Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-04-03

House. Is this to be tolerated? Let us see
what action will be taken on the veto of the
Civil Rights Bill. Let us see if the Conserva-
tive voice of New Jersey is to be silenced in the
Senate for the occasion. IF so, it will be time
for some popular demonstration that will i'm
press the Radicals with a sense of the necessity
Of abandoning their revolutionary conspiracy
Testimony Of John F. Lewis, Hon. John M.
Bolts and Hon. John B. Baldwin before
the Reconstruction Committee.
We publish below portion of the testimony
OF the above named gentlemen before the Re
construction Committee. It will be observed
that there is direct issue between Mr. Bolts
and Mr.. Baldwin-Mr. Bolts alleging that Pres
ident Lincoln informed him (Mr Botts) that
he had proposed to Mr.. Baldwin that he would
order the evacuation of Fort Sumter if the Vir-
ginia Convention would adjourn SINE die without
passing an ordinance of secession, and Mr.. Bald
win alleging that he made no such proposition.
In the language of the Enquirer, ''the issue
here is very distinct but as Mr. Lincoln can
not be heard, it must be regarded as between
Mr.. Baldwin recollection of the interview, and
Mr.. Bolts recollection Of President Lncoln's
recollection of it. As Mr.. Bott' S statement has
thus two successive exercises of the memory,
between it and the facts which it undertakes to
narrate, while Mr. BaldWins has but one, the
law Of probabilities is in favor of the latter.
The inherent probabilities Of the case are all
on the side Of Mr.. Baldwin in this issue. It is
not at all probable, it is not even supposable,
that he would have suppressed such PROPOSE
ton had it been submitted to him. 1t would
have been gross representative infdelity to
those for whom he was acting, entirely opposed
to his habits as lawyer and public man, and
to his personal character 1t would have been
IN opposition to the political attitude he occu-
pied at the time, and which caused his selection
for the mission to Washington. AS if to make
an impossible story still more incredible, he is
represented as exhibiting gross personal incivil-
ity, to the incumbent Of the first office in the
world, and whom it was Of the utmost impor-
lance to influence and conciliate.
It requires, therefore, greater credulity than
falls to the lot Of rational men, to accept Mr.
Bott' S unnatural account as correct portrait
ure of the interview between Mr.. Lincoln and
Mr. Baldwin. The statement of Mr. Baldwin
reposes not only on his positive recollection, but
has the support of vraisemblance and common
sense
STATEMENT OF MR.. LEWIS.
The first statement on the subject came from
Mr.. John f. Lewis who had been member
of the Virginia Convention. He testified be-
fore the Reconstruction Committee that on the
evening Of the 10th of April, 1861, he visited
John Minor Bolts in Richmond, and learned
from him that Mr. Lincoln had informed him
that he had had an interview with John B.
Baldwin-Judge Summers, for whom special
messenger had been sent, not having been able
to 60 to Washington, and the Union members
having delegated Baldwin had made a
proposition that if the Virginia Convention
would adjourn sine de- without passing an ord
nance of secession, he Mr.. Lincoln) would take
the responsibility Of withdrawing the troops
from Fort Sumter Col. Baldwin declined to
accede to the proposition, and did not commu-
nicate it to the convention. Next morning, af-
ter hearing this statement, Mr.. Lewis prevailed
on Baldwin to accompany him to the house of
Mr.. Bolts, who repeated the statement made
to him by Mr.. Lincoln, and asked him chow in
the name of God he could take the responsible
lCy OF WlJnnOlUlIiS CuG kuOWlouSG Vi SUCH an
interview from the Convention?" to which
Baldwin, looking at his watch, replied, that it
was then near the hour for the meeting Of the
convention; that he had to be there, and that
he would see him Mr. Botts) again.
STATEMENT oE MIR. BALDWIN
The narrative of the same transaction given
cumstances of special messenger being sent to
Richmond by MIR. Seward, with a request that
Judge Summers, or some other leading Union
member, should come to Washington to have a
conference with Mr.. Lincoln of his Baldwin s.
being selected and accompanying the messenger
to Washington the same night of his being in
troduced the next morning by Mr.. Seward to
Mr. Lincoln, and of Mr. Lincoln's taking him
into private bedroom, that they might be the
more free from interruption he gave nara
tive of the conversation, which opened by Mr.
Lincoln remarking, ''Mr. Baldwin, am afraid
said Baldwin. Il am afraid you have come too
late, said Lincoln 4 wish you could have been
here or 4 DAYS ago" ''Why," replied Bald
win, "allow me to say, Mr.. President, that
do not understand your remark; you sent a
special messenger to Richmond, who arrived
there yesterday; returned with him by the
shortest and most expeditions mode of travel
known" why do you not adjourn the Vir-
GINA Convention" said MIR. Lincoln. "Ad-
journ it, how? Do you mean sine die ?" eyes,
sine die. 1t is a standing menace to me, which
embarrasses me very much / am very much
surprised, said Baldwin, ito hear you express
that opinion. The Virginia Convention is in
the hands of Union men, We have in it clear
and controlling majority we are controlling it
for conservative results; we can do it with per-
feet certainty, if you will uphold our hands by
conservative policy here. five were to adjourn
SINE de- leaving this question unsettled, it would
place the Union men Of Virginia in the attitude
of confessing an inability to meet the occasion.
The result would be that another convention
would be called, which would be under the ex-
elusive control of Secessionists, and an ordinance