The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-12
From the jackson News and Mississippian.
Judge SaaarEkey's Evidence before
the Reconstruction Committee.

burg Herald, and purporting to be the
testimony Of Judge Sharkey before the
Reconstruction Committee, was very
and not at al full. We pub
lish this morning, from the New York
Herald, the testimony complete as re-
ported, and if true, it is inconsistent
with itself
The report as given presents the ap-
pearance of making the evidence con-
tradict itself, and is opposed to the
we'll known history of Gov. Humph-
reys; and the known opinions of Gov.
Sharkey concerning him. Gov. Hum
phreys was an Old Line Wing, and an
original Union man. His course since
the surrender has been eminently con
ciliatory and conservative. The latter
remark applies with equal force to the
Judges of the High Court, and to the
Attorney General. They all stand sol
emnly pledged to support, protect and
defend the Constitution Of the United
States, and the union Of the States
Hereunder. Those who know them
best feel most assured that they will
keep that pledge most faithfully to the
end; and that is the true point with
practical statesmen. A great political
question, involving the nature of the
Federal Union, had long agitated the
country, and at last its solution was
submitted to the arbitrament of the
sword. The decision has been made.
Let it be final. It were well for the
peace of the country if the people OF
the North had the sense to comprehend
the truth, that the people Of the South,
having submitted their cause to such
an arbitrament, have the manhood and
the honor promptly to accept the re-
suit, and abide by it. With portion
Of the people North, it seems exceed
ingly difficult to realize the truth OF
the case. They seem utterl y amazed
that the Southern people are not con-
stantly breaking out in open insurrec-
ton; and some of them seem verify to
believe that somewhere here down
South, are hidden away scores Of fright
ful 'AIerrimacs, "Alabamas," and 9th
er cruel deviltries of war, ready to be
produced at the first convenient oppor-
tunity. Certain interested parties have
sent hundreds Of spies, on one pre-
tense and another, throughout the
South, to find mares nests, and these
e;acious gentlemen report rifle and
a Confed. behind every stump. Say
they: "It is not safe for a Northern
man to travel in the South" but these
fellows al manage to go everywhere
and get home safe Theyinvariably
turn up aliUe and s,Cearing-betore the
Committee of Fifteen Then, again,
there is a class of correspondents like
Greeley's Grub street writer, who
wrote divers letters ''from North Caro-
/ lima, and aftcrward had the hardihooc
to confess that he made them up ''fron
Bureau Repor.s. 7
Let us yentilate class of these wit
nesses a little and see how the lanc
lies. They testify that ''the 'Rebs arr
lazy and won't work." that the freed
men are industrious and eager to work
, and that these ''lazy Rebs. are exceed
ingly eager to ''get somebody to worl
for them All agree that the 'Rebs.
must have laborers to cultivate thei
plantations, OF they can never hope t
l restore their broken fortunes. Al
agree that the freedmen are their mail
e chance for laborers. All this the Nor
d thern people "kno,c." If this be SC
one would suppose it perfectly clea
e that ''the Rebs." would so treat th
s freedmen, with kindness and good faitI
! as to secure their labor; and that
Just the truth of the case. But wha
# do these witnesses" prove? Why
r they ''swear" that these Southern plan
Il ters, whose only hope is in the willin
e. and contented labor of the Freedmen
) stand ready, 'just as soon as the troop
is are removed, to massacre the freed
e, men.
4 It is wonderful, the havoc of wa
" notwithstanding, that SO many foo
id still live. The North is systematican
gulled by set of unprincipled wi
s. nesses who find false swearing prof
% able business. We doubt not that th
n miserable creatures who are daily fol
Of swearing themselves and representa-
the South as disloyal, and not in col
" dition to be trusted, are paid well t
A. the Radicals for their testimony. Thes
r pimps of the Freedmen's Bureau ha1
of done us much harm-but we cann'
believe, without further evidence, thi
Judoe Sharkey gave the testimony