eneral
pardon to Confederate officers for their treason. This was an
inadvertent breach, perhaps, of Lincoln's orders, but it was one which
met with no objection. Lee retired into civil life and devoted himself
thereafter to his neighbours' service as head of a college in
Virginia--much respected, very free with alms to old soldiers and not
much caring whether they had fought for the South or for the North.
Grant did not wait to set foot in the capital which he had conquered,
but, the main business being over, posted off with all haste to see his
son settled in at school.

Lincoln remained at City Point till April 8, when he started back by
steamer. Those who were with him on the two days' voyage told
afterwards of the happy talk, as of a quiet family party rejoicing in
the return of peace. Somebody said that Jefferson Davis really ought
to be hanged. The reply came in the quotation that he might almost
have expected, "Judge not, that ye be not judged." On the second day,
Sunday, the President read to them parts of "Macbeth." Sumner, who was
one of them, recalled that he read twice over the lines,

"Duncan is in his grave;
After life's fitful fever he sleeps well;
Treason has done his worst; nor steel, nor poison,
Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing
Can touch him further."

On the Tuesday, April 11, a triumphant crowd came to the White House to
greet Lincoln. He made them a speech, carefully prepared in substance
rather than in form, dealing with the question of reconstruction in the
South, with special reference to what was already in progress in
Louisiana. The precise points of controversy that arose in this regard
hardly matter now. Lincoln disclaimed any wish to insist pedantically
upon any detailed plan of his; but he declared his wish equally to keep
clear of any merely pedantic points of controversy with any in the
South who were loyally striving to revive State Government with
acceptance of the Union and without slavery; and he urged that genuine
though small beginnings should be encouraged. He regretted that in
Louisiana his wish for the enfranchisement of educated negroes and of
negro soldiers had not been followed; but as the freedom of the negroes
was unreservedly accepted, as provision was made for them in the public
schools, and the new State constitution allowed the Legislature to
enfranchise them, there was clear gain. "Concede that the new
government of Louisiana is o