terms to the confederates. In doing so, he thought he was carrying out Lincoln’s vision. But he was sharply rebuked by the Union Cabinet, particularly after the death of Lincoln. Grant was actually sent to talk to Sherman. And quite a few important people in the Union Cabinet were worried that Sherman might decide to arrest Grant because they were convinced that Sherman was potentially thinking of some kind of a coup, and he was getting ready to march northward with his legions to take over. That’s the kind of chaos and anarchy that was gripping the North in the post-Lincoln assassination period.
22 So if Johnston had decided to go to the hills and along with Lee
start sanctioning some kind of guerrilla warfare, we would have been in a real mess. But Johnston instead followed Lee's example and he, too, surrendered, in this act of basic insubordination. In doing so, it really paved the way for this country to become not like the Balkans, not like the Middle East, not like Lebanon or Cambodia or these other civil war-torn countries, or Northern Ireland, but to become like America today.
谈判持续了十天，这是谢尔曼第一次与约翰斯顿、约翰.布雷肯里奇一起坐在谈判桌前。谈判进行到某个时候，南方联邦提出了条件使得谢尔曼往后移动了一下自己的椅子，说道：“不过，请注意，现在究竟是谁在向谁投降？”但事实上，谢尔曼给南部邦联开出了非常优惠的条件。他认为这样做是顺承林肯的意图。但是他却受到联邦政府的严厉批评，尤其是在林肯逝世之后。联邦政府派格兰特与他谈话，相当一部分政府要员担心谢尔曼会扣押格兰特，因为他们深信谢尔曼极有可能在考虑发动政变，并正准备带领部队北上，接管政府。林肯被刺杀之后的这段时间里，北方深陷在这种无秩序、无政府的混乱状态之中。
因此假如约翰斯顿决定上山，和李共同打游击战，局势就真的会一团糟了。但是约翰斯顿没有这样做，而是和李一样，违抗上司的命令，也向北方投降了。此举使我们国家没有成为饱受内战折磨的国家，没有变成像巴尔干半岛诸国那样，没有变成像中东地区那样，没有变成像黎巴嫩、柬埔寨或北爱尔兰那样，而是成为今天的美国。 lay down
1. 主张，断言；规定，制定：
The committee are busy laying down a general policy. 委员会正忙于制定一个总方针。
2. (使)躺下；将…放下：
She carefully laid the sleeping child down on the bed. 她小心地将睡着的孩子放到了床上。 3. 打赌，下(赌注)；付(款)：
He laid down ten dollars that his brother would fail in the examination. 他赌10美元，他兄弟考试会不及格。 4. 使(土地)变为牧场；在(田里)种上(作物)：
The farmers plan to lay the corn fields down to grass. 农场主们打算将玉米田改种牧草。
5. 兴建；建造(或设计)船等；铺设(铁路等):
This track was laid down last year,but now it is in need repair. 这条铁轨是去年铺成的，可现在却需要修复。 6. 贮藏(酒等)：
He laid down 5 bottles of best wine on their wedding day. 在他们的结婚日他贮藏了5瓶最好的酒。 7. 在(纸、地图等)标出(或记下)：
The general laid down a few strategic targets on the map. 将军在地图上标明了几个战略目标。 8. 放弃；放下；屈服；停止行动： to lay down one's office 辞职
to lay down the pen and take up the sword 投笔从戎 9. 交付(货物) 10. 包装；将…装罐 11. (机器等)出毛病 12. 【棒球】触击
see here
[美国口语]听我说；喂(唤起对方注意或表示不赞成)
In doing so
这样做时，在这情况下
rebuke [r?'bj?k]
vt. 指责，非难；制止；使相形见绌 n. 非难，指责；谴责，鞭策
legion ['li:d??n]
n.
1.【罗马历史】古罗马军团(通常由约3 000至6 000名步兵组，并辅以骑兵) 2.众多的士兵；大批的部队；大军；军团 3.大量；大批；众多
4.[常作 L-](半)军事性单位、协会(或团体)
5.[L-] American Legion, Foreign Legion 的缩略形式 adj.大量的；大批的；众多的 短语
1.one's name is legion (某类物品)数量极大，不可胜数，不计其数
sanction ['s??k??n]
n. 制裁，处罚；认可；支持
vt. 制裁，处罚；批准；鼓励
insubordination ['?ns?'b?rd?'ne??n] n. 反抗，不服从 pave the way for
为…做好准备；为…铺平道路