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. 1977
any active part in politics. Lynch was understood to be a radical. Clark, I think,
was understood to be a democrat. Most of them are men, however, who did not sympathize with the war, and who do not take any part in politics now. I do not think
they do. I think most of them have not voted, unless it was in the last election.
By Mr. BLAIR:
Question. These outrages are said by the judge to have for their object the success of
the democratic party, to influence the vote of the negroes; has there been any attempt
to influence the vote of the negroes by violence?
Answer. Well, sir, I am not aware of anything of that sort with the negroes in my
section. I live in a large farming district. On election day my freedmlen, and the
freedmen surrounding Vtlose who worked with me-those on the surrounding farms,
rode our mules up to the election, which is some distance. The only difficulty we have
is, there is a precinct much nearer than the city, where we want them to vote, because
they will not lose time. They generally prefer to go to the city. They generally go in
a body, and a pretty large body. I can name a number of plantations around there
where the negroes go to the elections, sir, and ride our mules up and back. I do not
know any case in the county where there is any attempt to control the negroes in that
respect.
Question. Is it barely possible that the judge is a little soured by what he calls the
ostracism?
Answer. I reckon he is. At the opening of the war he had always been an antislavery man; we always knew that; but he was a man who always cared for nothing
but his profession and his church, and was one of our best lawyers. There was no
heavy case but Judge Peck had one side. He was a very charitlable mian; and he was
an anti-slavery man all his life. Everybody knew it. He made a fine fortune there,
because he did not interfere with anything; he didn't intrude his opinion upon them
until the rebellion transpired. The judge came out very actively then. IHe was an
old federalist, the strongest federal man that was in our country; and that would
nmake his politics unpopular. It was a democratic country. He never had anything.
to do with politics, and he very rarely voted. There the class of public men did not suit
his views of politics. He was not a social man; lie was too much occupied iwith his profession; he was a very laborious'man, and devoted to his church-the Protestant Episcopal Church-and to his family. Therefore he was esteemed, although his politics
and his views of slavery were adverse to the current views up to the war. As soon as
the war canme on he took a very active part, and about that time lie was hung in effigy
one night on the streets. The next morning the citizens who had known him long
took that thing in hand and investigated it, for the sentimlent was against it entirely;
and they found it was by a few young, wild boys about the streets, who not long before had hung up a Scotchman, some little time before the war measures came up, who
was living with a woman in adultery that had been very highly respectable-these
chaps had hung the Scotchman up. The citizens really did not conldemn it; they
thought the fellow-under the circumstances, they were not sorry-that was about the
amount of it-that the Scotchumn was hung up in effigy. I suppose the boys thought it
was a good thing, since nobody condemned it; and when Judge Peck came into politics, the citizens investigated this matter and founrd it was by some minor boys on the
street. It mortified Judge Peck very inuch-exceedingly. No occurreclce of his liif
ever affected him so imuch. A number of the citizens spoke to himni, and I think I
talked to him myself, about it. I had read law with Judge Peek, and, while we did
not agree in measures very much, I had a very great esteem for his character and his
integrity. I-e is and lie was an exceedingly charitable man, ad a just mnan; and while
I verily believe he believes all that lie says, the judge is very much prejudiced, and it
dates from that tlinlg. lie was told that the boys (lid this thing-a parcel of street
boys; that the citizens were not aware of it, and did not sympatlize with that sort of
thing. I think he has always thought, however, that behind the boys was an influence that wanted to bring him into disrepute and affect his social standing. Dating
from that period, I think, Judge Peck has been bitter. I have been on personal'relations with himn very kind; and while I don't think Judge Peck would staite what lie
thinks is not true, I think he is a iman of this kind: in the practice of law, he never
had a client in his life that was not right -when lie heardl his case; his sympathies
always go with what lie takes up; I never saw him have a client thalt, whatever his
crime, however gross, lie did not take up with hiin; his symplatlieis were enlisted. He
is an ardent-minlded mian wlien he is engaged. I think he is an honest, true man, a
man of integrity, and would not state anything lhe did not believe; but those statements there I must say, in all frankness, are esxaggerations.
Question. You think he is greatly soured?
Answer. Yes, sir; that hanging him in effigy soured hint very much. Then he has
been pursued by a newspaper there. He thinks these editorials are exponents of the
general sentiment, but he is mistaken. Judge Peck's family have not lost caste at all
in social position. I do not know a more popular young lady than his eldest dauglh