The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-12 00:00:00

The State of the South.

On the 27th ult. the Reconstruction Committee
submitted the evidence of General Lee to Congress
at Washington. After being sworn, the General
said that he did not know of any person in Vir-
ginia who now contemplated resistance in the
United States Government. Instead of that, he
believed they entirely acquiesced in the Govern-
ment, and were for co-operating with President
Johnson in his policy in regard to the restoration
of the whole country. He had heard some of the
people of the South refer to the payment of taxes
levied by the Government, and of their efforts to
raise money, which, he supposed, was for the pay-
ment of their share of those taxes. He had never
heard any one speak in opposition to their pay-
ment. From his knowledge of the people of Vir-
ginia he belieVed that, instead of repudiating, they
would be in favour of paying all just debts. He
thought that the people were willing, not only to
pay their portion of the United States debt, but
the Confederate debt as well. They would do both
to the extent of their power. The people with whom
he associated expressed the kindest feelings towards
the freedmen. They wished to see them get on in
the world, and particularly desired them to take up
some occupation for a living—to turn their hands
to work. He knew that the farmers near where he
lived had made efforts to induce them to engage for
the year at regular wages. He also knew that the
farmers generally preferred to have those servants
who had lived with them before, and believed that
they were willing to give them fair wages in return
for their labour. He was not aware of any com-
bination among the whites to keep down the wages
of the blacks. He had been informed that in seve-
ral counties the landlords had met to establish
a uniform rate of wages, but he did not know
of any combination to establish any rate which
they did not think fair. The means of pay-
ing wages in Virginia were very limited, and now
and then there was a difference of opinion as to how
much each was able to pay. Where he had been
the people had exhibited a willingness that the
blacks should be educated, and had expressed an
opinion that it would be better for both blacks and
whites. He did not think himself particularly
qualified to speak of the mental capacity of black
men ; they did not seem to him as capable of ac-
quiring knowledge as white men were. Some were
more apt than others, and he bad known them to
acquire knowledge and skill in their profession.
Black servants of his own had learned to read and
write very well. He was only acquainted with
those who had learned the common rudiments of
education, and, therefore, could not speak of- the
capacity of the blacks to acquire a knowledge of
mathematics and the exact sciences. He was not
aware that the blacks of Virginia had formed com-
binations for the purpose of disturbing the peace or
for any improper and unlawful acts. The blacks
were amiable and sociable, and an absence of a lust
for money and property might in some measure be
attributed to their former servile condition. So
far as he knew, the secession portion of the people
of Virginia, or the other recently rebel States, did
not contemplate availing themselves of any oppor-
tunity for obtaining independence which might be
offered in the event of a war between the United
States and any foreign Power, such as England or
France. Instead 'of having heard the expression
of a hope that such a war might break out, he had
heard those with whom he associated in Virginia
desire that the country might not be led into a war.
It would depend upon individual feelings whether
those who were called Secessionists would join the
common enemy in the event of such a war as
was supposed. He himself had no disposition to
do so, and he never had. So far as his knowledge
went, the wish of the Virginians was for peace. He
believed that it was the wish of the Confederate
Government to form an alliance with some foreign
nation and obtain recognition as an independent
Government. He merely expressed his opinion,
for he had no hand or part in, and knew nothing
of, the policy of the Government. He did not recol-
lect having taken an oath of fidelity or allegiance
to the Confederate Government ; but it was pos-
sible that he did so when he was commissioned.
If it had been required he would have taken it,
but he did not recollect whether it was or not. He
believed that it would take time for the feelings
of the people to become of their former cordial
nature towards the Government. What they
desired now was the restoration of their civil
government, and they looked upon the policy of
President Johnson as that which could most
clearly and most surely re-establish it. Every-
body had now to attend to his business for his
support, and the poor were generally hard at work.
There was no change in their feelings towards the
coloured people. Those whites who owned farms
employed the blacks more or less, but some were so
poor that they had to work themselves. If capi-
talists and working men from the North went -into
Virginia, and, confining themselves to their busi-
ness, did not provoke controversies with their neigh-
bours, they would not be molested. Instead of
there being a desire to keep capital and labour out
they were very anxious to get capital into the State.
The manner in which the new comers would be
received would depend entirely upon themselves.
Without having any facts to judge from, he
thought it probable that the blacks would prefer
working for IsYorthern men. He knew of numbers
who had engaged with their old masters, and
of others who had preferred going off to seek
fresh homes. He thought that it would take a long
time to make things in Virginia equal to what they
were before the rebellion, but he hoped that it
would not only reach the old standard, but exceed
it. On the whole the condition of things in Vir-
ginia •*as hopeful, both in regard to its material in-
terests and the future peace of the country • and
the people showed great cheerfulness and willing-
ness to labour.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE.—The annual examination
of candidates for scholarships and exhibitions at this col-
lege commence on Tuesday, July 10, at 9 a.m. Applica-
tions for the form of declaration must be made to J. D.
Walford, M.A., College-street, Winchester, and to him the
required certificates must be sent on or before June 1. The
subjects of examination are elementary religious know-
ledge, English dictation, arithmetic, Latin composition in
verse and prose, construing and parsing in Greek and
Latin. The scholarships are open to the competition of
all boys who have reached their 10th and not completed
their 14th year. The average expenses of a scholar, includ-
ing all extras, tradesmen's bills, &c., are between £2O and
£3O per annum. The exhibitions, of the annual value
of £5O, held by commoners, are open to all boys who are
under the age of 15 years, and are tenable during their
stay at school. The probable number of scholarships to
be competed for is about ten, that of the exhibitions two,
and, as the number of candidates is generally overwhelm-
ingly large, it is recommended that none
should offer
themselves who have not attained fair proficiency in the
elementary subjects of classical education.