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. 1741
By Mr. RICE:
Question. Was that over in Mississippi?
Answer. No, sir; in Sumter County.
By the CHAIRMAN:
Question. Have you ever known any one punished by the courts for killing or whipping colored people?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Do the colored people feel as if their rights were not looked after?
Answzer. That is the general opinion, I think, according to everything.
Question. Do they feel as if they were not sufficiently protected by the law here?
Answer. Yes, sir; of course they do.
By Mr. BUCKLEY:
Question. It has been reported that the colored people have behaved badly here;
that at one time they threatened they would come and burn this town, or sack this
town, last August, a year ago, when they camne in here at the time of the convention;
did you ever hear of any intention of that kind among the colored people?
Answ;er. No, sir; there was a little flurry got up here, not as late as that.
Question. Before the election last year?
Anlswer. Sonme democratic darkies got up here and cut off from the other party, and
they were about to get together, and that brought the white party in to their assistance, and that liked to have caused a disturbance; but for then to ever come here to
burn up or attempt to burn up the town, I know nothing about it.
Question. There was a little difficulty gotten up here about a year ago, at the time
the republicans or radicals were going to have a county convention here to nominate
candidates for the State convention?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. What was that?
Ans'-er. They had speaking here, and many men came over, as men will go to hear
for themselves, and many came. I myself did not get here, though I started; but the
difficulty arose before I got here, and many men were run and shot and beat and
cuffed, but I never saw none of it. That all happened; but as the wind comes always
before the rain, the wind of it come to me, and I turned back, and I was not in the
storm; but that difficulty did happen at that time.
Question. Do you think the colored people intended any harm to this town or its
people?
Answer. No, sir; the colored people came here to hear the speeches.
Question. Were they going to have speaking that day?
Answer. Yes, sir; they came to hear that; but frequently, when such a thing is to occur, difficulty arises; they do not go prepared. A great many of them felt that, but
not intentionally to start anything; the intention is to defend themselves against
anything that did come; but they didn't fetch arms in town like a parcel of soldiers
would in the battle. They left them out if anything would occur, which they expected
it would occur just like it did.
Question. They expected that?
Answer. Yes, sir; of course. Hadn't we frequently heard that there should never
another radical speak here?
Question. Have you heard that said through the county here.
Answer. Yes, sir. Under such circumstances, of course, we would expect nothing
else but a difficulty should arise.
Question. But you came here to the speaking, and were not going to make any fuss
unless you were attacked?
Answ'r. None at all.
Question. Were you here at the speaking last fall, when Governor Smith was here?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Did you hear any insulting language that day to the speakers?
Answer. I don't know whether it was insulting to the speakers. I heard the damned
lie given to the governor, right there by that door.
Question. Did you hear that yourself?
Answer. Yes, sir; I did hear it.
Question. Did you hear similar remarks when others were speaking?
A nsucr. When Governor Parsons was speaking I heard murmered remarks made,
disputing him and cutting him off and stopping him from his course. A great deal of
difficulty. Gentlemen, I would call it not. proper; I don't call it proper.
Question. Were there a good may colored people here?
Answer. Yes, sir; there were a good many here that day.
Question. How was it when election came? Were they still afraid and intimidated?
Answer. Yes, sir
Question. Suppose it had all been peaceable and quiet here last year at election day