The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-04-01

contest; Do you think that that is th,
in'l nam laea with them, or that they mcrel,
restoring the civil government t and th, 10
peace anu prosperity of their resnect;r.
States? A. AS to tho first point yo,, nal. NAL
do not think that ever heard any nnr
son speak upon it. l never heard tn,
speak generally as to the effect of .n1l thl
policy of President Johnson. The fee,;nan r,,'
so far as know, now is, that there ;S ~,
that equality extended to the Sonthnn, nu
States as is enjoyed by the North. o Va,
do not feel down there that while Won ~
cept the result we are as generous Se
ought to be under the circns .ances: \.
They think that the North n afford to he !
generous. @. That is tn feeling down !
there? A. Yes; and they ink it is the
best policy-those who refl.t on the sub
Ject and are able to judge @. under
stood 1t to be your opinion tat generosity
would be the surest means of regaining
their, good opinion? A. US, and the
speediest. O.. I understood You to say,
| generally, that you had no apprehension
o. any combination among tlb leading Sc
cessionists to renew the war o2anything of
tho kind? A. have no iBSson in the
world to think 30. q. Have Xn heard that
subject talked oyer among -; 5;politicians?
A. No, sir, have not I E& not heard
that matter suggested. et me put
another Hypothetical case oppose the
Executive Of the United StE6S should be
| filed by President, who, Buchanan, /,
! rejected the right of coercS so-called,
and suppose Congress shoE5dS.xist here
entertaining the same politiesE opinions,
thus presenting to the once 4c6,f States
| the opportunity to again secefla from the
Union, would they or not, in ydzzssss opinion,
avail themselves Of that opporse nifty, or
some OF them? A. 1 suppose iesetould de-
pend upon the circumstances e1ist;pg at
the time. II their feelings should rehiain
enbittered, and their affections alienased
from the rest of the States, think it very
probable they might do so, provided they
thought it was to their interest. do not
know that there is a deep-seatcd feeling OF
dislike towards the Government. I think
| it probable some animosity may exist
among some of tho people. / think at the
same time, that they were disappointed as
to the result of the war. l know of nc
condition of discomfort against the Go
| vernment among the secessionists. I be-
lieve that the people will perform towards
the Government all of the duties they are
required to perform. l think that is the
general feeling. Q. Do you think it would
be practicable to convict man in Virginia
OF treason for having taken part in this re-
belloa against the Government by Vir-
ginia jury, without packing it with direct
reference to a verdict of guilty. A. On
that point have no knowledge, and do
not know what they would consider trea-
son against the Government, if you mean
past acts.
Mr.. Howard-Yes, sir.
Gen. Lee-I have no knowledge as to
what their views on that subject in the
past are. Q. You understand my question.
Suppose jury was empanelled in your
nyr. ysAyfr !, ,hNrH ~I 4.1- ~
be practicable to convict, for instance,
Jefferson Davis, for having levied war on
the United States, and thus having com
mltted the crime OF treason? A. think it
would be very probable that they would not
consider he had committed treason. 1 do
no. know whether a jury would heed the
instructions of the court to convict the
offender. Q. They do not generally sup
pose that it was treason against the Co
vernment, do they? A. do not think that
they do 80 consider it. So far as 7 know.
they look upon the action OF State in
withdrawing from the Government as car
rying the individuals in it along with it.;
and not the individual. am now referring
to the past: Q. State, if you please-and
If you are disinclined, you need not an
swer the question-what your own per-
sonal views on that subject were. A. That
was my view; that the act Of Virginia, in
wAtuuTAWlnS nerSel1 from the Union, car
ried me along as citizen Of Virginia, and
! that her laws aud her acts were binding
on me. Q. And that you feel it to be your
justification in taking the course you did?
A. Yes, sir. Q. have been told, General,
that you have remarked to some of your
| friends, in conversation, that you were
rather wheedled or cheated in that course
by politicians? A. I do not recollect ever
making that remark. 1 do not think
ever made it. @. r~there be any other
matter about which you wish to speak, do
so freely. A.>Only in reference to that
last question you put to me. I may have
said, and may have believed, that the
position of the two sections which they
held to each other was brought about by
the politicians Of the country-that the
great masses Of the people, if they under
stood the real question, would have avoid
ed it; but not that had been individually
wheedled by the politicians. But did be-
lieve, at the time, that it was OH unneces-
sary condition of affairs, and might have
been avoided, if forbearance and wisdom
had been practiced on both sides.
Gen. Lee then closed his evidence in
stating tin reply to questions) that the
people Of the South would not like the pro-
posed Constitutional amendment; that he
was not aware Of any cruelties to Federal
prisoners at Belle Isle, though aware that
they suffered many privations. He had no