re: On this day 158 years ago, Vicksburg surrendered to Union forces (July 4, 1863)

If Davis would’ve been allowed to have his day in court we might have got an answer to weather or not secession was legal. The federal government got a taste of unrestricted power and it liked it so no chance for a loss in the court room to take that from them. The handed out pardons like invitations to a birthday party. It’s not hard to see that power flexed in modern times, all those alphabet agencies or a prime example in my opinion. I wonder if Grant would’ve been ok with shooting a mother at the sink holding her child or burning a church full of children. I won’t ask about Sherman because he seems like a fan of such activities.