The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-04-04

to the result of the war. knowrof D
condition of discomfort against the Gov
ernment among the secessionists. | be
lieve that the people will perform te
wards the Government all OF the dutie
/ they are required to perform. / thin
| that is the general feeling.
@. Do yon think it would be practi
cable to convict man in Virginia O
treason for having taken part in this re
bellion against the Government by
Virginia jury, without packing it witt
direct reference to verdict of guilty
A. On that point have no knowledge
and / do not know what they woult
consider treason against the Govern
ment-if you mean past acts.
Mr.. Howard--Yes, sir.
General Lee--I have no knowledge al
to what their views on that subject il
the past are.
@. You understand my question:
Suppose jury was empanelled in you
own neighborhood, taken by lot, woul6
it be practicable to convict, for instance
Jefferson Davis, for having levied wal
on the United States, and thus having
committed the crime of treason? A.
think it would be very probable they
would not consider he had committed
treason. do not know whether a jury
would heed the instructions ofthe cour,
to convict the offender.
@. They do not generally suppose
that it was treason against the Govern
ment, do they? A. lido not think that
they do so consider it. So far as know,
they look upon the action of a State in
Withdrawing from the Government as
carrying the individuals in it along with
it, that the State was responsible fol
the act, and not the individual. am
now referring to the past.
Q. State, if you please land if you are
disinclined you need not answer the
question: what your own personal
views on that question were? A. That
was my view--that the act of Virginia
in withdrawing herself from the Union
carried me along as a citizen Of Virginia,
and that her laws and her acts were
binding on me.
@. And that you feel to be your JUS
LITIGATION in taking the course you did
A. Yes, sir.
@. l have been told, General, that
you have remarked to some of your
friends in conversation, that you We're
rather wheedled or cheated into that
course by politicians? A. I do not re-
collect ever making that remark; do
not think l ever made it.
@. If there be any other matter about
which you wish to speak, do so freely.
A. Only in reference to that last ques-
ton you put to me; may have said,
and may have believed, that the posi-
ton of the>two sections which they held
to each other was brought about by the
politicians of the country; that the
great masses of the people, if they I'M
derstood the real question, would have
avoided it; but not that had been in
dividually wheedled by the politicians.
But | did believe at the time that it was
an unnecessary condition of affairs, and
might have been avoided if forbearance
and wisdom had been practiced on both
sides. General Lee then closed his evi-
dence in stating Tin reply to questions,)
that the people of the South would not
like the proposed constitutional amend
ment; that he was not aware of any
cruelties to Federal prisoners at Belle
Isle, though aware that they suffered
many privations. He had no control or
command whatever over the prisoners
depots, and did not know who COM
at Andersonville until he saw
it in the papers.
General Terry and other officers tes-
tify that it would be unsafe to freedmen
and Unionists to remove the troops
from Virginia. The change of feeling
is described by these witnesses as due
to President Johnson's liberal policy.
John Minor Bolts and Colonel Lewis
testify to remarkable statement that
DIR. Lincoln made to Bolts and Bald
win in April, 1861, that he would evac-
uate Fort Sumter if the Virginia Con-
vention would adjourn sine die. Mr..
Bolts was asked the following question:
Are you perfectly sure, according to
your best recollection, that Mr.. Lincoln
told you that he had made that propo-
sition to Mr.. Baldwin, to evacuate Fort
Sumter on this condition? A. know
it as well as l know you are standing
before me, and that l am answering
your question. Mr.. Bolts goes on to
say that if Mr.. Baldwin had fulfilled his
luty the Virginia Convention would
nave adjourned, and that the ordinance
ofsecession would not have been passed.