Year: 1866

Hon., Bedford Brown, formerly United
States Senator from North Carolina, was ex-


amined in respect to that State. Although


he had served the people of North. Carolina,
in legislative capacity, during the war, he


had always been Union, and nonsecessionist


ON principle. He thinks two-thirds or three
fourths of the people of the State nnitedly


opposed to secession. The masses Of the
people at the time Of Lees surrender were
more grati6ed than otherwise, because they


saw that the result was inevitable. Many of
them were for peace, and believed there was
NO safety out Of the Union. They were graf
lied that the question had been settled in
asnme way, Ofylate they had became very
despairing, perhaps in part from the loss Of
slave property, though Chiefly from the long
delay in being admitted 10 the Union. There
is awide feeling of discomfort even among
Union men. The great mass of the people
are exceedingly anxious to have the relations


between the State and the Federal Govern


ment restored. Some. few persons would,
perhaps. be gratifed by foreign war, but
the !, reat mass are perfectly willing to live
under the laws of the United States, provided


they can have political equality with the other
States
/ The longer this is procrastinated, the


worse the feeling of discomfort will become.


Some portions of the people, in the event of
war with Great Britain or France, would
probably engage in another attempt at seces-
sion, and the establishment of Southern in
dependence: but great majority would
suppress such an attempt if there were rea-
sonable expectations that they could be adj
mittcd to equal political rights in the Union.
The best way to remove this feeling of dis


content among the people would be to de-
clare the State a member of the Federal
Union, and admit her representatives to
their seats, Congress, Of course, Judging of
the members presenting themselves separate
| ly. Disloval men should be excluded !; but
men should he admitted even if the great


majority of their constituents were actual
disloyalists. The question of admission


should depend rather upon the character and
qualification of the claimant than upon those
Of his constituents. If his district was mani
| festly disloyal beyond all question, it would
| perhaps bea justification for his exclusion
| The witness thinks q majority of the people
would be willing to pay the Federal debt,
though the Taxpayers do not regard it as a
| pleasant subject


| Avery decided and overwhelming majority


would be opposed to the payment Of the


Confederate war debt. He does not know of


any combination open or secret to make


further resistance to the Government or to


renew the war in any shape He believes


that Northern men going into North Carolina
| to invest capital in lands manufactures, &C.,
4 would be received in a friendly manner, and


treated with justice in the State courts. The


freedmen in his part of the State were acting


very well, and the general sentiment among


the farmers and planters = to treat them with


fairness. There is disinclination for pro
| miscuous schools for whites and Blacks


But the better class of people do not Object


to schools for blacks separately, The officers


of the Frcedmen's Bureau have generally


been liberal toward both the freedmen and


white people; but he hardly thinks there is


any further necessity for maintaining thu


Bureau, as black men would stand as good q


chance in the State courts Us white men il


they were of good character, and there are


no particular preiudices against them. The


poor whites are generally considered as hav.


ing higher claim to credibility than tho


negroes. Universal negro suffrage would be


regarded as very Objectionable and wholly
4 inadmissiblc; but good many persons


would have no objection to seeing qualified


negro suffrage He does not think it possible


to establish restricted suffrage among the


whites, and thinks no1e of them would evcl


surrender the right to vote if they could


help it. i.~ $3.50 ~ e