Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-04-19
Testimony of NIr. Thomas NJ Cook, late Editor o.
--.l the Wilmius.ta,l - !.

: ~ - -
| @Iii 1.-THE Wilmington On. Co. Herald. ~ {
Mr. Thomas NJ. Cook, editor of the Wilmington
| IN. O. Herald, was examined at great length by
| the Reconstruction Committee to-day The CHIEF
interest attaching to the testimony of this witness
was his exposition of affairs in Richmond imme
d1ately upon the surrender of Lees army, includ-
ing the circumstances attending President Lincoln
visit to that city, embracing facts communicated o
| the New York Herald, at the time of which paper
NJ Cook was then special correspondent. Mr..
COOK testified to the propositions submitted by
PRESIDENT Lincoln to Judge Campbell looking to
an adjustment of the relations of the South to the
Union, in which Mr. Lincoln suggested three
points essential to peace First, the disbandment
OF the rebel armies second, the full submission of
the Southern people to the authority of the United
States, and, third, no abatement by the Executive
from his position on the emancipation of the slaves
This was submitted to Judge Campbell, in Rich
mond few days after the rebel evacuation of that
CITY, and subsequently reclaimed ndsuppressed
by the military on authority transmitted from
Washington. It was the more important for it's
added paragraphs in which the late President de-
clared that any propositions not inconsistent with
the foregoing would be received and considered
in spirit of kindness and iberahty; also that
those who should Immediately accept these terms
would place themselves in a condition to avoid the
operation of the confscatlOn law the execution Of
which was optional with the President. Mr.. Coos
under permission of General Weitzel for the as
sembling of the Virginia Legislature, showing
that the original authority for the meeting of that
body was given by President Lincoln i'll a note
addressed to General Weitzel from City Point, on
the day following the Presidents visit to Rich
mond, and was granted III response to request
to that effect enanating from Judge Campbell
On Mr. LncOln's return to Washington this per-
nit was revoked but the suppression of the cir
cumstances has tended hitherto to impress the
public mind with the opinion that General Welt
Eel responsible for the call of this Legislature
The testimony of Mr. Cook is conceded to have
established the fact that Mr.. Lincoln, to the ex-
tent that his policy of reconstruction had been de-
veloped at the time of his death, was even more
conservative and more literally disposed towards
the South than has been his successor.
1t should be stated that Mr.. Cook spent six weeks
in Richmond in the investigation of the matters
of which he testifes, Immediately upon their oc-
currence, having been assigned to that special du
ty by the Neto York Herald He is therefore
competent witness. He was also examined in re-
gard to the present state of feeling in North Caro-
lima. He considered the people of that State, with
perhaps occasional insignificant exception, per-
fecty loyal i'll their impulses There is no inten-
ton OF disposition among those who were seces-
sionlsts to renew the attempt to secede from the
Union Neither does he think that in the event
of foreign any portion Of the people Of that
State would join the common enemy He did not
remember of having heard, during a residence of
over year i'll the State, of any contemptuous
expressions towards The government OF any
branch of it. Occasionally individual members
of Congress would be severely denounced else
where but such denunciations Ivy no means APP
piled to the body as a whole. He did not be-
ieve the people of North Carolina were ready
or willing to treat the freedmen fully as an equal
they are willing to admit him to testify in cases
where he was party in interest, to and be
sued, hold convey and bequeath real estate, &C.;
but they would not permit him to sit in the jury
box, vote or hold office. The people were willing
that the negroes should be educated, but were OPP
posed to the efforts OF Northern missionaries to
that effect, because of the disposition of such mis-
sonaries to interfere with the peaceful relations
of servant and employer. In reply to a question
the witness stated that he did not believe the
Southern white people were yet prepared to IN
dertake the education of blacks, but he thought
they were coming to it. In reply to another ques-
ton he stated that he believed a Southern jury
would pass honestly and fairly upon the case of
any negro that should be brought before it. The
recent case of the judicial fogging of negroes in
the streets of Wilmington did not disprove this
There are no penitentaries in North Carolina
and felonies, whether committed by blacks or
whites, are punishable by whipping, branding and
hanging. In the case referred to, had the pris-
oners been whites the Count would have been
compelled, under the laws of the State, to SEN
tence them to be whipped.