sentiments exactly adapted to the
emergency.
l was at that time as you know, in
the Cabinet of President johnson,
and in my capaci' v as Attorney Gen
eral a case came before me very soon
after the surrender at AppomatoX
which l will relate.
GENERAL BRADLEY JOHNSON
of the Confederate army, was al the
surrender, and received there a mill
tary parole. With that ia his posses
sion he was arrested and imprlsol ed
IN Baltimore, being under an indict-
ment for treason He addressed a
letter TO General Grant from prison,
inclosing his parole. Upon receipt of
it General Grant at once wrote to the
President most positive a.. empha-
tic letter, demanding the discharge
and release of General Johnson. The
letter, while respectful, was most de-
termined. 1t took the ground, after
ward fully established, that the mill
tarY paroles were not to be violated by
civil arrests.
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 l would avoid 1t
if possible, by consultation with Gen.
Grant. found Gen. Grant in his Office
and spoke of
THE LEGAL DIFFICULTIES,
and suggested that he withdraw the
letter he had written to the Presi dent
and ask that pardon be issued to
General Johnson. 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 unalterable determine
ton that they should not be violated.
Said he:
That is the way General Lee and
/ understood it at the time, and l will
be drawn and quartered before they
take the same stand Ia every case that
might arise.
He agreed to write the letter pro
posed, asking the pardon. l said l
would send for it. He said mo, I
write it now Turning to his table,
he wrote the letter with his own hand
in very few moments.
IT WAS A MODEL
in its clear statements. 1t expressed
his fixed determination to have his
paroles observed, and from that time
the law was settled that they were to
be respected. l had the pardon pre-
pared at once and signed by the Presi-
dent, and General johnson was dis
charged.
Thus the Southern people, through
their military leaders in the late war,
have cause to entertain the kindly
feelings for General Grant which you
so admirable expresst in your speech
in the Senate And not only in the
particular / have mentioned, but in
many others also. The other portion
of our now united country can never
fail to remember him as the strong
srm of its power in the great strug
gle.
General Grant left the army at the
call Of his country. His two admin
istrations were in times of excitement
and distraction incident to the vast
disuptions Of war. He should have
been restored to the army years ago.
He certainly should be now. In my
judgment, military msn who perform
great and notable services should be
suitably rewarded and honored. |
sincerely trust the House will prompt
" pass the bill and that it will become
a law. 1t seems to me but Justice,
and, | may add. tardy justice.
should add that President Johnson,
while questioning the legality of the
parole as civil pardon, bad no hest
tation in g.anting the executive par.
don. am, sir, most respectfully,
JAMES SPEED.