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.

1976 CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN THE SOUTHERN STATES.
Ansuwer. No, sir; I never heard of it. It is in the eastern part of the State, and we
usually see in the newspapers anything of that magnitude.
Question. You don't think it, could have escaped you?
Anstver. No, sir. If it had been published in the newspapers it would not have
escaped me. I think it is the same occurrence Judge Peck must have referred to.
Qulestion. That is the only occurrence of that magnitude you ever heard of in Calhoun
County?
Answeer. Yes, sir.
Qluestion. The judge says Hale, Greene, Sumter, and Pickens have been very bad
counties for Ku-Klux.
Answer. Well, about Greensborough they had considerable stir about Ku-Klux and
the probate judge. I am well down; the county comes up by me; in the other part
of the county it is very quiet, so far as I know.
Question. Do you know this man Dr. Blackford?
Answier. No, sir; I don't know him.
Qt.estion. The judge thinks that the Union men who have office in this country have
been defacmed by the old rebels.
Answer. Judge Peck himself has been very severely assailed by one of our papersin
Tuscaloosa repeatedly as a radical; but I could name a large number of men there
who did not sympathize with the South in the late war at all. Well, they were northern men. XWe have a number of northern men in our place that are doing business,
and are the most prosperous men wlho are there, and who, during the war, did not symlathize with it. This Charles M. Foster is one of our wealthiest nlen. It was very
well understood he had no sympathy with the rebellion. Since then he has gone on
with his business, and is one of our most substantial citizens.
Question. Is lie a radical?
Anssrcr. No, sir; he is not set down as a radical; but I don't think he votes.
Quetstion. Don't vote at all?
Aniswer. I don't think lhe votes. He may have voted in the last election. I know
preceding the last election he had retired from the box.
Questioe. The judge knows no man who has escaped defamation by the old rebels
who held office and was a Union man.
An4swlr. Well, I don't know; our present judge of probate is a Union main and a
radical. Our capitalists organized a bank; it is now about going into operation. He
is a stockholder, and considered one of the leading directors among our capitalists in
the bank.
Question. Do you think his politics affects a man's standing in any way, if his conduct is such as to colmmand respect in other regards?
Aiswer. I have a brother in the city who has been a radical-editor of a radical
paper there for a long time, He was a professor in the university until they madle a
change last sprilg. He has been pretty severely assailed by that same wpaper I spoke
of. They turlnedt hini out of the university. He took up a school, and his leading
patrons, if not all his patrons, except this man Samuel, who I told you was a republican, are deCmocrats.
Question. He is sustained in his school?
Answer. H-e has the largest private school in the city. He is all over radical; that
is, he is firmu his name is H.. Wlhitficld. The postmaster in Tuscaloosa, whose famtily
stand very lligh there, is considered a very excellent officer and a very esitiiable mianRobert Blair.
Question. A radical?
Answer. Yes, sir; lie is a radical. There was an effort made by our Congressman
Hays to get him out, to get in some man that lie lprefrred in the office; but there was
a little 11ovement in Tuscaloosa tlit defealttedit. He was a good postmlaster and stands
very hingh.
Questioa. Is he an outspoken republican?
Answer. Ys, sir; very decidedly outspoken.
Questio}n. Are there many other instances in your county of republicans who stand
high, and hold office, and are not defamined t?
Antsiesr. There are Blalir, awnd Miller, and this manl Samnnel, hoses on was killed out
there, -rwho is a rlmpblic:t. Ie lhas ione of the most poplular auction houses, and does
aqlmost all of the trade in that business-aucltion and commissioll houseI. lIc is driviing a
big business. HI- was connected witlh the court, and was miayor of tlhe city. There,are a numlber of tvery subistantinal business men therec who are northern mlen, m who did
not symp:althize w'ith the w ar at all, aln are doing well, and1 are our:most substantial
business inein —Dr. Snow, and Leach, and Foster, and Lynch, and Cllrk; Clark has
died recently.
By the CHAIRMAN:
Question. Are they radicals?
Answer. Well, sir, Dr. Snow is always understood to be a radical. He does not take.,