The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-04-03
RECONSTRUCTION IN VIRGINIA.

Testimony of Gen. Lee and others.
A renort of evidence was made 10 the House
of REPRESENTATIVES the 9th, from the Com
mittee of Reconstruction, from which it appears
that among the more importent witnesses exam
ined in relation to Virginia were: Judge Under
wood. Lewis Mckenzie, General Turner COM
handing the post at Richmond, ajor- General
Terry. Colonel Orlando Brown, Charles H.
Lewis. late Secretary of the Commonwealth,
General Robert r. Lee, and Brigadier- G General
Corse. John Baldwin, William Joynes,
John NJ Bolts and others from that State, in-
GLIDING seven colored men, were also examined.
General Lee represents that nothing like Sc
timent of hostility to the United States Govern
ment exists in Virginia; that there COM
binatiops or corspiracies having that end in
view; that the people, though disappointed and
saddened by the result of the war, accept that
result submissively, and are only looking now
to their material interests, and that the surest
and spcediest means of reconciling the people
to the Government, and making them its cor
dial supporters, is to extend to them equal po-
ltical rights with the people of the other States.
As to the negroes, he expressed the belief,
which be says he has long entertained, that the
State would be much better without them, and
he repudiates the idea that cruelties were pur-
posely inflicted on Federal prisoners Of war.
The testimony of the members of the Virginia
egislature-gentemen who had come as
delegation to President Johnson-was equally
important aud interesting. They concur in
opinion as to the complete absence of any feel
ing looking to a renewal of the contest with the
Government. The question of secession, they
say, settled by the sword and the people
content to abide by the decision and live
heucetorth faithful citizens Of the Republic
They represent the feeling of the people at large
and Of themselves as unalterably opposed to the
idea of extending political rights to negroes,
while, as to civil rights, the Legislature was en-
gagged In maturing measures removing most, If
not all, of the obnoxious Determinations in the
laws between whites and blacks. On the ques
zion of the course which Virginia would take in
case of war between the United States and any
foreign power, which mi ht afford the South a
promise Of establishing their independence, their
testimony decidedly the side Of loyalty
On the other hand the United States officers
Generals Terry and Turner, and Colonel
Brown and most, if not all, of the unqualified
Union men, concur in representing the senti-
ment of the people of Eirg ina in relation to
the Government as unimproved, and as rather
having become embittered since Lees surrcn-
der. They say that at that time the people
were humble, sick of war, longing for peace on
any terms, and ready to accept gratefully the
pardon of the Government, and to submit to any
conditions that ight be imposed, while now
they arrogant, exact:ng and intoerant--
Most of the witnesses of that class express the
decided opinion that the withdrawal of the Fed
eral troops and of the Freedmen's Bureau would
be followed by an unrelcnting prescription Of
white Unionists, and the persecution and re-
mission to slavery of the colored people. The
! al, off bad NV
these witnesses to the Presidents liberal policy.
In regard to the Federal debt, the people of
Virginia are represented as in favor of its repu
diation, or at least of combining with it the
Confederate debt The witnesses who had been
this, and represent the people as ~wilng to pay
their share of the Federal debt by taxation
On this subject General Lees opinion is that
they are willing to pay both, and opposed to a
| reputation of either.
Outside Of these matters of general inquiry,
there is one historical episode connected with
the secession of Virginia and the outbreak Of
the rebellion on which the testimony of these
witnesses was taken.
There was conference sought for aad held
by Mr.. Lincoln with member of the Virginia
Secession Convention delegated by the Union
members Of that body-John 3 Ba!dwin-prior
to the opening Of the rebel batteries on Fort
Sumter. The first statement on the subject
came from John F Lewis, an uncompromisng
Union man all through the war, and who had
i been himself member of the Virginia Conven-
ton. lie testified 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 Badwin-Judge
Summers, for whom a special messenger had
been sent, not being able to go to Washington
and the Union members having delegated
Baldwin, and had made proposition that if the
Virginia Convention would adjourn sine die,
without passing an Ordinance of Secession, he
(Mr. Lincoln) would take the responsibility of
withdrawing the troops from Fort Sumter
Colonel Baldwin declined to accede to the pro-
position, and did not communicate it to the Con-
vention the next morning After hearing the
statement, Mr. Lewis prevailed on Col Baldwin
to accompany him to the house of MIR Bolts,
who reported the statement made to him by Mr.
Lincoln, and asked him how in the name of God
he could take the Responsibility of withholding
the knowledge of 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 be
would be there, and that he would see Bolts
again.
. PUBLIC LANDS IN THE SoUTu-The fol-
lowing s,atemen: shows the total amount Of va
cant public land in the South:
Alabama 6,732, 05S OS acres
Mississippi 476O736 O3 acres