Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-07

d expenses of all earnings, Is and 79 pei
Al cent Total number Of persons killed 227
i injured 272.
CONCERNING TELEGRAPH.
h Committees of the Directors Of the Wes-
n tern Union and United States Telegraph
Companies, are now in session at Rochester
# to confer upon the terms of consolidation
# and to ratify the proposition before them.
I, BANQUET.
:, New YORK, March 6-At q recent Cana
n dian confederation banquet at Cornwall.
l. Kon. J. A. Mcdonald, Of the ministry said
e . believe that ere many weeks, and per-
maps ere many days, you will see that the
j. lower Provinces which at first repudiated
e the conduct Of their delegates to the Quebec
e Conference, will open with calm and cool
reflection upon the whole subject, and above
t all, with decision loyalty to respond 70 the
Q strongly expressed wishes Of Her Maiestv's
government in England, give up their To-
] cal prejudices and feelings, and eventually
/ | ere long join with Canada IL forming one
:, great confederation.
Mr.. Gait said, referring to the late visit
+ to Washington on the reciprocity measure ::
All we asked from the men at Washington
; Sir, all 1 hope VIC shall ever ask from
, them Is fair play. We asked them for
no advantage in their market which we
wore aot prepared to give them-we asked
them to take no precautiOn on their side
which we were not willing to take on ours
we asked them to take no further steps
against the Fenians now than we took
against the raiders year ago, and 7 am
bound to say that in intercourse we had
with those gentlemen at Washington, great
large and populous as their country is, and
elated as l may say they are with the ter
mination Of their civil war, they met US
with all the consideration that could have
been shown to the emissaries of country
equal to theirs in population and standing
| We failed to agree with them-we held a
certain position for our people, and they
held another which we though q mistaken
one for theirs. But we parted with mutual
| respect, and I hope with kindly feelings |
and in this we did our duty to the people Of |
this country toward whom an irritation has |
existed that bases more on Imagination than |
reality.
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE RECoSsTRuur1oS |
COMMITTEE.
| washington, March "a large mass of /
| testimony was reported to-day from the
| Committee on Reconstruction. General B.
| II. Grierson testified in reference to Ala
Dama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Persons
with whom he had conversed did not ap-
pear to think they had done anything
| wrong. Their emily regret seemed to be
that they had not the means to carry out
their designs.
QuestiOn-Is the feeling of hostility to
| the Government one which controls a great
majority or only q minority of the people
in the regions of which you haye spoken
Answer-It is the feeling of the majority.
At the time Of the appointment of civil
officers a great many OF those who had
served in the army during the rebellion
were repentant- There was hardly loyal
man appointed TO a civil Office under the
State governments.
Question-So far as you know, how do
Alabama and Mississippi compare with
Georgia and Tennessee
Answer think there is not much differ
ence. If any it is in favor of Tennessee
l think Tennessee is rather a more loyal
State. l hoped that after the rebellion they
would have been loyal; at least that they
would have accepted the situation sincere
ly, but am satistied they do not. l believe
there is now an organization existing
throughout the South for a renewal of the
rebellion. There are many circumstances
or things which have occurred since the
surrender to make me believe it.
QuestiOn-Is there any excitement with
regard to a foreign war?
Answer--There seems to be manifested a
with France in relation TO Mexico. l think,
in such an event, they would sieze the op-
pOrtunity to turn against the Government.
This is the leading sentiment in the South.
From all I can learn the spirit of resistance
still exists and is as strong as ever, and IN
the event of this country being engaged in
a foreign war the enemies of the Govern
ment throughout the South mediate, and
would not fail to sieze the opportunity to
attempt again its destruction. This is cor
roborative of General Thomas testimony,
already published.
Gen Charles Il. Howard testified that in
his official capacity hevisited all the cities
and principal towns and every county in
South Carolins. On being asked by the
Committee what was the feeling toward
the Government, whether it was friendly or
unlriendly, he replied that he thought the
feeling of majority of the people of South
Carolina is not kind and can hardly be .
called friendly. He did, however, meet
with old gentlemen who seemed to show
the proper spirit and who wished to be
faithful to their duties as citizens hereafter.
He met with q great many persons who
exhibited ll-feeling and disposition to get
around in any way they could the require
ments of the Government, especially with
reference to the negro. The feeling exhib-
tied toward Union men, those who have
been loyal from the beginning, was unmis-
takably bitter. If the military forces were
withdrawn from South Carolina it would be
a source Of great injury to the freedmen
throughout the State. No northern resi-
dent could remain there unless he cOurted
favor Of the influential. The feeling is
more intense among the female portion of
the community, without exception, against
northern men. The condition Of Georgia
and Florida was much the same as that Of
South Carolina, and there was hostility
egaiast the Union men and late immigrants
from the North. There are some Union
men in Georgia and Florida who have been
a ways 50, but the prevailing sentiment
which is bound to control IS similar TO that
in South Carolina.
Charles II. Lewis, Secretary Of the Com
nonwealth under Governor Pierpont, said
his decided impression in regard to affairs
in that State is that the masses Of the peo-
pie and by that term he did not mean only
the laboring classes, but all those persons
who are not politicians were favorably dis
posed toward the Government at the time
Of Lee : lrrender. He believed very de-
eided tol had been made by politicians
to chang, lat feeling since that time, and
he was afraid they had a great deal of sue
cess He believed a majority of the people
of Virginia would still be loyal if 1t were
not for publishers of papers and politicians,
who to certain extent control public
opinion. He believed many of the old poll
ticians are engaged in promoting dissatIs-
faction with the Government.
He had no reason to believe there is any
such organization in that State, but from
conversation of some of the most outspoken
secessionists of the State, he was inclined
to think thata great many there who would
be very glad to see the country involved in
foreign war, in hopes they could again get
up a secession party in the South. But he
had no idea that that a majority or any
thing like a majority Of the people Of Viz
ginia entertain any such wish or desire at
this time. It is believed the feeling was
confined to most of the ultra-secessiOnists
He believed the object of the politicians
and of the press was to bring about such
state of things which would produce that
revolt, but he was in hopes that the mass OF
the people of Virginia have too much good
sense to 20 out again if they can help It.
| These politicians now profess Loyalty 70
/ the Union, but he was free to say he mis-
| trusted their professions very much
| Miss Clara Barton, Of Massachusetts,, who
| has been searching for missing men OF the /
| Union armies, testified before the Com
mittee that she thought the people Of the |
| South have no respect for the Government !
| They have less friendship for negroes than |
/ when they owned them. They say the !
people would again reduce them 70 slavery, |
| and she would not want to take the chance |
of being a Save were it in their power |
| The freedmen have the best OF feeling |
towards the Northern people.
| Lieutenant Colonel Dexter H. Clapp. on |