The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-05-02
timo rne IF noG Hon, A. n. Stephens Before


He yls sworn and examined BY MT boutwell, as fol
lows
O. state your residences 4 cra 's Ga
-..r ain the sentiments Of the people Of Georgia re
llrdtng the Union2 A. was at home IN Georgia d
I no If the surrender of general Lee and remained
tr, until tile nth of May and during that time con
f-re5 with the people Of my immediate neighborhood
~ mo Governor of the State and with or two other
tart Or prominent in the State. From the ] It'll
OF Nav until my return TO Georgia, which was on the
9fth IL oct | had no means Of knowing anything d
tho public sentiment there except through the public
nress and such letters received from the time OF
nv return until left the State on my present visit
here had very extensive intercourse with people
visiting Augusta and visiting hidgeyllle during the
session of the legislature hrst on thelr assembling,
again in January upon their reasSembng, and again
in the latter part of February. While there ron
versed very freely and fully with all the prominent
lending men or most of them in the legislature, land
met great many Of the prominent influential men of
the State not connected with the legislature, and BY let
tiers and from correspondence with the in the State
whom | have not met. beieYe that embraces Itull
answer to the question as TO my means OF ascertatng
the sentiments Of the people of that State upon the
subject stated 10 the question.
q A inc result of your observation what is Hour
opinion Of the purpose Of the people with reference
the reconstruction Of the government, and what are
their desires and purposes A. My opinion, and deci-
ded opinion, is that an oVerWelmlng majority Of the
peoplc Of Georgia exceedingly anxious for the 'es
toration of the government and for the State to AXE
her former position in the Union, to have her 5r
and representatives admitted into congress- and eioy
all her rights and discharge all her obligations as
State under the constitution OF the United States a& 1t
stands amended.
O. What are their views concerning the iustict Of
the rebellion? Do they at present believe it
sonable proper undertaking, or otherwise A. .aE
opinion Of the sentiments OF the people Of Georgia
that the exercise of the right Of secession resorted
to bY them for desire to render their liberties more
secure and belief, their part, that this ALTO
utely necessary for that object They divided
upon the question Of the policy Of the measure. There
was however very little division among them upon tue
question Of the right Of it. 1t is their belief N
my opinion, and give it merely as an opinion, that
the surest if not the only hope of their liberties IS The
restoration of the constitution Of the lifted States and
Of the government Of the United States under the con
EtitutiOn.
O Has there been any change Of opinion to the right
Of secession a right in the people or in the States?
A. / think there has been a very decided change Of
opinion to the policy Of those who favored it.
think the people generally satisfied sufficiently wiki
the experiment to resort to that mode of redress
again By force Whatever may be their own abstract
ideas upon that subject they have given up all idea of
maintenance of these principles by resort to force.
They have come to the conclusion II IS better to appeal
20 the power of and justice to the halls of leg
satiUn and the courts for the prosecution of the prh
cples Of constitutional authority than to the Of
arms II my settled conviction there is not any idea
cherished at all in the public mind of Georgia Of ever
Tesorting again to secession that the whole policy pf
the maintenance Of their rights, in my opinion is It
this time totally abandoned.
O. But the opinion as to the right as | understand
remains substantially the same? A. | cannot answer
to that Some may have changed their opinion en-
TINS SUBJECT II WOuiQ De an unuSual tulnB, as wei
4 difficult matter for whole people to change Their
convictions upon abstract truths principles have
not heard this view Of the subject debated or discussed
recently, and | wish to be understood giving my
opinion only that branch of the subject which is f
political character and importance
O. To what do you attribute the change OF oplnIoa
the proprietY of attempting to maintain their
views by force? A. Well sir, my opinion about that,
my individual opinion derived from observation, is
that this change Of opinion arose mainly from the ope
ratOns of amongst themselves and the results Of
the conflict from their authorities their udi-
vidual rights of person and property and from the
general breaking down Of the constitutional barriers
which usually attend all protracted wars. /
Q. In 1861, when the ordinance Of secession was
adopted in Georgia. to what extent supported By
the people? A. After the proclamation Of president
Lincoln calling out $4,000 militia, under the cirCum-
stances it was issued and bockadng southern ports
and the suspension Of the writ of habeqs corpus, hd
southern rights cause" it termed received the
almost unanimous support Of the people of Georgia,
Before that they very much divided the ques
ton Of the policy of secession But afterwards they
the cause within the range Of my knowledge
with very few exceptions. There were some few eX-
ceptious not exceeding half dozen / think. The
impression then prevailing that public liberty was
and they supported the because Of
much as to the ultimate object TO be attained, and
to be used But these differences yielded to the
of apprehended common danger. Z
O. Was not the ordinance of secession adopted in
Georgia earlier in date than that of the proclamation
for rs 900 volunteers? A. Yes, sir stated the peo
pie much divided the question of the ordinance
Of secession but that alter the proclamation they be-
almost unanimous in support Of the There
we're some few exceptions in the State. | think not +
more than half dozen among my acquaintance. AS /,
said, while they were thus almost unanimous in sup
port Of the cause they differed also to the end to be
attained by sustaining 1t.
Some looked to adjustment or settlement Of the
controversy upon any basis that would secure their
constitutional rights and others looked to southern
separate nationality their only object and hope
These different views to the ultimate Objects did
not interfere with the general active support OF the
cause
@. Was there popular vote upon the ordinance Of
secession? A. Only as far as the election Of delegates
TO the convention.
O. There was no subsequent action? A. No. sir.
The ordinance of secession was submitted to the
popular vote afterwards.
O. Have you any opinion as to the vote it would have
'eceived compared with the whole if it had been
submitted to the free action of the people' Witness
No; do you mean after it was adopted by the
ion?
Mr. Boutwel-Yes; after its adoption bv the conven-
ion, if it had been submitted forthwith, within
time. A. Taking the new state of things
nto consideration, South Carolina, Florida and Misss-
ipp | think having seeded, my opinion is that a
majority Of the people would have ratified it, and per
laps, decided it by a large majority If, however,
outh Carolina and the other States had not adopted
heir ordinances of secession am very well satisfied
hat majority Of the people of Georgia and perhaps
very decided majority, would have been against seces-
ion, If the ordinance had been submitted to them
ut as matters stood at that time had the ordinance
zen submitted to popular vote it would have been
ustaIned; that's my Judgment and opinion about that
natter.
O. What was the date of the Georgia ordinance
us it the 18th 18th? a. think the 10th of Janu-
ry, 1861, though am not certain.
q. The question Of secession was involved in the
lection Of delegates to that convention, it not?
/. Yes, sir. .
O. And was there, on the part of the Confedrates
retty general avowal of opuions? A. Very general.
O. What was the result Of the election far the
invention expressed any opinion upon the question of
ecession2 a. | think the majority about thirty
the convention in favor of secession. do not reco
ect the exact vote
Q. In a convention of how many? A. In a conven-
on based upon the number of senators and members
the house in the general assembly of the State. The
xact number don't recollect but think it was near
lree hundred; perhaps few over or under.
g. Was there any difference in the different parts of
he State in the strength Of the Union sentiment that
me2 4. In some of the mountain counties the Union
antiment generally prevalent. The cities towns
nd villages generally for secession throughout
re State, think with some exceptions. The anti-se
ession sentiment general in rural districts
nd IN the mountain portions of the State Yet the ,
eope of some OF the upper counties very active
nd decided secessiOnsts. There was nothing like a
,ctonol division Of the State at ALL For instance the
elegaton from Floyd county in which the city of Rome
situated IN the upper portion of the State was an
Die one and strong for secession while the county Of
eerson in the interior of the cotton belt sent one Of
lie most prominet delegations for the Union | could
eSgnae other particular counties in that way through
ut the State, showing that there was not what might
termed sectional or geouraphical division nf tl,e