Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-20

LEE, GRANT, AND Mosbs'
We inquire again. what authority has
Colonel John 81 Mosby for asserting ,na'
Lee asked Grant to endorse his peutioh
for amnesty and pardon?
In the Times OF yesterday there -
quoted I'm explanation of Colonel Mosos
assertion. the concluding portion OF 'e''
ter from Lee to Grant; also,
considerable part of letter from
Lee to Beauregard. In the "'-
ter Lee explained why he had forwarueu
his application for amnesty In 'h's "'-
ter appears the sentence. ~ need not tell
YOU that true patriotism sometimes IT,
ouires Of men to act exactly contrary at
one period to that which 1t does at an
other, and the motive when inpeiS
them-the desire to do right, preclss'S
the same. etc" Nowhere in TINS iet'e'
does Lee tell Beauregard that ne mas
asked Grant to endorse his petition lot
amnesty and pardon"
SO far from Lee asking any FAVOR Vi
Grant, Lee wrote to Grant to say that II
he was to be tired for treason, wen anu
good; he was ready to stand trial. But
If as he supposed. his parole protected
him from prosecution, he desired 10 aVall
himself of the Presidents amnesty. lie
wished Grant 10 ascertain which or the
two courses was TO be pursued towards
him, and added that If he was not TO DE
prosecuted he desired Grant TO submit
his application for amnesty. This appl-
cation he enclosed. but nowhere does
Lee appear TO have asked Grant TO in
dorse It. SO far from it, Lees position
was one OF perfect independence. We
quote 800
Richmond, Va, June 1S, 1856.
Lieutenant General L. s. Grant, COM
manding the Armies Of the United
States:
General.-Upon reading the Presidents
proclamat ion of the 29th ultimo. / came
to Richmond to ascertain what was
proper or required of me TO do, when !
learned that with others | was 10 be
indicted for treason by the grand jury
at Norfolk. l. had supposed that the
officers and men of the Army of North
ern Virginia were. by the terms Of their
surrender. protected by the United States
Government from mOlestation so long as
they conformed TO its conditions. | am
ready 10 meet any charges that may be
preferred against me, and do not WISH
to avoid trial; but If | am correct as 10
the protection granted by my parole ana
am not to be prosecuted ! desire TO com
ply with the provisions Of the Presidents
proclamation. and therefore inclose the
required application. which | request in
that event may be acted on. j am with
great respect.
Your obedient servant, i. +. LEE.
Certainly there is no request there Tor
Grant to endorse" Lees petition. on
the contrary. Lee was exceedingly care
full to make it plain TO Grant that he
was ready TO stand trial and this he
could not have done had he asked Grant
to endorse" his application for amnesty
and pardon.
The application inclosed is as follows:
Richmond. Va. June Il. 1850
His Excellency. Andrew Johnson, Presi-
dent of the United states:
Sir--Being excluded from the provisions
Of amnesty and pardon contained in the
proclamation of the 29th ultimo. / hereby
apply for the benefits and full restoration
of all rights and privileges extended TO
those included in its terms ] graduated
at the Military Academy at West Point
in June. 1923; resigned from the United
States army April. 1861 was a general In
the Confederate army. and included in
the surrender of the Army Of Northern
Virginia. April g. 1855. L have the honor
to be. very respectfully
Your obedient servant, r. +. LEE.
These letters appear in the Personal
"reminiscences of Lee by DR.. J. William
Jones, where they were published for the
first time and where the following
statements are made:
Lee made this application not because
he ever for a single moment admitted
that he needed pardon for his course
during the war, but simply that he might
show TO the world that he had no spirit
of hostility to the government, and give
his own people an example of quiet sub
mission to the powers that be.
And yet this noble man died a prisoner
OF war on parole: his application for
amnesty was never granted, or even
noticed and the commonest privileges OF
citizenship which are accorded TO the
most ignorant negro were denied to this
king of men,"
And we are still inquiring, for we have.
not yet found out. when 1t was that
Lee asked Grant (as Colonel Mosby as
serts) to Endorse his petition for amnesty
and pardon"