Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-28

the duties they are required to perform think that
is the general feeling. O. Do you think it would be
practicable to convict man in Virginia of trea son
Tor having ia ken part in this rebellion against the
government by Virginia jury without packing it
Mltn direct reference to verdict of guilty A. On
Ih l point have no knowledge, and do not know
%nat they would consider treason against the Gov
elRnfnent-lf you mean past acts.
~ ~. Lio"arrrt-1 eS, sir.
Gen. Leg-I have no knowledge as to What their
views on mat subject in the past are. Q. You under
in on rg G, guedon Suppose jury was empanpoed
III sSur own helghborhoOi, taken by lot. would it be
practicable to convict, for instance jefferson Davis
Tor having levied war on the United States and thus
1t would be very probable that they Womb NOT con
slder he had committed treason. do MOI know
Court 70 convict the offender O. They do moi ZEN
orally suppose that it was treason against the Gov
consider it. So far as know tbev noIt i%, vuoS 10
action OF State in withdrawing from the GovorT
Mt as carr ing the individuals in it along with +
that the state was responsible for the act and not
the lndlvldual am now referring to the past
q State if you please land if you are disincIined
You need not answer the question: what your own
personal views on that question were? A. That was
my yew-that the act of Virginia in withdrawing
nerSelf from the Union, carried me along as citizen
binding on me- O. And that you feel to he your JUS
nhcaion in taking the course you did? a. Yes, sir.
" nave becn told General that you have remark ed
to some OF your friends in conversation, that you
were rather wheedled cheated into that course by
politicians a. do not recOllect ever making that
remark, LIDO not think | ever made it.
Y, Ii there be any other matter about which you
WlSh 70 speak, 40 50 freely: A. Only in reference
mat last question you put to Lee; may have said
ana may have believed that the position 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 peOele, If they understood tho
real question. woUtd Fave avoided it; but not that
had been individually wheedled by the politicians
But did believe at the time that Ii was an nneces
Sary condition OF affairs, and might have been avoid
Cd II torbearnnce and wisdom had been practiced on
both sides Gen. Lee then closed his evidence in
stating lin reply to queStiOnS) that the people of the
South would not like the proposed Constitutional
amSndInent; that he was not aware of any crueties
to Federal prisoners At Belle Isle though aware that
they suffered many privations lie had no control or
command whatever over the prisoners depots and
ana not know who commanded at Andersonvillc IN
III ne saw It in the papers.
General Terry and other officers testify that.5it
would DO unsafe to freedmen and Unionists to re-
move the troops from Virginia The change of feel
ing Is described by these witnesses IS due to Pres
dent JQhnSons liberal policy. John Minor Bolts
and Colonel evils testify to a remarkable statement
that Mr.. Lincoln made to Bolts and Baldwin, in
April 1851, that he would evacuate Fort Sumter if
the NlrGinia Convention would adjourn sine die
Mir. Bolts was asked tho following question: Are
you perfectly sure, according your best rccollec-
ton, that Mr.. Lincoln told you that he had made
that proposition to Mr.. BALDWIN, to evacuate Fort
Sumter on this conditions A. know it rs vol as
L know you are standing before me, and that am
answering your question. Mr.. Bolts goes on to say
that if Mr.. Baldwin had fulfilled his duty the Viz
ginia Convention would have adjourned and that
pf Ir1,F how