New-York tribune., 1875-01-28
WASHINGTON.
ALABAMA INVESTIGATIONS.


WITNESS THAT DOES NOT SUIT THE COMMITTEE
TESTIMONY OF U. 8. DIsrRcT-ATToRYEY SOUTH
| woRrn-ACTUAL CONDITION OF TIE STATE
PEACEABLE AND LAw-ABrDING.
| lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
! WASHINGTON. Jan. T.-The Alabama Investi.
! eating Committee examined to-day j. p. South
| worth Of Mobile, who was appointed United States
District-Attorney for the Southern District of Ala
bama by Grant in 1869, and served his full term OF
| four years. Mr.. SOuthworth testified that
he went to Alabama from Illinois in 1868
that he and had always been Republican,
and that he had spoken during the last campaign in
| Selma for the Republican State ticket. He said
that he thought he knew the general condition of
the State as well as any one could; that his official
and professional duties took him to all parts Of il,
and that there was county in which q Republican
could not live and advocate political principles
even in offensive manner. without mOlesta-
tion He thought the effect of sending
troops to the State was Injurious to the people
and the State, and there had been no time when
they were needed, or when the country would not
| have been better without them.
When asked If negroes could vote il troops were
not stationed there he replied that he thought it
made very little difference. The negroes would not
vote any way, if they were not massed by their
leaders. The negroes had no interest in'politcs
and were simply used by men who could not remain
III power but for the negro vote. At the request OF
the Committee he explained how this massing was
done. When he was rict-Attorney he always
found on the meeting of court from 800 to 800
groes in the Courthouse at Mobile, and on asking
them what they were there for they would show
him a subpoena. They summoned to appear be-
fore the Grand Jury but when they were examined
il was found that they knew nothing. On inquiry
L.. 1
ised the negroes if they would vote they should be
sent to Mobile for the holidays. and this was the
way it was done Attorney General Williams
stopped this six eight months ago. Other negroes
were massed by being told that Gen. Grant required
them to vote and last Fall by distribution Of bacon.
The witness was asked if il did require testi-
mony to convict a white man in the courts of
Alabama than to convict black man. lie replied
1t did not. 1t easier to convict men in Alabama
than in any Northern State For instance, he had
tried seven white men at one term OF the
court for selling q ten-ccnt package of tobacco
without two cent stamp, and bad convicted
them all before q jury composodsof Democrats. The
Republican members Of the Committee thought that
it would not be safe for lawyer to defend white
Republican in the worst counties of Alabama. Mr.
SOuthworth replied that he knew that it would be
safe, and said chat Friday last Ee was appointed
by Attorney-General Williams Special Assistant
Attorney General to defend the Deputy United
States Marshas who had been indicted in the courts
of Sumter and Marengo Counties. The witness a
carpet-bagger Republican, and had been Fed
eral o1ice-holder, and yet nc had not been ostra-
cIzed. He summed up his testimony by expressing
the belief that if the United States would withdraw
the troops from the Western counties and leave the
people to manage their own affairs, thoy would be-
come only quiet any section OF the country
but tho most prosperous Of any. Mr.. Albright OF
the Committee thought that SouthwOrth was q very
bad witness.