, 1866-04-18
RECONSTRUCTION EVIDENCE.


Question. stats your residence. Answer. crsw-
q. Whst means bave you bsd ttnee Lee,a surrcn-
Georcia with regard 10 the Unionf A. wss ii
home In GeorEia ut the time Of the surrender OF
Gen. Lee. and remained there till tie 11Ih OF May.
nj immediate ne19hborbood. with The Governor OF
the State. and with one or two other 1ead1ng or
prominent men n the stste: From. the li,h Of
ssh ol October. bad no mems OF knoItng any
thing Of The public sentiment there except thrnnch
the public press, and such letters = received.
From the lime OF m, 1etuIu, unhl lei thc Stale,
On my present v1sit hest. h2d very extensive inter
ins hiridse4iIs during re session q tha Leqiaia-
part Of February. While there, eouvessed very
heely and fu,!y with az The prominent leading
great pspy Of the prominent influential men OF
the Stntc not connected with tho Legislature, and
by letter., and from correspondence With fne men
in the State whom hare not met. believe that
embraces full Answer to The question AZ t0my
means OF aacertafnins The sentiments OF the people
q that State upon the subject stated In the qnes-
g. A. The retult Of your observation, what Is your
to The recGussuclion Of the Government. and what
tenance Of the Govelnmentf 4. NY opinion. and
decided opinion, Il That IN overriding majority Of
The people OF Georgia are exceeding anxious for
State 10 thke her former position m lhe Union; 10
have her Senator's and Representatives. admitted INTO
Congress, and to enjoy al her rights and to dis
etitulon OF The United Stale. as 1t stands amended.
G. What are their present views concerning the
justlce oTthe rebellion! DO they al present believe
o,herwitet 4 NJ OPINION ol The sentiment Of
the people Of Georgia upon that subject Il that the
exercise 81 The right ef secretion VAS se.o1ed 10
BY them from 4 de-tre to render iheir liberties
more secure and belief On their part that this
absolutely necessary for that object. They were
aisoed upGn .he question of he policy q tas
o! Il I Is now their belief z ~ opinion, and
5ss @ q s SPSe Se5t ~. i ns a not
ofthe Constitution ct tho Emitted Sta1es and Of Tho
Government ofthe United states under The Constl-
theright Of secession as RIGHT in the people or ii
the States. A. think there bas been q very de-
4bo sVord nR hs people psas senersy 1s;s sss
satisfied sufficiently with The experiment. never 10
seort 10 that measure 0! redress again. By forrc.
tupject, They hsye oi7tn up al idea Of maintea-
%ase come 10 the euclnsaon TINT II il be11er 10 hp
&c., te tas hs1 of efssion Esaa 'aa md e. e.
courts iof tne preservation OF the principles Of con-
x essa aef 91 a., 1
ever rc.oing asan to secession or To the exercise
Of The right II secession. That whole policy 81 the
this time totally abandoned.
q. Bul The opinion as 70 the night. as | uuder-
stsnd, remains s1b,tantally the t4mes A. cannot
answer as TO that. Some may have changed their
thrpg, a. veil is i difficult matter, for Nhoie
people to change tteEr convictions upon abstract
truths or principles. have not heard this ylew Of
the subject deha,ed uE discussed recently, aad
wish 10 Be understood a. giving ny. opinion only
on lha, branch 0. the subject which Of practical
: q. To What do you atttibutc The change Of optn-
ion a. 10 the prepslety Of attempting to mafntain
lhetr view. hy foroe. A.. Well. s1T, my opinion
Observation, 1hai ths chsnse oi opiaion aso:e
mainly rom the operation OF the war amopgst
themselses, and iha results Of the conflict from
their oMn u'houtics On their individual rights OF
person and property. and from the genera! breaking
down o, The constitutional barriers which usually
attends all prosracted wars:
adopted IN ,our state, 10 vhat extent Va. il sup-
ported BY The pcop1ei 4. Alter the pruc1amation
Of President loeotu calling out T5.D0J militia, up-
dtr !be etreamssaness II ~. Issued. and p1oskad-
Wl1t Of ha6tdf cofpus. 1ho Southern cause, ~ 1t
was termed, received the almost unanimous snp-
port OF The people OF Georgia. Before ttat they
wtre yerT much uisided on the question OF the pol
acy OF secretion. but atteEwnrds they supported
,he canse. Nlthin the fange OF my knowledge,
With very lew exceptions mot e1e:eding hatf a
dozen. lthIDkthe impression there prevailing was
that public liberty Was endangered, and they sup
ported the cause because Of tae zeal for coustitu
iioual Rights. They ttlll differed very much as to
to be nacd. bnt theso d,Grsenccs Welded to Tie
egnr1senrv ar sha s1,ortbsnded common danePr.
Q. Was the ordnance OF secession adopted In
he Ts an rnir,ntrer.i
A. Yes slr. ] stated that the people were very
seces,inn' INT sf,cr re nnrscInmation the nrnpIe
Mcsme almost npanin1oas In he support Of The
,Sa we f o9 rev S,f 2aosn N inc
nv srnu .Inisnee* as sad. Whi,e theE Tsre
lima aInnsf 1,n.nimons in snnnnrt of ihe
rsnsr thev Tfa.-ad ni.n =. - the IA n h. st.
pr. 2, ond .. e, ns
oIbcrs iooked 10 southern .enssate nstIonaiitY IL
a. ~ III S,nsIe nh,e~ts dfd m, SricTfar riii,
the rrnersI artive sunnnst nt ibe e.use.
q. W. tnere noou1ar Yote upon he ordnance
ofx.rea.,o1 P~s|A '~'- 1f~ A
clnIy .n far .x in The e,ertfop n, d,fcp.fs, IN
,he rorrcnf;n, 40 - ~ s~N - Soe-'sS ~
q. Their was no subeequ.ut aci!ou!
submitted TO = nopu,sr vote afferwaris.
~ i1s.e I'm ent nn,nion as ~ tha 1otr II trnn,d
bsxs 1esr;xS =. ssns,ed mh,hc ,hoie ~, hsd
hse,, .nhnss1,i ~ r. ftse srtjor ~ ths rrnn;.
W,,n..sMnnf Eon ,n-sn ,ffrr IL nns .fonf Al nv
,be ctnyen,inn. iva '''~'''' - "A' ~ -
Mr. Bontwei,--yc.. af,c, II m, adop. d by the
conren,inn II Il ia heen sni,misieaa adth,n
Nass-.ht. rms 4 TsSfnc ti,e then s,~,e nf thrnpI
INTO cpnSfutfanxA a nrth is,niin. Eio.5ts - IN
Mississippi think hasihe -. Id. n1 opinion il
sser. South Csroi,na ana The oiher States bad
not adopted their ordinances OF sece.s!or
am yefy 1e1 lAI f*ded thst a majority Of the pco
pic Of Georgia. and p4fhaps veEy decled majority
had been submitted 10 ,ncm bui a. matters stood
Al the time the utttnsnce had been snbm,tted tc
popular vote OF the State, It ould have bstn tus
tarxd. That Is my Judgment and opinion abou
A ibe ISL Or o. io;p. ssiat ,hs I'LL of janosiy
| 1861 though am not certain.
q. The question ot secession Was involved in ths
nott A. Yes s1r:
@. And WIS there on the part Of candidates !
pretty = xeneEa! aFowal Of opmioos 4 vey general
| The Convention expressed any opinion upon any
question OF 4eeessldnt A. suppoae the majority
shpss 80 II hs cGnssnon n 'oF Of
| @. In Convention OF how manyt 4. 4 Con
| vention based upon The number Of Senators and
members ne of the noa,s & T. re Gcne.al A.semn1y 9
bul ! ihInk 1t Was near three hundred, perhaps
tex over or under.
] g Was there any difference ~ d.dsrent parts 9
the SLATE IN the suengih OF the Union sentiment
as that Tine! 4. Ia tome OF the mountain eoun
| ties the Union sentiment was generally prevalent
cestsop THROUGHOUT the state. Hunk, vi h some
exceptions. The anttsecesstou sentiment was ruors
general tn The rural districts and in the mountain
ops portions nt the Stnte yet the people Of some o
The upper counties were very active and decided &C.
] cet.ionfete, There wus nothing ike I
SECTIONAL divif]on Of the State At all
For tus,snct, the delegation from Floyd county, In
which the CITY Of Rome Ia titna'ed- to the upper
portion Of The Stale. vas an able one, and strong
tor secetaton; while 1he county 81 Jefferson, down
IN the Interior OF The cotton belt sent one OF The
dselguatc olher particular counties in that way
throughout The Stale, showing that there was not
what might be termed 4 sectional or geographical
q In Mhat particular did the people believe thet.
contt1tu'touaI liberties were ENDANGERED assaed
from the Unionf A. Mainly would eay. IN ihst
the general consolidating tendencies OF the doc
tnnes and principles Of lint political party which
md vice nesideut Of the United States, Il Tas
the eerfous apprehension that II the Republican or.