Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 36.djvu/15



Immediately after the surrender of the relics of the Southern armies that had fought the war of secession to the end and had laid down their arms upon guarantees given by General Grant, who commanded all the United States armies and was universally recognized as the savior of the Union, the leading politicians  in the North, infuriated and enraged against the Southern  people, sought some pretext upon which the Southern leaders could be put to ignominious death and their property confiscated and divided out among the robbers, while portions of the confiscated  lands were to be allotted to the emancipated negro slaves.

Such was the programme marked out by the South-haters in both houses of the United States Congress. Fortunately they were prevented from carrying out their nefarious and murderous schemes by several circumstances which may well be considered  providential interventions.

One of these was the declaration by General Grant that no policy of violence and outrage could be perpetrated upon the military officers and soldiers who had laid down their arms and surrendered to him as long as the prisoners regarded their paroles and kept faith upon which they had ceased fighting. General Grant was at that time universally popular, and so complete was his hold upon the regard of the people that nothing could be done towards persecuting the surrendered Southern Soldiers contrary to his will.

Another circumstance which also contributed to save the Southern people from wholesale massacre and confiscation was