The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-11-27

| summer OF 1863, not more than two or
three months after the North Carolina pro
cnma ton OF May 90
= bg w. Hood}riipe. When said that the
| .rDdente views underwent n change !
| lnehh' mat while l was contending for the
rights which those rebel paroled soldiers had
ne was insisting on 1t that they should b.,
punished
ByA Ehiridge.-Any correarondence ever
nad with the President "a official and can be
furnished: | had TO make frequent endorse
| lhents on the subjects OF the rights of those
naroled prisoners the only correspondence
that could have had on the subject of am
| nesty was when recommended men for par
aUh, rs in the case of French and others, of
MI OF which l kept copies, and will furnish
them. | recollect The North Carolina procla.
| nation, which was the first one giving Il State
government; was present when ii was read.
ana 1t was in the direction | wanted / was
| ANXIOUS to see . temporary government there,
ana did not want TO see anarchy
U. DID you give any opinion in favor Of
that proposition A. did not give any OPT
Mon againstt it: ! was in favor of that or any
thing else which looked to civil government
until Congress could meet and establish go
yernments there. / did not want all chaos
ieit there, and no form of civil government
Whatever was not In favor Of anything or
opposed to anything particularly. l was sim
! ply IN favor of having government there. l
did not pretend 10 give my Judgment "a to
what II should be. was perfectly willing 10
| leave 1t TO the civil department. asked no
| pc ooH " ilitt sHOulu co IN my duties. was
willing TO take all the responsibility and did
| not want TO give my views as to what the civil
| branch of the Government should do.
! Z. Some of those Governors We're military
officers, and held rank In the army! A. That
| was during the rebellion. Mr. johnson was
military governor in Tennessee and General
! Hamilton in Texas. DO not recollect that
there were any other military governors.
| The others were provisional or military 60
vernors looked upon them as equally pro-
| yisional.
By M. Thomns-Q You have stated your
orinicn rs to the rights and privileges of Ge-
neral Lee and his soldiers :; did you mean that
| 10 include any political rights? A. l have
explained that did not There was no diff
| ference of opinion on this point between Pre-
| sident Johnson and me, but there was to
| whether the parole gave them any privileges
or rights.
By Nr. Edrid0e.-Q. He claiming that il did
not, and you that it did A. He claiming
| that the time must come when they conld be
tried and punished, and I claiming that the
| time would not come, except by violation OF
| their parole. / claimed that1 gave them no
political privileges, but that had Il right, as
military commander, to arrange terms of sur
render which would protect the lives of those
| prisoners believe that it is conceded by
| everybody that had that right. / know that
| Mr.. Lincoln conceded il at the time.
! By Mr. BouttveU.-Q. How recently has the
| President expressed to you the opinion that
General Lee Or others who had the benefit OF
4
| Not since about two years.
| q. Have you ut any time heard the Presi-
dent make any remark in reference TO the nd
mission of members of Congress from the
rebel States into either House? A. cannot
say positively what i have heard him say on
that subject. ] have heard him say as much,
perhaps, in his published speeches last sum-
| mer rs l ever heard him say al all upon that
subject | have heard him say and l think l
have heard him say twice in his speeches. that
| if the North carried the elections By members
enough TO give them, with the southern mem
| brrs Il majority, why would they not he the
| Congress of the United States! have heard
! him say that several times.
! By N. lriilin,ns.-Cl. When you say Z" the
| North > you mean the Democratic party of the
| North or, in other words, the party favoring
| his policy? A. l mean if the North carried
| enough members in favor of the admission of
| the South. ] did not hear him say that he
| would recognize them rs Il Congress. merely
heard him ask the question, "Why would
| they not be the Congress - ! heard him say
that in one or two speeches. DO not recolect
where.
By M Bout,ceN.-Q. Have you heard him
| make a remark Kindred TO that elsewhere? A.
Yes. I have heard him say that aside from
his specches--in conversation. Cannot say
| lust when. l was probably about that same
| time.
any remark or suggestion concerning the
| legality OF Congress, with the southern mem
bers excluded? a He alluded TO that subject
| frequently on his tour 10 Chicago and back
| last summer. His speeches were generally re-
| portrd with considerable accuracy; cannot
| racollcct what he said except III general terms !;
| but read his speeches 1T the time, and they
| were reported with considerable accuracy.
! do not recollcct having heard him say any
thing private on that subject specially. l
| never heard him allude 10 the Executive De-
| utrtment of the Government. / never heard
| him make any remark looking 10 the contro-
| versy between the Executive and Congress.
| Bv Mr. At1.ShuU.-Q. | understand you to
| say that YOU were very anxious 1T the close of
| the war that civil governments should be
| established in some form, and you so advised
| the President a. so stated frequently IN
his presence OlL advised 40 paltltuII lolli
of proceeding.
| u Were YOU present when this North Ca
rolina proclamation was read in Cabinet? a.
| [ would not be certain, but am OF opinion that
the first time heard 1t read was III the pre-
S"nce of the President and the Secretary OF
War only.
| "a. Did Won assent to that plan? A. did
not dissent from it; il WAS a civil matter, and
| although ! was anxious TO nave something
done | did not intend 10 dictate Il plan; do
not think expressed any opinion about 1t at
rhr lime | looked upon IL us simply tempo
rary measure until Congress should meet and
settle the whole question, ana mat IL dld not
make much difference how IL was uone' so INA.
there was II form of governments there thlhk
| 1v;s present 1t the time by an invita-
ton OF either the President or the Sc
crntary of War: l suppose l was Tree 10 eN-
nrpss my views; ! suppose the object was thit
shouli express my views if 1 could suggest
any change | Go not think WAS asked my
views l know that if had been asked the
question ] would have assentcd to that or
almost ANYTHING else that would have given
stabl. government there in reference 10 the
opiuion gave The President on the amnesty
| proclamation, L think have testified pretty
fully: | told the President disagreed with
him on the clause excluding volunteer gene
| 10 Z hn S)n rlnusp do not
ANYTHING as 10 the rest of it, whether 1T was
, too lcuieut or too stringent; can state what
thought about it, but not what said lDohl
it; know that immediately AFTER the close ol
, | the rebellion there was Il very me leeins
manifesto in the South, and ! thought VT
ought 10 take advantage Of ii rs soon us pos
sible, but since that there has been an eNiden
change there ! may have expressed my view:
10 the President, ] do not recollect partcu
nrly. do not suppose that there were any per
| sons engaged in that consultation who though
OF what was being done Ut thtC time rs pei!is
lasting any longer than until Congress WouiC
meet and either ratliy that or esElolisl SOM
| other form Of government. Rno" IL hcNeI
, | crossed my mind that what was being aoh'
: was ANYTHING more than temporary uh
derst God this to be the view OF the PreSlden
and of every body else. did not KNOW OF any
difference OF opinion on the subject. He wa
y.ry anxious to have Congress ratify HI
! views. Mr. Lincoln prior 10 his assassination
I had inaugurated Il policy intended TO restor
, | those governments. l was present once oelOr
| his murder when II plan was read Inc plai
adopled by Mr.. johnson was substantiail.
. the plan which had been inausurated by MT
Lincoln rs the basis for his future action
do not know that IL WAS verbatim the same;
= | think the very paper which heard read twic
while MIR. Lincoln was President was the on
which was carried right through.
@ What paper WAS that? A. The Nortl
e Carolina proclamation.
, q You understood that Mr.. Lincolns plaI
l was temporary, 10 be either confirmed or
"a ! unarrstool TohnSon'S TO he so TOO thi