Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-01
EXECUTIVE 0pFICE,
lallahaSSce. Fia.. Anril !. 1886.

am. sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
l.. NJ. HOBBS.
EXECUTIVE OpF1cE,
Rev. L. N. Hobbs, lancaster, Pa:
Sir: Your letter of the 18th of March was received
on the Dist ult You enclose your testimony before
the Reconstruction Committee, which as follows:
The Rev. L, NJ. Hobbs testifes, that in Florida
the feeling against the Government was bitter, much
more than it was three four months ago. There
was timo when the people seemed very much dis
posed to DO anything that the Government would re-
cure OF them They are now quite bitter. and say
ago. They talk treason on the streets without any
concealment. The great majority Of them do so-the
majority Of the lower classes. fewinteIligent citi-
zens whom he regards as honorable gentlemen de-
plorc the expression of such opinion but they are
very much in the minority, and can have but very
little influence in the affairs of the State government
The change in tone is because of the lensncy mani
fest ed by the present administration"
You then proceed 10 say that you do not know
what may think Of this testimony-that you hope
you have not offended me nor lost my confidence
and ask II you have thrown the fat into the fire"
etc.
After much anxious deiberation, in answer have
to that your statement before the committee has
given me more rain than anything that has occur
red since L have been IN the Executive office IN
frequent conversations with myself and many others
you have led me TO believe that your opinions were
directly opposite 20 thosa you expressed before the
committee. I on had frequently spoken to me OF tho
kindness with which you had been everywhere re-
unaffected by the people to aid IN the and good
work in which you and wers engaged, of educatin 6
the c0i0red people. You had also spoken frequently
OF the good order ana quiet which prevailed in the
country and OF the universal disposition of the peO-
pie to adapt themselves 20 the new order Of things
and become again good and orderly citizens of the
United States. Only few days before you left here
for the North you told me you would have occasion
70 make known these sentiments in public addresses
l. understood between US that your addresses
woUld be published and have good effect in dis
abusing the Northern mind as To tho true condition
h. hat gprlt h,
and would have them published here with view
to give our peope a good opinion of Northern men,
After all this the first heard from you after you
left here was the above recited testimony before tee
committee. have certainly no right 10 complain Of
your giving expression to any opinion honestly en-
tort2lnet either before the committee elsewhere
but feel deeper regret than can express that you
should have imposed upon me and abused my conf
dence by expressing set Of opinions TO me- when
in fact. you entertained another. You know how
earnestly desire to bring ahoutan of good feel
ing 4nG traternity, ard 70 make the people of the
not only in name, but in fact. To use the language
OF the President, 1T know my heart aud every
pass on which enters it, it is my desire to restore the
blessings Of the Union, and tie up and heal every
bleeding wound which has been caused by the fatri-
cida war.
/ had chosen you as an instrument to assist me
N this work. by appointing you to the responsible
Office Of Superintendent of Schools for Freedmen in
tins State you have disappointed your course is
well calculated to tear open and make the wounds
which were fast healing, bleed afresh. Hereafter
whenever shall speak Of appointing to a State Office
Northern man, shall be warned to remember the
case of the Rev. Mr.. Hobbs Hereafter whco gen
tlemen from the North appear among Us. ready to
Join with lis III any good WORK, matter what their
declarations citizenship may 5e, you have put it
into the power of some 10 take and let cx
perlence put Il clog your confidence"
As | have already stated, do not deny your right
to entertain or express any opinion YOU please: my
complaint is that you have EXPRESSED one opinion 10
me and another 10 the Committee.
There as oaother ding | complain Of which is
that you. according to your testimony. have known
that majority of the peopls of this State tailed
street without ura
yet nave nos reported any instance either TO the
Major Genera! commanding here or to myself You
held commission from me. You knew that | had
sworn to support the Constitution Of the United
States. You knew 1t was my duty, as it Is my fixed
purpose, TO have all traitors punished. You fancy
that 1t was preudlca 10 INC and the State OF which
you officer to have people talk treason on
the street without conceament, and yet, instead Of
reporting 1t TO NE: your report was all is WE'LL till
you got before the committee III Washington, and
then you reported all is wrong" If Won did not
have confidence in me, to believe that would Durisb
treason, you ought not 10 have held a commission
under me. II you had not confidence in me- you
ought at least TO have had it in the Major General
commanding this department y GU must have known
that It would lniure both MIN and myself to permit
to talk treason. whether in secret or openly
will remark that it is singular that q majority of
the people should have talked treason before you,
while not word of the kind has ever reached me-
though | am in daily communication with the people
from every portion OF the State. have heard much
complaint among the people that the State is not al
lowed Its representation in Congress-much desire
expressed to be recognized as fully in the Union
much regret that the Presidents policy does not pre-
Vail-but not one word have heard from any per
son, Whatever, that was calculated intended t. in
cite war against the Government or destroy the
Union. 10 be candid with you. must say that
do not believe that you have heard more than have
for the desire of the people to be in the Union and
not out OF It, Is 50 universal and notorious, that
cannot believe that any other has been expressed
That you have heard our people express bitter COM
plants against those who are known as "Northern
GlS0,tonlsts have no doubt; that those complaints
have, grown in bitterness the last three or four
months, is also true.
But after people have manifested their loyalty
and desire to return to the Union by ting the oath
tuition of the United States and tbe Union of States
hereunder. and to abide by and faithfully support
all laws and proclamations which have been made
emancipation of slaves'-afte their Convention has
annulIed the ORDINANCE OF secession repudiated all
debts contracted by the State since the date of seces
sion.declared all the slaveS free-opened TO them
all the courtS-admttod them Gs witnesses in all
cases Ill which they interested and declared that
they snail ENJOY the rights Of person and property
amendment to the Constitution of the United States
prohibiting slavery everywhere in the Union-I say,
after our people have done all this, and everything
else they understood the Government to desire them
to do, that any portion of them, much less ma
orty should talk treason either openly or secretly
is too much for my credulity.
It IS singular that YOU should have interpreted the
socltude and imDatience of the people to be recog-
nged as fully in the Union into manifestations of
treason. There is treason in Florida will guar
antee that if the President should call upon her for
volunteers to sustain the Union Florida would fur
\
10 her population.
complain Of you also for saying that the senti-
ments of the people Of this State have changed fer
the worse because Of the ieaency napifcsed on the
present Administration. | think you have done the
people of this state great injustice in describing them
as lngratcs who have abused the kindness of the
President feel satisfied that they duly appreciate
| the magnanlmous course of the President and that
upon all suitable occasions they will prove them
selves worthy oft.
think also that you have done the President of the
United States injustice by saying that his course has
led the people Of Of the States to talk treason
and feel bitterness against toe General Government
The action OF the President needs no defence from
me. BY his reconstruction policy he has done more
than all other put together to recall the aec-
tons of the people to the Government and his recent
veto messages have satisfied us that we still live un-
der constitutional Government | do not know a
dozen citizens of this State who are not ready to
rally around the President in support Of the Govern
ment.
l need hardly add that under the circumstances I
deem Il dirty to appoint some other person than
yourself to act Superintendent of Schools for the
Freedmen of this State and that your commission is
vacated from this date l am. respectfully your
obealent servant. d. S. WALKER,
C0gRT PROCEEDINGS.
MONDAY, April 80 1856.