Year: 1866




statements of Gen. Thomas made be.
fore the Reconstruction Committee, as
telegraphed to the Cincinnati CONNER.
ctdI, presenting his views of the gen.
eral condition of matters in the South
The we'll known character of G General
L. for prudence and caution, makes
his testimony more valuable even than
that ofmore enthusiastic men who are
equally well situated for Judging:


Major General George II. Thomas
examined by Mr.. Boutwell,. The Gen.
eral said: ..


"Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia,
Alabama and Mississippi are included
in my command. The people ofAla.
bama are extremely anxious to be un.
der the control of the United States,
and to have the State in its regular
position in the Union, but they are
not yet personally friendly to Union
men. They are desirous to be under
the Government Of the United States,
and have attempted topass laws as ju.
dicious as they could, at the time, to
regulate the affairs of the Freedmen.
One Of their bills was not considered
constitutional by the Governor, and
was vetoed by him.


"He thinks now that the Legislature
will pass a just and fair bill to regulate
the affairs Of the freedmen ofthe State.
The people here have had a fair trial
in their attempt to gain their inde-
pendence and have failed completely.
They now profess to have given up the
contest, and express themselves dosi-
rous OF resuming their relations with
the Government.


1T is difficult to say what portion
of the people are reliable Union men.
Before the secession of the State the
majority of the people were for the
Union, and when the subject was first
submitted TO the people majority vo-
ted against secession. l am informed
that the State was eventually taken
out of the Union by the trickcry of
determined secessionists.


The people acquiosced in the result,
and many of them seemed to give up
their Union sentiments, and some of
the original men have remained reb-
els, and are now strongly in sympathy
with the enemies of the Government.
Others have expressed their gladness
that the rebellion has been crushed,
and profess desire to have the State
back in the Union; but their interests
and sympathies have such hold upon
them at this time that it is very diff.
cult to obtain clear expressions of sen.
timent of any man there. | am in
cllned to think that a very small pro.
portion of them would be willing to
sacrifice their property and interest in
the South for the sake of the Union;
they did not do it before, and it is fair
to presume that they would still ad-
here to the advancement of their own
private interests in preference to the
interest Of the National Government.
In some portions of the State there is
a very bitter feeling between those who
have been Unionists during the war,
and those who have been identified
with the rebellion. In other portions,
the people all seem to desire to be
friendly to one another; and to ad-
here to the Government. In some
portions OF Western Alabama the sen.
timent is decidedly in favor of the
Government. In other portions of the
State l think the sentiment of the peo-
pie may be expressed in this way: If
they thought they could establish
Southern Confederacy they would pre-
fer it, but seeing no hope of that, they
desire to live under the Constitution
ofthe United States. There is in Ala.
bama a strong, decided, disloyal senti-
ment, though think the Union senti-
ment prcdominates in many portions
of the State. In elections that have
taken place in that State l don know
that it has been a universal thing for
candidates to put themselves before
the people as having participated, more
or less, actually in rebellion, but there
were two distinct parties in Northern
Alabama, and the Union candidates
were defeated, but l think the Union
candidates for the Legislature were
all, or majority of them, elected. l
think in Central and Southern Ala
bama the successful candidates were
either officers of the rebel army or
active and working rebels. Reports
of frauds in certain districts in cleo
tions were forwarded to me, and sup.
pose are now on file in the Adiutant.
Gen erals office. The charge was that
improper persons were permitted to
vote. 1t was substantially as under
stood in that state up to this time
Union men and freedmen have not
TO any great extent, been in danger of
their lives. But few instances of per.
sonal violence have been reported to
me. Generally speaking, the presence
of United States troops, and officers of
the Freedmens Bureau, has been suf.
fcient to put down any demonstrations
OF hostility. l do not think it would
be expedient to remove the troops un-
til the people show that they are
themselves willing and determined to
execute civil law with impartial JUS.
tice to all parties think public senti
ment is divided on the SUBJECT of al.
lowing freedmen to become freehold.
ers. ! have heard of no legislation on
that subject either to empower them
to become freeholders or to prohibit
them from becoming such. If the ma