Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-29
TELEGRAPHIC
acknowledgements Report
Reconstruction.
The Report of the subcommittee ON
Virginia and the CarOIiDas.

The Report of b subcommittee OF
Virginia and the CarOIinas.
WAsHIEGToN, March q.
. The Report of the Subcommittee OF
| the condition of affairs in Virginia ant
the Carolinas, was submitted to Congress
to-day.
The testimony of members of the Vir.
GINA Legislature, gentlemen who had
come as a delegation to President John.
son, was important and interesting.
They concur in the opinion as to the
complete absence of any feeling looking
to a renewal Of the contest with the gov
eminent. The question of coercion they
say was settled by the sword, and the peo-
pie are content to abide by the decision
and to live henceforth faithful citizens of
the Republic. They represent the feeling
of the people and themselves as unaltera-
bly, opposed to the idea of extending po-
litical rights the Legislature was engaged
in removing the most of, if not all, the
obnoxious discrimination laws between
the whites and the blacks.
On the test question of the course which
Virginia would take in case of a war be-
tween the United States and n foreign
power which might afford the South a
/ HAOAAAsC VI CSbGblAoIADB IlClA llOGpCu-
dence, their testimony was decidedly on
the side Of loyalty. On the other hand,
the United States officers, Generals Terry
and Turner, and Colonel Brown1and most
if not all of the unqualified Union men,
concurred in representing the sentiment
of the people of Virginia in relation to the
Government as unimproved, and as rather
having become embittered since Lees
surrender. They say at that time the
people were humble, sick of war, longing
for peace on any terms, and ready to ac-
cept gratefully the pardon of the Govern
ment, and to submit to any conditions that
might be made; while now they are AFRO
CANT, ~exacting and intolerant. Most
of the witnesses of that class ex-
press the decided opinion that the
withdrawal of Federal troops and of the
Freedmen's Bureau, would be followed by
an unrelenting persecution of white un-
%ionists, and the persecution and remission
to slavery of the colored people. The
change of feeling is very generally cred
tied by witnesses to the Presidents liberal
policy.
In regard to the Federal debt the people
of Virginia are represented as in favor of
its reputation, or at least combining
with it the Confederate debt. The wit
nesses, who have been connected with the
~Confederacy, however, deny this, and rep
resent the people as unwilling 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
are opposed to the Reputation of either"
BALDWIN AND PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
Outside of these matters of general in
quirythereis one historicalepisod connect
ed with the secession of Virginia, and the
outbreak of the Rebellion on, which the
testimony of three witnesses was taken.
This was a conference sought for and held
by Mr.. Lincoln with a member of the
Virginia Secession Convention, delegated
by the Union members OF that body, Mr..
Baldwin, iprior to the opening of the
rebel batteries on Fort Sumter. The first
statement of the subject came from Mr..
John Il. Louis, an unecmpromising Union
man all through the war, and who had
been himself q member of the Virginia
Convention. He testified that on the
evening of the 10Th OF April, 1861, he Wis
tied John Minor Bolts in Richmond, and
learned from him that Mr.. Lincoln had
informed him that he had had an inter
view with John. d. Baldwin.
The narration of the transaction given
by Mr.. Baldwin is this. After relating
the circumstance of a special messenger
being sent to Richmond, by Mr.. Seward,
with request that Judge Summers, or
some other leading member, should come
to Washington to have a conference with
Mr.. Lincoln; of his, Mr.. Baldwin, being
spDt of his acoompopoin0 tho Doamha- 70
Washington the same night, of his being
introduced, next morning, by Mr.. Seward,
to Mr.. Lincoln ;of Mr.. Lincoln taking
him into a private bedroom, that they
might be the more tree from intrusion he
gave the narration of the conversation
which was opened by Mr.. Lineoln's re-
marking, "Mr. Baldwin, 1 am afraid you
have come too late"
TOO late for what?"
II am afraid you have come too late"
said he; al wish you could have been
here three or four days ago"
"Why 2" replied Mr.. Baldwin. CAL
low me to say, Mr.. President, that 1 do
not u~ndaNeand your remarks. You sent
a special messenger to Richmond, who ar
rived there yesterday I returned with
him by the shortest and most expeditions
mode of travel known"
"Why do you not adjourn the Virginia
Convention ?" SAID Mr.. L.
die ?"
"Yes, sine die. 1t is a standing menace
to me, which embarrasses me much"
II am very much surprised to hear you
express that opinion. The Virginia Con-
vention is in the hands of Union men.
We have in it q clear and controlling ma
jority. We are controlling it for con
sentative results. We can do it with per-
feet certainty if you will uphold our hands
by a conservative policy here. If we
were to adjourn sine die, leaving these
questions unsettled it would place the
Union men of Virginia in the attitude of
confessing an inability to meet the occa-
sion. The result would be that another
Convention would be called, which would
be under the exclusive control of
s-ecessionists, and an ordinance of
secession would be passed in less than six
weeks. Our true policy is TO hold the po-
sition we have, and for youto uphold your
hands by a conservative national source.
The Union men would not be willing to
adjourn the convention until they arrive
AZ some settlement, or ascertain that IL
can't be done. Mr.. Baldwin then went
OF to sketch a plan of policy which he
thought the President should pursue, en-
bracing a concilistory and assuring proc
lamation, a call for a national convention,
and the withdrawal of the forces from
Fort Sumter and Pickens. This WAS about
the substance of the interview, Mr.. Lin
coin giving Mr.. Baldwin no pledge and
no promise, and making no offer of any
sortE Mr.. Baldwin visited Mr.. Seward
the same afternoon, and found him ex-
tremely earnest in the desire to settle the
matter, and apparently shrinking from
the idea of a clash of arms. Mr.. Baldwin
went in to Richmond, and reported to the
gentleman who sent him.
GENERAL LEES EVIDENCE.
General Lee was sworn and examined