The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-07-14
weeks before Virginia went out. He TO

lowed the fortunes of the Convention,
which he knows violated the solemn pur.
pose for which he had been elected; and
if, instead of going to Augusta and recon-
mending to his constituents to vote lot the
ordinance, and voting for it himself, he
had boldly thrown himself into the breach,
and advised his constituents to vote against
1t, and have set them the example by
doing so himself, he would have met with
assistance from other quarters; and | al
ways maintained and believed that he and
one or two others might have kept the
State from voting for secession. lie ,cas
not Il foiIo,rer of the fortunes Of Virginin !;
he became, as soon as the Convention
acted, one of the leaders, andprincipal lead
ers, in the Mrstortunes Of the State.
1t only remains for me now to append
the note prepared during the last month
and sent on to the publishers of my his
tory, in connection with the statement
therein made, as soon as heard Mr.. Bald
win was publishing, or about to publish, q
pamphlet in further denial Of my state
ment before the committee. In this note
will be found additional proof, conclusive
and irresistible, to sustain my assertion,
and which must place Mr.. Baldwin in a
position that no man can envy, and in
which none evil do him reverence
hereafter; but this has been his o,on fault.
In all that / have said / have given the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth, so help me God, non and hereafter ;
and so little desire had to do Mr.. Bald
win an injury that thought would crush
him into the earth, that until / heard OF
his denial, Which involved the veracity OF
Mr.. Lincoln, John Lewis, and myself, |
had forborne in my book to give his name
as the party implicated, as stated in my
testimony before the committee.
NOTE TO BOOK, WRITTEN IN MAY, 1866.
By the report of the testimony taken
before the Reconstruction Committee, it
appears that John F. Lewis, of Rocking
ham, i'm the course of his testimony given
on the 7th of February, referred to this
subject, and states the proposition gene
rally; but not anticipating denial on the
part of Mr.. Baldwin, was not as specific as
he would otherwise have been. His Ian
guagc is:
went tt to the house Of Mr. John Minor Bolts, in
Richmond, on tine 10Th day Of April, 1851, and he
informed me that he had been 10 Washington Z
Mr. Lincoln in which interview Mr.. Lincoln IN
Ricbnnd i,n i far nc GeHrse @ Sumer t" to
Washington, and in the event OF his not being aDie
to come, to send some reliable mon man " eo.l'
,ult with him on important matters. MI summers,
! from some cause or other did not go, but sent
| Colonel John b. Baldwin, of Augusta county, "a.
/ Mr. Lincoln informed Mr.. Bolts that he had mad
| this proposition To- Colonel Baldwin that II that
| Convention would adjourn without passing an or
dnancs OF sseessog he Mr tMs2 , S"ns w%na fra"
Fort sumter. Colonel Baldwin declined TO accede
| 10 il. and no such proposition was ever h'a1c "'
| communicated 10 the Convention.
Next morning | took Colonel Baldwin To the
| house of Mr.. Bots who told him he WAS inf" rIb"d
| that such an interview had taken place. Colonel
Baldwin did not deny it, In answer to Mr.. Bolts
question Of " How, in the name oi God, he could
| take the responsibility of withholding the Know,
| led.." Of such an interview lromithe Convention
| Colonel Baldwin remarked that II was then near
| tn. hour for the meeting of the Convention. ana
that he compelled to be there, but would see
| him again.
On the 10th of February Mr.. Baldwin was
examined and questioned by the commit
tee upon this point, when Mr.. Baldwin first
testified, in the most unqualified manner,
that Mr.. Lincoln had never made any suci
proposition to him, and upon the question
being put:
Ques,ion.-You received from Mr.. Lincoln NJ
! letter or memorandum IN writing!
Answer.-Eothing whatever.
Answer.-No, no pisdge, 40 understanding
40 oyty. 40 promise y any sort.
At a subsequent part Of the examination
Mr. Baldwin very materially qualities al
this, as will be seen by the following qucs
tions and answers, in continuation
| Qu.stion-Do YOU possess good memory
! Answ-r-My literal memory is not good
cannot say it Is particularly bad but In reference
! to results 'as bearing line of policy or argn
m"nt which pursued, | think my memory is unu
Question You are by profession counse!lol
, at law
Question Accustomed TO listen TO the details
| ol testimony
| Answar-I am sir my habit is to take no notes
OF testimony It all, and habtmaiiy con,tacf cases
touh forty o. fhy witnesses, taking no minute
memory il sufficiently accurate, and Is so recog.
nized by my associates at me Oar tnat "nsh s
bin Of exceptions IN regard 10 iact5 ",
me to tcrits The testimony Jr"m my memory, az
| preference to wrttng from such mites rs ~er'
Que Quesiion.-You recollect the substance and the
results! ,,.
Question.-Is 1t In any degree likely that IN
this narrative you are mistaken as to any matera
fact that transpred in the Conventionf
Answer.-I think not. may have omitted en-.
tire branches of what occurred. II may be thai
entire subjects, which have not mentioned at al
might be brought to my mind bnt as to the sup
4
III. recollection ,chich Ihare II them rs can hnr
in my recottection II anything transpri"y ma "a
ar arS Sg ggayiSa Sgt & s~'S srsr Sapye%sato me- Gd eh
Iref,un.d Irspsat>d it orsf and orsr again to "a
: gentlemen nho'hnt concurred in send,ny me, d't
Il Impressed ITSELF deepty on my mind.
Nothing could be more explicit, une
quivocal, and unqualified than this.I
Question. You think you cannot be mistakei
when YOU say that Mr. Lincoln did not assure you
ia any FORM, that IL was his purpose 10 withdraV
the garrisons from Sumter and Pickens at ina
time?
fort Pickens was not embraced in Mr.
Lincoln's statement to me, nor was 1t re
ferred to in the testimony of Mr.. Lewis.l
Answsr.-Of course / would not be willing I
say, If heard that Mr.. Lincoln had gwen dlne
rent representation Of IL, that II was Impossible
should have done So. have no reason TO benes
that Mr.. Lincoln was man capable Of intentions
fore icouid not OF course undertake 10 say that
was impossible he could have intended 10 cohve
that i'm preston. If were satisfied that Mr Lin
. coin had said he intended TO give me that imIres
sion, should be bound 10 concede II, ahhongh
the same time, should be bound TO say that "a
| idea never occurred 10 me, and that when ! M
heard that such idea had been suggested, wa
as much surprised as ever In my life.
This portion of the testimony, II seem
TO me, strangely contrasts with that whic
Just prccedes it but such is the TESTING
nv of Mr.. Baldwin on this point aud as
might, in the opinion Of some, throw shs
! dow Of doubt on the truth of the state
, ment made first by Mr.. Lincoln to me, q
: contained in the text of this volume, an
/, next as to the statement made by me
/. Mr.. Lewis, and subsequently to others,
I feel it to be imperatively incumbent np1,
! ME now and here to remove every shad
: of doubt by supplying such testimony
{ to the veracity Of Mr. Lincoln ana u,