STATEMENT.

Upon having the officer of D. J. Baldwin searched a large number of the circulars entitled "Common Sense" were found concealed among his books and papers and covered upon by old documents. Upon his person was found a communication in his own handwriting purporting to have been written at Dallas and directed to one of the papers in the State. The "Common Sense" circular was dated at Dallas. All the letters obtained disclose these facts, viz: From the beginning of the war between the Confederate and United States until the moment of the arrest of these parties they have uncompromising adherents to the Government of the United States, regarding the act of secession as treason and those engaged in or advocating the war on our part as traitors.

In the earliest letters of Peebles in my possession, which were written in the beginning of 1862 to prove the folly and madness of the Confederate States in continuing the war and the absolute certainly of the ultimate triumph and success of the Federal armies, there is not, perhaps, a single letter in the whole correspondence which is not filled with abuse and ridicule of our Government and its officers. There is breathed a spirit of hatred for these occupying civil positions under it and contempt for the army and its general. The most terrible denunciations are hurled against the prominent men of the nation, and there is no act, civil or military, of any officer in the Confederate States that is not in the opinion of these men characterized by imbecility or a want of integrity. All the generals of the Federal Army are great men and accomplished officers, and all the leaders of the Confederate forces are pygmies in comparison. The President of the United States is spoken of with respect, while the Executive of our own Government is never alluded to in more respectful terms than J. Davis, esq. The uncivilized warfare to which our enemies have resorted is defended, while our Governor the manner in which the Federal prisoners are treated in their imprisonment . The monster Butler is eulogized as wise and discreet, and his infamous Order No. 28 is pronounced proper and well timed; and in view of the benefit derived from military governors in other Southern States, a governorship of that character for Texas is looked forward to with satisfaction and delight. Federal victories are discussed with pleasure, while victories on our part are always doubted, or, when established facts, regarded as discouraging.

In one of the letters of Peebles, dated October 2, 1862, he says:

I see even the Richmond papers, with hot mush in their mouths as yet, are discussing the propriety of the advantage of invading any of the enemy's country. They tremble for fear some unlooked-for disaster befalls our armies when thus out of their latitude. But as the cause is so just in the sight of God, they cannot entertain any abiding fear as to the result. Maybe, after a while, though Stonewall and Lee and Hill and Longstreet et id [genus] on me have gone into hell, where they are looked for, sooner or later, they may begin to doubt as well as tremble, and to fear as well as despair. These are my sentiments, at all events.

In another letter of October 5, 1862, Peebles says to Baldwin:

Your good old-fashioned letter of the 3rd instant came to hand last night. It evidence, I think, as great improvement in your feelings. So much so, indeed, that you indulge to great advantage your wonted forte for ridicule and irony. I was much entertained by your account of the "Galveston Invincible" on their march through Houston to Sabine Pass. I had not heard of that "brave band" before. They must have been entirely out of their element on Galveston Island, where there was no fighting to do. But how is it now? The telegram we read last night set me to thinking, and I must not through my cogitations yet-and about now I am thinking that, if said telegram was true, the Federals are in Galveston at this time, unless Elmore's regiment reached Virginia Point in time to prevent their 'star-spangled bantered entry," which I cannon conclude he did. I have not thought the citizens would seriously oppose them.