paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, ' The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'

"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan-to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations."

The last paragraph is taught to the American school child as one of the tenets of government. malice toward none, with charity toward all," and so forth. In the meantime, the North was already eager for the new problem-reconstruction, without regard for malice or charity, but for power.

While methods of reconstruction were being discussed and evolved the ragged edges of the war had to be tied up. Grant's long siege around Richmond was finally to come to a close by Lee's evacuation. On 2nd April he left Richmond in the hope of uniting with Johnston, who was now in command of the remnants of Hood's army, which had had such a crushing defeat at Nashville in December. With one united army in the field Lee still had hopes of prolonging the war, but Grant hastened after him, and the concentration of the Confederate forces was not to be.

Lincoln had come down to City Points, Grant's headquarters, the week before. Could not victory be had, he asked, without another battle? Grant's answer was very disappointing, for he felt sure another battle was to take place. But in the end Lincoln's

hopes were fulfilled. The great slaughterings were

over.

When Lee evacuated Richmond, Davis and the Cabinet fled also. Lincoln walked into the city, and even went through the buildings which had held the seat of the former Government. The city was in a turmoil, with buildings on fire, drunken soldiers everywhere, and negroes in a religious frenzy over the evacuation of the Confederates and the sudden appearance of the President. He spent the night in Richmond and returned to Washington without having been molested in any way, though he was recognized by all. The negroes greeted him with ecstatic joy. Glory Hallelujah, God bless Massa Lincoln! He's de Messiah, shuah!" they cried, as they crowded around him. "See yeah, honey, look at de saviour, and you'll git well," one negress called out, holding her child up to look at the President.

"

On 6th April Sheridan reported: "If the thing is pressed, I think that Lee will surrender." Grant sent the dispatch to Lincoln, who replied: "Let the thing be pressed." At the same time he sent Grant instructions not in any way to give terms of peace, as that should be left to the Administration.

Grant came to Sheridan's camp in the middle of the night, "to press the thing." The sentinels recognized him. Boys, this means business," they cried.

On the same day Lee had made a stand, but was defeated, and for three days he made desperate efforts to join Johnston, but was hemmed in on all sides. There was no alternative for the Army of Virginia but to surrender.

The two generals met in the little village of Appomattox, seventy-five miles from Richmond. Lee wore a new full-dress uniform, "buttoned to the throat, and a sword studded with jewels," while Grant had on a blouse of dark blue flannel, unbuttoned in front, and carried no sword. At the point of victory he was embarrassed. "My own feelings," he wrote, "which had been quite jubilant on the receipt of Lee's letter, were sad and despondent." They talked a long time of things in general, of the armies, and finally the matter of surrender was reached. Lee said that the privates owned their own horses and it would prove a great hardship if they should have to forfeit them to the Union. Grant conceded the point, and let the men go out on parole with their horses, so that they could use them for the spring ploughing on their “little farms." "Each officer and man," he wrote, "will be allowed to return to their homes, not to be disturbed by United States authorities so long as they observe their parole and the laws in force where they may reside." These terms far exceeded his powers, but Lincoln made no objections when he read them, and even exclaimed many times, "Good! All right! Exactly the thing!"

The war was over! There were only Johnston's remnants to be taken, and Sherman was already dispatched after them. Laus Deo was on every lip. Flags were displayed, and meetings were held all over the country. A day of thanksgiving was specially set aside. Lincoln, tall and gaunt, threw his long arms over Stanton's short stocky frame, and weeping thus embraced him for joy. As to the question of

what to do with the "Confederate gentlemen," as he once called them, Lincoln had one thought-leniency. Someone suggested that Davis be hanged. "Let us judge not," he said, "that we be not judged." He followed this with one of his telling stories:

When I was a boy in Indiana I went to a neighbour's house one morning and found a boy of my own size holding a coon by a string. I asked him what he had, and what he was doing. He said: 'It's a coon. Dad cotched six last night, and killed all but this poor little cuss. Dad told me to hold him until he came back, and I'm afraid he's going to kill this one too! and oh, Abe, I do wish he would get away!' 'Well, why don't you let him loose?' 'That wouldn't be right! and if I let him go, Dad would give me hell. But if he would get away himself, it would be all right.' Now, if Jeff Davis and those other fellows will only get away, it will be all right. But if we should catch them, and I should let them go, 'Dad would give me hell.'

On the 14th Dana came to him to ask whether a warrant of arrest should be sent out for one of Davis's Cabinet members who was about to escape to Canada. Lincoln answered: "If you get hold of an elephant by the hind leg and he is running away, you had better let him go."

On that same day, the 14th of April 1865, he discussed reconstruction with the Cabinet. He was anxious to get the State governments in operation as soon as possible. He wished to have his plan at work before the December session of Congress. "No one need expect me to take any part in hanging or killing of