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. 1813
The CHAIRIAN. I do not see the propriety of the witness reading his composition of
a previous date, a, statement not made under the obligation of an oath.
Mr. BLAIR. He is under the obligation of an oath now, and I ask him whether that
gives a distinct and truthful account of the condition of the country, as far as it goes,
at the time; and certainly, his impressions then, sustained by his oath now, would be
competent testimony.
The CHAIRMAN. What you propose to introduce is a political letter, I presume,
written by the witness nearly four years ago, on the political condition of Alabama at
that time. My own impression is against the competency of that kind of proof.
Mr. BLAIR. I have no question in the world but if it was a case before the court, and
the condition of the country was to be examined into, and he should state on oath that
he believed that to be a truthful account of itThe WITNElSS. I know it to be, if I may be allowed to say a word by way of explanation. I did not write this letter for publication. I wrote it to Senator Wilson for the
purpose of informing him of the state of things here that I did not suppose he was
altogether cognizant of.
By Mr. BLAIR:
Question. I will ask you, before going further, to what party you belong in politics?
Answer. I belong to the republican party.
Question. Were you a republican at that time?
An1swC'. Yes, sir.
Question. You wrote your letter to Mr. Wilson as a republican writing to a republican Senator, to advise himn about the condition of the country about which legislation
was being had?
Answrer. Yes, sir.
Question. And you are willing to take your oath that the statements you made, and
the opinion you gave there, were true?
lAnscero'. Yes, sir; that every statement in that letter, I think, is literally and strictly
true.
By Mr. BUCKLEY:
Question. Did you support the republican ticket at the last State election?
Answer. I voted for one republican and one democrat. I voted for a democrat on the
ground of personal friendship for him.
Question. I ask, did you support the republican nominees for State offices in the last
election
Answcr. No, sir; I did not vote at all. I did not vote for Governor Smith, nor did
I vote for Governor Lindsay. I voted for one republican and one democrat here to
represent this county in the legislature of this State. Mr. Meridith, the gentleman
you had before you to-day, was the republican I voted for.
Question. In the preceding congressional election in the fall of 1869, did you vote for
the rQpublican nominee?
An.92ser. No, sir; the candidate of the republican party had been an ultra secessionist of the. worst kind, and I declined to support such a man for office. He served in
the armies of the confederacy against the republic during the continuance of the war.
I voted for General Grant.
The CHAIR1MAN. I will take the sense of the committee.
The question was taken by ayes and noes, Shall the paper offered be admitted? and
resulted: aye, Mr. Blair; noes, Mr. Buckley, Mr. Rice, the Chairman. So the paper
offered was not admitted. [See page 1830.]
The CHAIRMAN. The decision is against the admissibility of the document.
By Mr. BLAIR:
Question. I see you state here in this letter that you were a Union man, and were so
throughout the entire war?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. That you avowed yourself to be so?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. At all times?
Answer. Yes, sir; I was so much so, that I had the honor of being selected as one of
seven men to be sacrificed. They had mly name down at the head of the list of seven
they were going to hang here, and they took me as the staunchest Union man they
knew of, and I think, if Sherman had not taken Atlanta, they would h have hanged me.
Question. I am very glad he took it, for that and some other reasons.
Answer. So am I.
Question. In speaking of the convention which formed the constitution subfnie,.ed to
the people of Alabama, you say that " a great deal has been said by the conservative
press of the country about the members of that body, who and what they were, and
where they came from, how long they had been in the State, and whether they were