XLIX.

MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS.

Letter from General Sherman.
THE SURRENDER OF GENERAL JOS. E. JOHNSTON.
To the editor of the Tribune.

SIR: In your issue of yesterday is a notice of Mr. Healy's picture, representing the interview between Mr. Lincoln, General Grant, Admiral Porter, and myself, which repeats substantially the account published some time ago in Wilkes Spirit of the Times explanatory of that interview, and attributing to Mr. Lincoln himself the paternity of the terms to General Johnston's army at Durham, in April, 1865.*

leaders, and the rebel army; and he left me under the impression that all he asked of us was to dissipate these armies, and get the soldiers back to their homes anyhow, the quicker the better, leaving him free to apply the remedy and the restoration of civil law. He (Mr. Lincoln) surely left upon my mind the impression, warranted by Admiral's Porter's account, that he had long thought of his course of action when the rebel armies were out of his way, and that he wanted to get civil governments reorganized at the South, the quicker the better, and strictly conforming with our general system.

had nothing at all to do with them more than to discuss their effect, and he knew they only applied to the military, and he forthwith pro ceeded to make his escape from the country; course that I believe Mr. Lincoln wished that Mr. Davis should have succeeded in effecting, as well as all the other leading southern politicians against whom public indignation always turned with a feeling far more intense than against Generals Lee, Johnston, and other purely military men.

I am glad you have called public attention to the picture itself, because I feel a personal interI had been absent so long that I presumed, est that Mr. Healy should be appreciated as one of course, that Congress had enacted all the laws of our very best American artists. But some necessary to meet the event of peace so long exfriends here think by silence I may be construed pected, and the near approach of which must as willing to throw off on Mr. Lincoln the odium then have been seen by the most obtuse, and of those terms. If there be any odium, which all I aimed to do was to remit the rebel army I doubt, I surely would not be willing that the surrendering to me to the conditions of the laws least show of it should go to Mr. Lincoln's mem- of the country as they then existed. At the ory, which I hold in too much veneration to be time of Johnston's surrender at Durham, I drew stained by anything done or said by me. I un-up the terms with my own hand. Breckinridge derstand that the substance of Mr. Wilkes's orig. inal article was compiled by him after a railroad conversation with Admiral Porter, who was present at that interview, as represented in the picture, and who made a note of the conversation immediately after we separated. He would be inore likely to have preserved the exact words used on the occasion than I, who made no notes, then or since. I cannot now even pretend to recall more than the subjects touched upon by the several parties, and the impression left on my mind after we parted. The interview was in March, nearly a month before the final catastrophe, and it was my part of the plan of opera tions to move my army, reinforced by Schofield, then at Goldsboro', North Carolina, to Burkesville, Virginia, when Lee would have been forced to surrender in Richmond. The true move left to him was a hasty abandonment of Richmond, join his force to Johnston's, and strike me in the open country. The only question was, could I sustain this joint attack till General Grant came up in pursuit? I was confident I could; but at the very moment of our conversation General Grant was moving General Sheridan's heavy force of cavalry to his extreme left to prevent this very contingency. Mr. Lincoln, in hearing us speak of a final bloody battle, which I then thought would fall on me near Raleigh, did exclaim, more than once, that blood enough had already been shed, and he hoped that the war would end without any more. We spoke of what was to be done with Davis, other party

For these terms, see Political Manual for 1868, and the Hand-Book of Politics for 1868, p. 121.

I repeat, that, according to my memory, Mr. Lincoln did not expressly name any specific. and gentle frame of mind that would have interms of surrender, but he was in that kindly duced him to approve fully what I did, excepting, probably, he would have interlined some modifications, such as recognizing his several proclamations antecedent, as well as the laws of Congress, which would have been perfectly right and acceptable to me and to all parties.

I dislike to open this or any other old question, and do it for the reason stated, viz, lest I be construed as throwing off on Mr. Lincoln what his friends think should be properly borne by me alone.

If in the original terms I had, as I certainly meant, included the proclamations of the Presi dent, they would have covered the slavery question and all the real State questions which caused the war: and had not Mr. Lincoln been assassinated at that very moment. I believe those "terms" would have taken the usual course of approval, modification, or absolute disapproval, and been returned to me, like hundreds of other official acts, without the newspaper clamor and

unpleasant controversies so unkindly and un- | article XII of the said constitution, which is in pleasantly thrust upon me at the time.

I am, truly, yours,
W. T. SHERMAN, General.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 11, 1869.

*President Grant's Proclamation for the Election
in Mississippi, issued July 13, 1869.
In pursuance of the provisions of the act of
Congress approved April 10. 1869, I hereby
designate Tuesday, the 30th day of November,
as the time for submitting the constitution
adopted on the 15th day of May, 1868, by the
convention which met in Jackson, Mississippi,
to the voters of said State registered at the date
of such submission, viz, November 30, 1869.

And I submit to a separate vote that part of section 3 of article VII of said constitution, which is in the following words:

the following words: "That I have never, as member of any convention, voted for or signed any ordinance of secession; that I have never, as a member of any State legislature, voted for the call of any convention that passed any such ordinance.' The above oath shall also be taken by all the city and county officers before entering upon their duties, and by all other State officers not included in the above provision."

I-direct the vote to be taken upon each of the above cited provisions alone, and upon the other portions of the said constitution in the following manner, viz:

Each voter favoring the ratification of the constitution, (excluding the provisions above quoted,) as adopted by the convention of May 15, 1868, shall express his judgment by voting

FOR THE CONSTITUTION.

Each voter favoring the rejection of the constitution, (excluding the provisions above quoted,) shall express his judgment by voting

AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION.

Each voter will be allowed to cast a separate ballot for or against either or both of the provisions above quoted.

It is understood that sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, of article XIII, under the head of "Ordinance," are considered as forming no part of the said constitution.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

[SEAL.]

Done at the city of Washington this thirteenth
day of July, in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine, and of the independence of the
United States of America the ninety-
fourth.
U. S. GRANT.
By the President:

"That I am not disfranchised in any of the provisions of the act known as the reconstruction acts of the 39th and 40th Congresses, and that I admit the political and civil equality of all men; so help me God: Provided, That if Congress shall at any time remove the disabilities of any person disfranchised in the said reconstruction acts of the said 39th and 40th Congresses, (and the legislature of this State shall concur therein,) then so much of this oath, and so much only, as refers to the said reconstruction acts, shall not be required of such person so pardoned to entitle him to be registered." And I further submit to a separate vote section 5 of the same article of said constitution, which is in the following words: "No person shall be eligible to any office of profit or trust, civil or military, in this State, who, as a member of the legislature, voted for the call of the con. vention that passed the ordinance of secession, or who, as a delegate to any convention, voted for or signed any ordinance of secession, or who gave voluntary aid, countenance, counsel, or encouragement to persons engaged in armed hostility to the United States, or who accepted or attempted to exercise the functions of any office, civil or military, under any authority or pretended government, authority, power, or constitution, within the United States, hostile or inimical thereto, except all persons who aided reconstruction by voting for this convention, or who have continuously advocated the assembling of this convention, and shall continuously and in good faith advocate the acts of the same; but the legislature may remove such disability: Provided, That nothing in this section, except I direct the vote to be taken upon the said voting for or signing the ordinance of secession, constitution in the following manner, viz: shall be so construed as to exclude from office Each voter favoring the ratification of the the private soldier of the late so-called Confed-constitution, as adopted by the convention of erate States army." the 15th of June, 1868, shall express his judgment by voting

And further submit to a separate vote section 5 of article XII of the said constitution, which is in the following words: "The credit of the State shall not be pledged or loaned in aid of any person, association, or corporation; nor shall the State hereafter become a stockholder in any corporation or association."

And I further submit to a separate vote part of the oath of office prescribed in section 26 of

• Received too late for insertion in proper place with other proclamations.

HAMILTON FISH,
Secretary of State.

"President Grant's Proclamation for the Election in Texas, issued July 15, 1869.

In pursuance of the provisions of the act of Congress approved April 10, 1869, I hereby designate Tuesday, the 30th day of November, 1869, as the time for submitting the constitution adopted by the convention which met in Austin, Texas, on the 15th day of June, to the voters of said State, registered at the date of such submission, viz:

FOR THE CONSTITUTION. Each voter favoring the rejection of the constitution shall express his judgment by voting

AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty

[SEAL.] nine, and of the independence of the | Proposed Amendment to Constitution of the United States of America the ninety

fourth.

By the President:

HAMILTON FISH,
Secretary of State.

Female Suffrage.

U. S. GRANT.

The special committee of the Senate of Massachusetts has reported the following amendment

to the constitution of that State:

Article of amendment.-"The word 'male' is hereby stricken from the 3d article of the amendment of the constitution. Hereafter women of this Commonwealth shall have the right of voting at elections and be eligible to office on the same terms, restrictions, and qualifications, and subject to the same restrictions and disabilities, as male citizens of this Commonwealth now are, and no other."

[This amendment must be approved by two successive legislatures, and then submitted to the men of the State.]

United States.

At various public meetings the following amendment to the preamble of the Constitution of the United States has been proposed:

We, the people of the United States, acknowledging Almighty God as the source of all authority and power in civil government, the Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler among the nations, and His will, revealed in the Holy Scriptures, as of supreme authority, in order to constitute a christian government, form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Elections of 1869.

In NEW HAMPSHIRE the vote was: for Governor, Onslow Stearns, (Rep.,) 35,733; John Bedel, (Dem.,) 32,001.

In RHODE ISLAND the vote was: for Governor, Seth Paddleford, (Rep.,) 7,359; Symon Pierce,

June 2.-It was voted down by the Senate-(Dem.,) 3,390. yeas 9, nays 22, as follows:

In CONNECTICUT the vote was; for Governor, Marshall Jewell, (Rep.,) 45,493; James E. Eng(Dem.,) 45,082. Jewell's majority, 411. In MICHIGAN, at the judicial election, Thomas M. Cooley was elected justice of the supreme court by 90,705 to 59,886 for O. Darwin Hughes.

YEAS.-Messrs. Whiting Griswold, Francis A. Hobart, Nathaniel J. Holden, Richmond King-lish, man, Charles R. Ladd, Charles Marsh, Robert C. Pitman, (President,) Richard Plumer, Chas. U. Wheelock-9.

NAYS.-Messrs. Geo. O. Brastow, Geo. M. Buttrick, H. H. Coolidge, Sam'l D. Crane, Edmund Dowse, John B. Hathaway, Estes Howe, George A. King, C. J. Kittredge, J. N. Marshall, Geo. H. Monroe, E. W. Morton, J. R. Palmer, Jos. G. Pollard, O. H. P. Smith, George H. Sweetser, George S. Taylor, Edward Thomas, J. S. Todd, Harrison Tweed, G. B. Weston, Jonathan White -22.

NOT VOTING.-Messrs. Nathaniel E. Atwood, Benjamin Dean, A. M. Giles, L. J. Knowles, John H. Lockey, Charles R. McLean. Daniel Needham, Jos. G. Ray, Geo. M. Rice-9.

Proposed XVIth Amendment.

In VIRGINIA the vote was: for Governor, Gilbert C. Walker, (Cons.,) 119,492; H. H. Wells, (Rep.,) 101,291-Walker's majority, 18.264. The vote on clauses was: for clause 4, sec. 1, art. III of constitution, (disfranchising.) 84,410, against 124,360-majority. 39,950; for sec. 7, art. III, (test oath.) 83,458, against 124,715-majority, 41,257. For the constitution, 210,585, against 9,136.

In WASHINGTON Territory the vote was: for Delegate to Congress, Garfield, (Rep.,) 2.742; Moore, (Dem.,) 2,595-Garfield's majority, 147.

B. T. Daniel's Dispatch to President Grant. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES U. S., 1869, March RICHMOND, July 7, 1869. 16. Mr. JULIAN introduced a joint resolution Mr. PRESIDENT: On behalf of the State exproposing the following as the XVIth amend-ecutive committee of the Walker party, I conment to the Constitution of the United States:

ARTICLE XVI. The right of suffrage in the United States shall be based on citizenship, and shall be regulated by Congress, and all citizens of the United States, whether native or naturalized, shall enjoy this right equally, without any distinction or discrimination whatever founded

on sex.

gratulate you upon the triumph of your policy
in Virginia. The gratitude of the people for
your liberality is greatly enlivened by the over-
whelming majority by which that policy pre-
vails.
R. T. DANIEL,
Chairman

His Excellency U. S. GRANT,
President of the United States.

PART V.

POLITICAL MANUAL FOR 1870.

L.

MEMBERS OF THE CABINET OF PRESIDENT GRANT,

AND OF THE FORTY-FIRST CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION.

House of Representatives. JAMES G. BLAINE, of Maine, Speaker. Edward McPherson, of Pennsylvania, Clerk. Maine-John Lynch, Samuel P. Morrill, James G. Blaine, John A. Peters, Eugene Hale. Maryland-George Vickers, William T. Hamil-New Hampshire-Jacob H. Ela, Aaron F. Ste