The mountain Democrat., 1865-05-27

n. NO, BIT L 10 HOt tulnA He uiu'
think Judge Morris has been n man Of
peace; his opinion has been that ta'S
matter ought 10 be settled BY peace-by
compromise and believe that q loyal
man may be in favor of peace.
Q. Peace ut all hazardsi
A. think that man who is convinced
in bis own mind that this country can
never be united by war, may be opposed
to war, and still be loyal man.
Q. That does not quite meet the ques-
tion. | want to know, If, with your esti-
mate of loyalty, you would admit a man
to be loyal who would consent to peace on
the terms of separation from this govern
ment; would you class such man as
loyal or disloyal?
A. understand loyalty TO consist in
obedience to the government and the law.
can only repeat what l said oe.- - Tsap
If man is convinced in his own mind
that by war this country can never be
united-if this is his honest conviction
lie may be in favor Of peace and still be q
loyal man.
Supposing we are at war with foreign
nation, it would not be pretended that a
man might not be for peace and yet be q
loyal man; if he was satisfied that the
continuance of war would only add to the
expenditure Of treasure and blood, and be
of no benefit TO the country, he certainly
could be an advocate for peace and still
be loyal man. So it may be, appre-
hend, in the case of the rebellion, that if
any man is satisfied in his own mind that
his country cannot be united by war
and perhaps there is no man who has not,
at some time during the past five years,
had doubts forced upon his mind-he
may be in favor Of peace and yet be 10y
al man.
@. Under that rule would not every
soldier in the rebel army be entitled to be
called loyal man?
A. No, sir.
O. Does he not honestly believe that by
war this country cannot again be united ?
A. These rebels, l have always main
tanned, took up arms against the govern
ment without any cause. No wrong has
been done them by the government; no
right of property or person has been VIC
lated. They owed obedience to the gov.
ernment and law, and when they TOOK up
arms they committed treason against the
government; they therefore subjected
themselves to all the pains and penalties
of treason. 1t is difficult for Inc to un-
derStand that their position is precisely
similar to that Of man Of peace, who be-
lieves that a continuance of the war will
end in the rupture and dismemberment Of
the country. My answer, therefore, is,
that rebels in arms are not loyal, but,
can understand that q man Of peace may
be loyal, though opposed to the further
prosecution Of the war.
@. 1t then occurs whether such o man
is loyal to the government?
A. | think if a man obeys the laws, and
is obedient to the sanctions and mandates
of the Constitution, that he may be in ia,
vor Of peace, that he is not a disloyal
man.
Q. But supposing be is in favor Of peace
and separation?
4. say that man who is in favor Of
separation, and wants separation, and is
doing anything to effect separation, is a
diSloyal man. But | am speaking of
man who is passive, who isl good citizen,
obcying the law, and giving no aid and
comfort to the enemy.
q. But supposing that citizen adyo-
Gates that terms of peace should be made
with the rebels on the basis of separation;
does not every man who acts upon such
conviction take one from those who would
subdue the rebellion, and to just that ex
tent weaken the government?
4
do, to a certain extent, weaken the ad-
minstration in the prosecution Of the war.
have always been opposed to such men,
but at the same time l do not consider
that it is my province to charge men with
disloyalty, simply because Of certain be-
lief which may have entered their minds.
Judge Morris and l have differed polti.
caly, not only in reference to the rebel
lion and the measures for suppTessing it,
and the Crittenden Compromise, but al
most on everything else; certainly with
regard to everything like compromise
with those in arms against the govern.
ment.
Q. Did Judge Morris belong to what is
called the peace wing of the Democratic
party?
A. think he did, in this respect: that
he thought the war ought to end, and
that the difficulty ought to be comprom
iSed. | believe he had the opinion that
the difficulties between the North and
South could be settled by compromise;
and in that respect he was always peace
man, as understand.
Z. Did he carry that peace belief to the
extent of peace at all hazards-even to
the extent of conccding to them their in
dependence?
A. Not that know Of; my impression
is that he never did.
Q. Did you ever hear him speak upon
that point'3
A. His conversation with me was al
ways inconsistent with the dismember
ment of the country.
Q. Did he say that in any contingency
he was willing to fight this war to the
end, in case there could be no compromise?
A. He has always been in favor Of
peace.
Q. Did you ever hear him advocate the
war under any contingency?
A. | think when the war first broke |
out, Judge Morris was for putting down
the rebellion: that is my recollection.
Q. Do you think be changed in that
A. What he called the change Of policy
in the administration affected his feeling |
upon the subject Of the war very strongly.
Q. (by the Court. If any peace man,
as you have defined the term, aid in any
way, either by word or deed, the cause Of
those in arms against the government, is
he to be classed as occupying the same
ground as q rebel in armsP
A. In law he is not I-Should think
any man who by word or deed, aids the
cause of the rebels, would be termed