Year: 1866

. IFrom the Mobile Tribune, April 81
Conflict of Testimony.


One OF the most striking evidences of the
uncertainty of testimony has been demon
strated before the Congressional committee
at Washington-called a Reconstruction
committee. II ever there has been better
illustration of the lucus a non Luc6ndo idea,
we should like some one to show it to US.


We confess, however, that the weight Of
testimony-if numbers and bold assertions
are to be taken as gospel-is against us. of
the South. Gen. Grant and two or three
Others of the Federal side, deposed, in effect,
that we are not disposed to make a new
war, and march to Washington, or the
North pole. He thought that we were
pretty well subjugated materially; and, of
course, without the material, what is the
use of opposing the United States Govern
ment? Gen. Grierson, and others of that
stripe, declared that there is not a ''lOyala
paper in Alabama-we believe he said it,
and nowhere is there any assurance that
Northern-born mau among us has full
hours purchase OF his life. Others of the
same stripe testified, in substance, that the
negroes are as little secure as Northern
white men. In short, that, in some degree,
all the late sO-called secessionists are ready
L
eat him, in the absence of more palatable
food. .H. H


This folly is so obvious to us that we
should laugh at it as good joke, if it did
not pOrtend something more serious than
joke.


We do not declare that these witnesses
have deliberately spoken untruths. We
only think that they have been controlled
by their prejudices-party instincts-per-
haps hope OF party preferment--or it may
be a hope Of keeping the profitable posi-
tions which some of them now hold. We
may presume that they are ignorant-and,
giving them the benefit of this doubt, sup
pose they have been associated with freed
men or treedmen's bureaus. BY some pro-
cess, which is not in any way compliment
ary to them, we are obliged to find motives
for their constant violations of the truth.
1t may be that they took a small part for
the whole; and if they found a late Con-
federate expressing no love for the spirit of
New England, the conclusion was jumped
to that that mana soldier, probably with
only one leg and one arm-was the repre-
sentative of every body within the South.


That eminent gentleman and soldier, Gen.
Lee, was before the committee and ques-
toned in respect of every point which the
special pleading of the counsel in the case
could devise. Gen. Lee did not declare
that we are perfectly cOntented-did not
say that we love the threshing we have got,
or were ready to lick and bless the hand
which thrtshed US. His testimony was the
truthful embodiment of all the evidence
that can be found on the subject. Yet that, ii
is likely, will not be believed, although
among the good men of the North we are
certain it will modify very much the con-
clusions that have been drawn from the
| prior testimony.


/ We know very well-as every Southern
man knows-that the sound of drum is
not agreeable. The revelle and tattoo OF
the soldiers which strike the ears of those
of us who live near the camps In the sub
urbs are anything but pleasant. We have
had too much of the drum. All of us want il
TO be abolished. We hate fife as much
would really throw both into the gutter, if
they were innocently lying on the path
way, with no military ownership. VIZ
want peace, not drums and fifes-want
encouragement in those pursuits of indus
| try which furnish food and raiment anC
| shelter from the elements. Give us these
and with them equality with the rest of the
country, and we shall be resigned to what
soever fortune may bring to us.


This, however, is only preface to the
following extract from a letter in the NeU
York Times, written by its travelling cor
respondent. 1t is dated at Nashville, the
Doth of March, and ought to be put in evil
dence before the Destruction committee, oil
the writer of it ought to be summoned be-
fore it to give his testimony under oath
But it is likely that the committee has re-
solved to have no such witnesses-knowl
how to find what itwauts. Itdld not ge1
much for its comfort from Gen. Lee, ant
that is some consolation to us who are pa
tiently waiting to know what its report will
| be. Here is the extract from the letter o
the N. Y. Times: a .,


II haveju just arrived here from Mobile, from
which place L travelled alone, on horseback
at a slow pace, and with the exclusive OBJ
! ject in view of informing myself of tin
nature of the country and the people
among whom it is my intention to ulti
mately locate; and as am Northern MAJ
by birth, an anti-slavery man by education
and voted for Mr.. Lincoln in 1860 and 1864
and as | was soldier in the Union army
during the late great struggle, and during
| my entire trip / not only made no conceal
ment of these facts, but always, to test thu
matter, was particular to state them to al
with whom conversed, it is apparent tina
| If any one was in danger at this time ii
| Dixie, l would at least have Jared roughly
The fact that, under the circumstances,


made the trip without the slightest molesta
tion---that wherever | went the most cord
ial and unfeigned hospitality was extended
to me, is sufficient to give the lie to nine
| tenths Of the asserations made by partie
who expect political preferment onl!
through continuation OF wrangling ant
turmoil" .l'a aaorso so4
1