Report of the Joint select committee appointed to inquire into the condition of affairs in the late insurrectionary states, so far as regards the execution of laws, and the safety of the lives and property of the citizens of the United States and Testimony taken.

ALABAMA —SUB-COMMITTEE. 1715
Question. Do you think that this-fact, the inefficiency and want of confidence that the
people have in their officers, has been an obstacle in the way of doing justice in the
courts?
Answer. Please state that again.
Question. Do you believe the inefficiency of the officers and the want of confidence
which the community have in the officers are obstacles to the execution of law and
the maintenance of justice?
Answer. I think that is, and it has been an obstacle to some extent in the past. I
do not now know of a single instance where the officer displayed the firmness, the decision, and fixedness of purpose to discharge his duty that an officer should, in which
he met with any obstacles. What I mean, for instance, is this, by way of illustration:
in the case of this last raid upon the jail, where, as I have learned from rumor, the
"ieriff was held by a finger, or possibly his hand, and while at the same time some twc
three gentlemen were sitting by a fire on the opposite side of the street, not yet re-.d. I believe, had it been a man of sufficient moral courage and decision of character, they would never have got into that jail. I believe, generally, that if the people know an officer is a man of determination, and he is going to discharge his duty,
they will exercise some care lest they fall beneath his jurisdiction. That is the manner in which, I think, a better class of officers would tend to a very material extent to
free the country of these disturbances.
By the CHAIRMAN:
Question. What radical officers have you in this county?
Answer. Judge Abrams, probate judge, I believe, is a recognized member of that
party; Major Herndon, circuit clerk and master in chancery, who holds several other
offices, is another.
Question. Are they not both southern men?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Men held in high respect in the community?
Answer. No, sir; I cannot say that.
By Mr. RICE:
Question. Good officers?
Answer. I know very little of Major Herndon, as an officer. Judge Abrams, so far
as the discharge of probate business is concerned, I think is a good officer. He is also
ajudge of the county court.
By the CHAIRMAN:
Question. Is he obnoxious in any way except on account of his politics?
Answer. He is not obnoxious at all, that I know of, on account of his politics.
Question. What, then, is he obnoxious on account of?
Answer. I have not said he was obnoxious.
Question. Wherein does he fail to meet the popular respect?
Answer. I have not said he fails to meet the popular respect; but I willsay now that
I do not think he does enjoy the general respect of the community.
Question. Why?
Antswer. He has made himself objectionable to them in various ways.
Question. Please state them.
Answer. I do not know that I could give them specifically.
Question. That is just what we want.
Answer. We form conclusions very often and imbibe feelings toward men from a
variety of circumstances that it may be difficult to locate or point out specifically; at
one time, before the war, he was a slave-holder, recognized as one who was in the habit
of getting all out of the negroes he could, and his slaves were probably as abject slaves
as the slaves of any other man in the county. Then, when the negroes were free, he
became their especial patron and affiliated with them, leaving the people with whom
he used to associate before; and by his assistance and encouragement he did more
to fasten upon us the reign of these carpet-baggers here than they could possibly have
done by themselves. In that way he made himself objectionable, probably as much
so as in any other way, to the people here. He seemed to separate from his own people here, with a view, I think, of making money.
Question. Was he not a consistent Union man all through the war?
Answer. He was.
Question. Was he not denounced on that account?
Answer. I do not know whether lhe was or not; I was not here during the war.
Question. Is there not a bad feeling cherished toward him, because he remainedtrue
to the Government during the war?
Answier. I think I can safely say there is not. He was a well-known Union man, and,
as I am told, during the whole wvar it was well known he was. He resided here during
the whole time, according to my information.