The National tribune., 1909-12-02
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Robert e. Lee and every other Virgin'an
would then submit This would amount
to the destruction of the Army of
Northern Virginia, and eventually to
the surrender OF all the other COnfeder-
ate armies. AS this meeting took place
before AppomattoX, President Lincoln
thought he saw a chance to draw some
mil tary benefit from the proposition,
and on his way back to Washington he
wrote the following letter to Gen. Welt
Eel:
1T has been intimated to me that
the gentlemen who have acted as the
Legislature of Virginia in support of
the rebellion may now desire to assem-
ble at Richmond and take measures to
withdraw the Virg MIA troops and other
support from resistance to- the General
Government. If they attempt it, give
them permission and protection, uatil,
If at all. they attempt some action nos
tile TO the United States, in which case
YOU will notify them, ve them reason
able time to leave. and at the end of
which time arrest any who remain. AL
low Jude Campbell to see this, but do
not make it public"
Gen. Grant Informed.
The President at once wrote Cen.
~.Ta~>< s>sEs, IS >yss <E<&Ss s2sSS$SS&S &e$seyS@
Secretary Seward SIS thrown Eraz<e
his carriage yesterday and seriously in
iured Th with other matters will
a're r,c to Washington soon. l was at
Richmond yesterday and the dav be-
re, when and where Judge Campbell,
who was with Messrs. Hunter and
stephens in February, called on me,
md made such representations as in
'Tocd re to put in h's hands an in
formal paper repeating the propositions
n my letter of instructions to Mr..
Seward which you remember, and add
ne that f the war he now further per-
sistcd in by the rebels confiscated prop
erty shall at the least bear the add
iorai-rnst and that confiscation shall
be remitted to the people of any stat"
~irn WI now promptly and in good
faith withdraw its troops and other
support from the resistance to the Gov
ernment. Judge Campbell thought it
not impossible that the rebel Leg sia-
ture of Virginia would do the latter, If
permitted, and accordingly ] addressed
"a private letter to Gen. WeitZel, with
Dernission for Judge Campbell 10 see
It, telling him tGen. W. that If they
attempt III to permit and protect
hem, unless they attempt something
hostile to the United States, in which
case to give them notice and time TO
leave. and to arrest any remaining after
such time. ! do not think it very prob
able that anything will come of this.
but / have thought best to notify you.
20 that # you should see signs you may
understand them. From your recent
dispatches it seems that you arc pretty
effectually withdrawing the Virginia
troops from opposition to the Govern
ment Nothing that / have done, or
probably shall do. is to delay, hinder or
interfere with your work"
The Plan Fails.
Gen. Weitzel showed the letter to
Judge Campbell and the latter called
4 cornnittee of five members of the
Leg stature together to carry out his
-lan. He does not seem to have acted
at all frankly with these in not stating
that the primary object was to repeat
the Ordinance Of Secession, and with
raw the Virginia troops from the Con-
federate armies He said rather: The
object Of the invitation is for the Cow
ernment of Nirg MIA to determine
whether they will administer the laws
in connection with the authorities Of
t"e United States. and / understand
from Mr.. Lincoln that If this condition
&c fulfilled no other demands will be
made to establish or susta n any other
propose that the people of Virginia
should be required to take the oath of
allegiance to the United States.
This juggling with the generosity of
the President was not to be tolerated.
Gen. WeitZel, a plain. blunt soldier. t.
tie versed in the intricac'es Of politics,
was no match for the astute Alabama
lawyer, and unwittingly gave permis-
sion and safe guard To the Virginia
Legislature to rcasscmhie n Richmond
Ne did not, as he should have done.
distinctly specify that this was for the
purpose of repeating the Ordinance of
Secession and Withdrawing the Virginia
soldiers from the army. Pv emission
he was TO allow the Virginia Legislature
to meet and pass in Judgment with some
authority upon the rightfulness of the
military acts which We're destroying the
rebellion.
The Permission Revoked.
President Lincoln carefully watched
this important step at every hour of it's
progress. AS soon as he received cones
of the correspondence with Gen. Welt
eel and of the call which he had allowed
TO go out, he sent him long telegram.
In this he set forth his motives and
views with his usual unmistakable con-
clseness and perspicuity.
Il have just seen Judge Campbelrs
letter to you of the 7th. He assumes,
it appears to me, that have called the
insurgent Legislature Of Virginia to-
gether, as the rightful legislature of
the State. to settle ALI differences with
the United States. have done no such
thing. ] spoke of them not as a Legis-
lature, but as the gentlemen who have
acted as the Legislature of Virginia in
support of the rebellion I did this on
purpose to exclude the assumption that
was recognizing them as n rightful
body. / dealt with them as men having
power de facto to do q specific thing, to
wit, to withdraw the Virginia troops
and other support from resistance to
the General Government for which. I'm
the paper handed to Judge Campbell, /
promised special equivalent, to wit, a
remission to the people of the State, ex-
cept in certain cases, of the coniisca-
ton OF their property. meant this
and no more. Inasmuch, however, as
Judge Campbell misconstrues this, and
Is still pressing for an armistice, con-
trary to the explicit statement of The
paper i gave him. and particularly as
Gen. Grant has since captured the Vir-
ginia troops, SO that giving a considera-
ton for their withdrawal is no longer
applicable, let my letter to you and the
paper to Judge Campbell both be with
drawn or countermanded, and he be
notified of 1t. Do not now allow them
to assemble, but If any have come allow