The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1866-01-31
krcoNsrRucrIoN-The following is an ex.
tract from the Chicago Times Correspondence:
WAsuTncroS I,o

| -....E 81. WARRINGTON Jan. 10
The reconstruction committee hold freouen
meetings. and having marked out the pro
gramme which they intended to pursue, are
making haste very slowly. The intention.
which was at first entertained, of sending sub
committees all over the south, has been abap-
doned Instead of doing this, the committee.
having obtained the authority of the house and
| senate tor that purpose, have determined to
caii oe'cre them certain persons from each one
OF the southern states, to interrogate them, to
take down their evidence in writing, and to in
orporate it in their report. Every effort will
DC made. OF course, to obtain the testimony of
men whose interests require a continuance of
military rule in the south; Of men whose oc.
! cupatlon would be gone the moment the ar
mes are Withdrawn rrOm the south, ana whose
opportunities OF making money out of the south
would cease the moment the southern states
resume their places, with all their righ s, in the
unlon. The nature Of the testimony that will
oe gwen by such men (and shsre are plenty Of
them all over the south) may well be ina yined.
They will be eager to make it appear that the
spirit of secession is still in full vigor in every
southern state, as proud and defiant as ever
that all the professions of loyalty made by the
| southern people are hollow and delusiye: that
the safety OF the government requires that the
southern people be deprived of all participation
therein for an indefinite periods and, in word,
they will give just such testimony as Messrs,
Sumner and Stevens desire
Such being the state OF the case, it is of the
utmost importance that the southern people
themselves shall be heard npon the subject
Inc Above described testimony will be given
by army suffers, cotton spectators, and north.
ern adventures generally, who are fast grow
ing rich at the south, under government pro.
lection. What is to be desired now is that the
actual condition OF things at the sou.h shall be
described by the southern people themselves
The committee will not refuse to hear the
testimony OF any respectable southern man,
who may present himself before them. If this
letter, therefore, should fall under the obserya
ton OF your readers at the south, it would be
we'll for them to have one or two of their
neishbors sent to Washington for this pur.
pose.
In spite, however, Of every e fort of this kind
that can be made, there is no doubt that the
majority OF the members Of the committee are
determined to delay the admission of the
southern states by every means in their power.
II all other expedients fail. they have one on
the efficacy Of which they count with certai nty.
They will endeavor to show that there is a
deep rooted feeling OF hostility on the part of
the southern people towards the negroes, their
former slaves; that they are unwilling to sell
or even to rent to the negroes small tracts of
laRo; that they Prefer the labor of white men
to the labor OF negroes; aud that they are un.
alierably opposed to negro suffrage. Unless
the truth can be not only made known, but
proved by competent witnesses-unless it can
be shown that the citizens of the south have
none but the kindliest feelings towards the ne
groes-that the negroes are incapable of man.
aging small tracts Of laId-that the negroes
have refused and do refuse to work. or to make
contracts to labor, and therefore that the
southern people have been compelled to en-
ploy white men to work for thcm-unless these
things can be shown and proved, the commit
tee will make this alleged hostility to the ne.
gro the pretext for the continued ana perma-
nent exclusion of the southern members.