General Grant treat General Lee with such respect at the end of the war because, on the one hand, Lee (who had had a brilliant military career), had been able to acknowledge that it was not possible to continue fighting, that the time had come to capitulate, and, on the other hand, because what guided Grant's and Lincoln's actions was neither retaliation nor vengeance, but a sincere eagerness to mend the country. This respectful treatment is significant because it contributed to a peaceful and prompt reconciliation.