Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-05-03

IL I oLEyELASD LEApER ooalRAEf.
| Q-what has been the effect Of the. IN
snnted exercise Of the pardoninR power
upon such persona has it made them mora
n5slendiy or otherwise towards the Federal
| A-Iha noticed no particular chanrs
in sentiment on account of the clsneucv
Of the executive. -
/ Q-What would be-the effect, in your
opinion, upon the State organization, il the
people were LEFT without control and to act
| for themselves. .
| AL believe they would quarrel among
themselves, and that The sensible and aubss
stantial people would regret the absence Of
military force. "a al IL TTTl177 f--
| Q-Are The officers Of the STATE nov IN
the hands Of loyal or disloyal smen- -s5lss- -
| A-A very lerg5 mum Der Of the ofices
are in the hands Of returned Confederate
| soldiers. am unable to say what their ac-s
tual sentiments are in referenes to the gem
efal government, but think their outsDoksn
sentiments to some extent depend on what
is their best policy in order to hold
the Offices. ! have seen those high in au-
thority in a transition state, for some reason.
Q.-What are regarded as chief COM
mendations for Office, and What.ssrt of per-
sons would be elected without any outside .
infnenee7
A-The inclination 10 glOrify the rebel
lion gives those who were active parfief---
pants in Il the preference for eIeeiion by
the people, OF Appointment by thoseI ia 4
power. - .-,-- -
Q-what would be the condition ofths
loyal men if they were left without any
protection by the Federal Government -
Any impression is that for the present
they would feel unsafe, and many Of them
Ieave the country fr Efr~ ORR -eHI
Q-Stats your opinion as to the necessity
for continuance Of military force in your
Department. 49,
Al consider it necessary to maintaip a
military force in my department. for the
following reasons: To give security 70
Northen capital and Union people, and 70
give an actual and moral support 70 the
freedman until he has time to work out his
social standing; I also believe it necessary
to prevent quarrelling among the Southern
people themselves s SEP
Q-What would be the condition and fate
of the freedmen if left without protection
under the exclusive control OF the whito
people. rC -d
Al fear there would be great deal of
trouble. A large number Of people would
act in good faith towards them, but there
would be many who would not, and war
of races to some extent would probably be
the consequences
Q-State fully your opinion as to the ca {
pacities of the colored people what do they :
know, and to what extent do they exercise
the rights of freemen are they willingor
unwilling to work without physical com
pulsion, for wages, kind treatment and care.
State what, in your opinion, is the best
course for Congress to pursue.
A-The colOred race, ike all other races,
have different degrees of intelligence and
capacity. In New Orleans, where colored
peopIe are better treated than in any other
city in-the United States, there il an excel
lent colored society, and a very high degree
of refinement exists in it Starting from
this you can go inte the State OF Iouisiana,
and find colored men about as ignorant
as it is possible for any human beings to
be. The freedmen, so far as Lhave been
informed, have a great desire to learn.
I cannot say whether they learn rapidly
or not. believe they are willing to work 81
because their necessities compel them TO do
so. In this they are like all other races.
l have never known white or black man
who was performing manual labar for the
love Of it. believe the best thing Con-
cress or the States can do is to Iegislate as
little as possible in reference to the eolored
man, beyond giving him security in his
person and property. His social status viii
be worked out by the logic Of necessity.
As for his labor, 1t is the only labor that
can be obtained in the South for some time
to come
Q-Please make such suggestions as oe-1s
cur to your mind as 70 the most judiciou8
and efficient remedies for the evils that exist
in your department growing ont Of the late
rebellion.
A-The feeling and sentiment Of those
within the limits of my command is as good,
perhaps, as could be expected; still, not
satisfactory. The people Of Louisiana are
Door, and to the best of my knowledge, p
heavy mortgages are on perhaps majority
ofthe plantations in the State for debts con-
tracted before the war. In many inssancesthe C.
plantations wiIlfall into the hands ofNorth-
ern people, who, from present appearances,
will at no distant period control Louisiana
even insentiment. Having this prospect BE- 6
then il is not surprising that spirit Of
bitterness and dissent should exist be-
lieye that majority Of the people are not
opposed to the general Government, and N
fact earnestly desire to be restored to per
feet union with the other States; still, suf-
ficient time has not yet elapsed TO eHace -
the recollection of their having been re-
duced from affiuence TO limited means
the chagrin of being conquered, and 70 sub
merge the idea Of justfying rebellion aud
its representatives. This latter idea and its
CONSEQUENCE prevails to so great an extent
that I consider the retention Of the military
in Louisiana for some time as necessary Tor
the security of emigrants, freedmen and
capital, Florida is not poor from old debts
and the havoc Of war like Louisisna, and
the tone and sentiment of the people is ve-
~ fair and q great desire is manifested to
be restored % a perfect Union. Texas
has increased in wealth BY the re-
beIlion, Among the best people there is
q very good feeling towards the govern
ment1 There Is a class of lawless. people
there, however, which this sentiment does
not control, and which cannot be controlled
but BY the military. The sentiment in this
State will not change from the influence Of )
Northern emigration and Northern capita,
as in the State of Louisiana It is essential
that the military, in considerable force, be
maintained in the Department of Texas.
have the honor to be, respectfully, your
obedient servant, P II. SHERIDAS, h :
Major General Commanding.