The Southern Intelligencer. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 10, 1866 Page: 1 of 4
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7!
BROWN & FOSTER,
"tffifcat i it tai a map if basj lift?'
PUBLISHERS.
CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1866.
SisOlITHERJt INTELLIGENCER,
* B rnUfBKO XVKKT THUMDAY MOBNINQ.
tebms-u. sTourrenoy.
prion for S3 number ,... — St —
«26 a so
13
1 M
^ Single copy 10 eenta.
SATES of advebtkinu.
M Sanare tl SO for the first and 75 cent* for each
j¿Jjon*l iwertion.
«nAtotn, 8 insertion , C 6 00
1 SO
9 00
11 00
12 00
13 50
15 00
rmiamoT lew, thU dze type, make one square.
Ay wordJ or leH constitute a square.
rf Ilia above ratea are in legal tender. Specie
|tgLi at Ha market value, or at the rate of 3 for
******
niTlMOML «•TKBNMJBNT.
Executive Department.
I 1 Hamilton Provisional Governor.
t W. Moore PrhraU Secretary.
State Department.
uaB.Scil Secretary of SUte.
5ph Bpwa Chief Clerk.
WailnaiMter Attorney General
Treasury Department.
i a. Tariff Comptroller.
P. lite Chief Clerk.
taiBanfe ......Treasurer.
m. Ottoman Chief Clerk.
General Land Qfice.
faith N. White Commissioner.
II Meflfll Chief Clerk.
Lunatic Asylum.
jr. IGrahun.. Superintendent.
Deaf and Dumb Institute.
fid J. Van ftosSrand Superintendent
State Penitentiary.
6*rftW. Sinks Financial Agent.
Cakothera.. Superintendent.
Airival aai Departan af the lilaila.
gaujm.—Leaves Tuesdays, Thursdays and Satur-
fcmitlSn; closes Same days, at 11 a. m. Arrives
Toodaji, Thnradaya and Saturday s, at 12 p- m.
ten Annmto.—Leaves Wednesday , Fridays and
Sonda}*, at 7 a. m.; closes previous evenings at 9.
iiriveaMondays, TTmrsdays and Saturdays. atl2p. m.
Wet .—Leavss Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8 a.
a.; «taw pwta evenings at 7. Arrives Fridays
wiaaads}iat«T.n.
GoKtiu.-lmt* on Wedneadaya, Friday and
Kondaw, st S p. m.; close, at 1 p. m. Arrive on
Wedmedtyt, Friéejt and Sunday , at A a. m.
CHURCH DIRECTORY.
CfeaWaa^-ilsv. J. Jones. Service every Sun-
¿ar naming, at 11 o'clock.
CnaherlaBd Preabyteriaa.—Revs. Finis E.
fMtar, sad J. J. A. Roach, alternately. Service eve-
ry Way at 11 o'clock, and 8 o Wk, P. M.
Ipisc'spal.—Rev. H. A. Roger , Rector. Ser-
4 ra? «nadar at lOs'clack.
Cal%a)ic.—Rev. N. Felton and Rev. J. M. Geraad.
tmm.tmr Sunday at 10 o'clock.
•aptist—Rev. R. H. Taliaferro. Service every
■aSSISSL J.W.Whipple. Service every
Staief U U o'clock.
Pisakyteriaa.—Rev- Thaddeua McRae. Ser-
fie eraj Monday at 11 o'clock.
All Texts
A public meeting weekly held at
Chappy Hill declares the Washing-
ton County Railroad unsafe, and
HghS 4v be 80Bjn>uJ.X
In regard to the Shreveport and
Xnéall railroad, the Republican
ftp:
Col. R. B, Hall and others, of Louisville,
Katacky, stockholders in the company, have
advanced money to complete the road to
ftnreport The iron has been contracted
fe, the first payment made, and the money
« hand to pay the balance. The iron has
km forwarded, and is expected at Sbreve-
ysrt the ensoing week.
Speaking of the Memphis, £1
Ptto and Pacific railroad, the Clarks-
fitie Standard says:
W« have the pleasure to say to our readers,
tbr propositions have been made, by persons
<f sdeqn&te capital, to complete this road,
ai km it stocked and trains running with-
is tightaen months from the first of Septem-
ber, and that arrangements are in progress
1 bring about this result
Knee the San Antonio and Mexican Gulf i
"Railroad has been turned over by the Gov-
anuMBt to the Company, every effort is
bsisf suda te pat it in complete order. The
esnsrb making four round trips per week
torteo Victoria and Lavaca, namely:
Moadayi^Wednesdaya, Fridays and Satur-
Dr. Furgertcm handed us a curiosity the
other day, inthe shape of a green rose, a
Jipas production, but produced in Texas.—
Itliigi item.
Oír fellow-citizen. Dr. Jesse Boring, we
km, was so affected with a strange con-
VflMiiuis of some calamity in his family
Ifke could not remain absent at New Or*
, where he was in attendance opon the
idist General Conference. On landing
knafowd^ra agOfheheardf for the first
fias, of the death of his son, Dr. N. H. Bor-
% jr., from injuries received some days
tes, by an accident, on the Washington
«■sty railroad. The case is still more sin-
£1? the fact that the son felt a presentí-
of approaching death for some time
1 (he accident, and bad spoken'of it to
"l.ef Ids relatives and intimate friends.—
if (VS.
fe hare received information from
sources that a party of sol-
who escorted Gapt. Nolan to
to as a witness in relation to
IS difficulty that occurred at Clinton
1 time since, were returning to
fcpost, when after having passed
■je (Beto, fifty infles from San An-
two of the party fell behind
to often. The officer commanding
^Mpad, halted at a suitable place
ttittt and wait for their comrades.
Mime time a teamster passed
* * inquired of him if he
on the róad.
he had seen two
tog returned to
_,and found their
had been murdered and
arms and accoutrements
were ¿hót in the top of
they must lave
■ - Sled. No clue to
■•perpetrators had been found at
■*ieport8. The matter is greatly
^ ^Ms^etted. Such transactions
? Has and that of which aetatement
te,u,otw
®*wt calculated to fecilitate the
for the return éf Tens to the
n A, Xxpreu, 3d.
The Latest República* Out*
rage.
We agree with the World and the
Daily News, that the Constitution is
going to ruin. The Republican par-
J5rk°8e ^ent^8h hatred towards
the South is well known to the read-
ers of copperhead journals, has at
last succeeded in inflicting ¡ ¿pon its
democratic opponents an almost fatal
blow. The country shudders at the
malignity, the horrid and brutal
hatred, which is seen to animate the
Republican party and its representa-
tives in Oongress, who actually, a
few days ago, by a close party vote,
banished whisky from the Oapitol—
the building in which this rump
Oongress is permitted to hold its
sessions.
Oould anything be more outrage-
ous or unconstitutional than this ?
Is whisky mentioned in the Consti-
tution ? Was control over Congress-
ional whisky specifically granted by
our wise forefathers to the general
government? No! And if such
control was not granted, must it not
therefore be counted amongst the
sacred reserved rights of the States ?
We do not marvel that the World,
the Daily News, the Cincinnati En-
quirer and otner eminent " demo-
cratic " journals, denounce Oongress
asa" Rump " and call the Republi-
cans disunionists. Mr. Garret Davis
of Kentucky is probably more deter-
mined than ever before to become an
alien enemy of the United States,
and to do all he can to destroy the
republic; and no doubt he will find
a zealous ally in Mr. Saulsbury of
Deleware.
After such an atrocious act of
tyranny and usurpation as this ex-
clusion of whisky, we suppose noth-
ing more is needed to convince
Southern politicians that the Con-
stitution they so dearly love is
shamefully violated by the rump
Congress, and that the Republican
party, which continues to gain all
the elections in the Northern States,
is animated by sentiments of the
most ferocious and unrelenting
hatred towards the whole Southern
SS3S& t^'tóh^S.W'lome
individual who—perhaps through
getting his World or Daily News ir-
As for the acts of the radical 1 The United States Direct Tax.
rump Coni _ B
Civil Rights law' shows to what fi*-1H1? State Convention, and the
Rio-htn law sliows to what p*- . i\. . OMUe convention, and the
itlgMS law, snows to wnat ex mw8 pubhsbed in the « Houston Telegraph,"
tremes these haters Of the bouth Will ¡ it is proper to recapitulate the laws of Con-
go. This law actually inflicts upon P"®88 'n regard to the United States direct
«he Southern people the curse
equal rights betore tne law I It es- direction of the United States Tax Co'mmis-
tablishes law and order in the South ! 8i°nera- The 8th section of the law, known
Could anything be more injuriouB or $I!S"
atrocious . 1106 66, three hundred apd fifty-five thoosand I
But the feelings of the Republi- one hundred and-six dollars and sixty-six'
' - - - 1 cents to. the State of of Texas.
The 52d section of the same law enacts,
" That should any of the people of any of the
States or Territories of the United States or
the District of Columbia, be in actual rebellion
against the authority of the government of
]/ 1
A My
a*
KO. 45.
cans towards the Southern people
are well known to many Southern
men, who, satisfied that they are
hated and despised in the North,
come hither by the hundred to ask
for money to build churches, to es-l to operation;; so that
tabiish orphan asylums, to relieve ®ba1' be lJ*e ?utJ of the
dietrese, to set up'sehools. Others
are borrowing money' to earry on within the limits of such Sute or Territory
their plantations, are getting goods "" n",m"ki"
have been due from
I the United States at tbetiup this act goesin-
: tne iáws cannot be ex-
or District, of Colnmbia, so soon as the aa-
1 i-. xr^w thority therein is re-established, and to collect
here on credit, are coming Worth to sums w| >cb nouid
enter into business or practice their the persond residing or holding property or
professions. All these show by their ®to<¿8 therein, with the interest due at the
acts that they believe an the World I™"//811 Percet"'
and Daily News tells them about the By the 7th section of the act " for the col-
hatred of the North towards the lection of direct taxes in insurrectionary dis-
Sonth-jy. T. Evening Po t.
Mexico and Brazil. terest was raised to Í0 per cent., and by the
^ , , , , . . , 1st and 2d sections of the same act it is pro-
We insert the articles below for the infer- vided ^ ia addition to the d¡rect tax a pen-
mation of those who contemplate removal I alty shall be charged tbereon of fifty per cen-
from their present homes in the Southern turn of said tax. It is also provided by the
States, merely remarking that the report in *d .an* 19th regulations of instruction to the
„ ... United States Direct Tax Commissioners:
regard to Cordova agrees perfectly with in- chargeg> expenses, or costs, are authorized to
formation received from other reliable per-||be charged and collected upon each lot or
parcel of land " apportioned according to
valuation."
Section 3d of the Act of June 7th, 1862,
provides "that it shall be lawful for the
owner or owners of said lota or parcels of
lands within sixty days after the tax commis-
sioners shall have fixed the amount, to pay
the tax thus charged upon the same, respec-
tively, into the Treasury of the United States,
or to the Commissioners appointed, and take
a certificate thereof, by virtue whereof the
said lands shall be discharged from said
tax."
Section 4th enacts "that the" title of in
and to each and every piece or parcel of land
IfBXICO.
The Havana correspondent of the New
York News, writing on the 7th of April, con-
veys the following intelligence, which will no
doubt be interesting to those of our fellow-
citizens who are contemplating emigration to
the new Paradise:
By the British Royal Mail Steamer Con-
way, arrived last evening from Vera Cruz,
three days, we have a large lot'of retu
emigrants on their way to their old h
entirely disgusted with the globing th<
of Admiral Maury and Qov. Moore, as illus-
trated in the columns of The üíexican Times., ... ., - , -. .,
The noble veteran, General Uarly, is amonfc a£°n Jf^ not b.eenP«ud.a8
the most distinguished, who denounced thüj ^ Pr0,rd?Td,- h^LtíereiiP? beco™e fT
Imperial humbug and the scheme of coloniza-1 United States, and upon the sale
tion. He says, "the Emperor, Cariotta, norl^^rPrQVlde.d f?T> shal¿ vest n th«
any one of European nationality, can go three U®ited ?tat^' ?r in the P°rcb?ser at fch
milerf from the City of Mexico or aiy other "1®' ™ aimPle' a d d'8?\«gfd from
large center of population, without a strong f,Pnor.ll«n8' encumbrances, right, title and
body guard fox protection; they would be whatsoever.
killed at sight, amongthe people, without It *** ** pnncipal points which inter
We alBaTn-sd"-''- see letted from Tex- ««t the tex payers, except so much as relates
«¿neo, Irom the tone or ■ma,|T «11 nf to the redemption of the property subsequent
is very plain to gather tlwt they iu forfeiture"
WUliHWfcSk1 Th* Ta*-Coauniesipnera -
laws of Congress, and the
sionthat the Yankees were going to make a g T^agar^ Departmentforthelr direc-
neral smash up%f things, including plan- . thl>s., ;aatrnctioQa th rfind
regularly—is IJOt convinced r of the most happy to inform them that such has not
hatred of the Republicans for- the been the case, nor is likely to be. On the]
_ .* .« ! oAntrarr t.ninorq ata smooth IV nrOCTfcf
... .. , . _ 1 tion. In these laws and instructions they find
2. sis* -* tr siSriryasB:
They have also received the blank forms for
the consummation of sale, writs of posses-
sion, redemption, 4c., with rolls and receipts,
and have been officially directed to proceed,
without delay, to collect taxes.
The State Convention has parsed an ordi-
wished,"—we have no reason to expect any
other future.for our country than one ofdjs-1 nanfift naming the direct tax apportioned to
tingnished prosperity and happiness.—TeU- T<)xa8| and to w it out of the 8tate Treasury
9raP^' into the Treasury of the United States. The
raoii Cordova. Convention has appointed a member of this
^ Mr. W. G. Henry, of Kentucky, and eleven Board, who is the Comptroller of the State,
>nd Children were other gentlemen, have arrived bere by the ^ thoroughly informed ef its financial —
ubtttans wickedly schooner John Oliver, from Cordova. Mr. dition, to confer with the aulhoriti
South, w. ^recitehere H oth« «1!
of the malignant and unjustifiable I Radicals stowed under,—a consummation as
injuries, which this party aild its in- oertaip to be secured as it is "devoutly to be
, ,r J .1 . I wiahAil."—.we have no reason to exoect anv
dividual members have recently in-
flicted upon the Southern States.
In the first place, When, 4t thfe
close of the war, thousands of white
Southern women and children weré I other gentlemen, have arrived bere by the thnronvhlv informed' of its financial con-
oriti.es at
anil with fnrimia pnnspd thfiiñ I8old otlt hia claim and left because of the! Washi'neton, witi a view to the acceptance
and With tunous hatred caused them I difficolty of procaring bbor and food, and the onX part ot the general government of this
general unsuitableness of the place, except | proposition. This Commissioner is perfectly
for emigrants with a large capital. All the
public lands are taken up. Food is very | p08sega an available dollar or United States
scarce and high. Labor can scarcely be pro- bond wherewith to pay this tax, and that it
cured at all. There are no agricultural im- never wm be paid until collected from the
plements in the country.. Everything that pe0pie. But admitting that the money is at
pertains to living is on the most primitive present in the Texas Treasury, it requires the
scale. The clearing of the lands is very diffi- concurrent action of Congress, and the Legis-
__ . . - <?ult: the Mexican laborers charging fifty I lature of Texas; when again in her position
lefugees Bureau could not sufficient- centd for five yards square for such labor. M a stale of the Union, exercising her fun&
provide. The diabolical spirit ITbe money of the emigrants melts away with-1 t5ona( both internal and external, before any
r - - - - ~ 'out procuring any accumulation. Influential 8UCh agreement can be consummated or a
and wealthy men may, and perhaps will h¿w 0f Congress set aside. Judge Latimer,
make money. All else lead, a wretched ex- however, regards tbis mission as worse than
istenoe, without better prospect, and wish . ...
themsélveá Somewhere else.—Oal. News,
to be supplied with rations; and not Igeneral unsuitableness of the place, except|proposition.
content with that, rabid Abolitionists I for emigrante with a_ large capital. All the I veil advised that the State of Texas does not
actually sent clothing to fcover and
warm the naked and shivering, and
contributed thousands of dollars to
ray bread and seed corn for those
whom the abhorred Freedman's and
It
shown in these acts ought to inflame
the anger of every trae Southern
man, and convince him of what the
World and Daily NewB so continual
y assert—that the Republicans hate
the Southern people.
Another evidence of this Northern
useless to the people of Texas. He knows
there Is no money to pay the tax and no au
bbazil. I tbority to pay it; that it is no measure of re-
Mr. Thomas Burnet, formerly of Houma, lief to the people; on the contraiy, it mnst
La;, writes a Short letter to the New Orleans work to their injury by the delay it will occa-
Times, in regard to Brazil, to which country sion. He knows that when this tax is paid—
. _ j . ,. i he has emigrated. He left New Orleans last and it will be most surely—the people them-
spite IS tound m the malignant es- October for Brazil. He landed at Pernam- selves must put their hands in their pockets
tablishment of schools in different [buco on the 1st of December, and bpd only and pay it And we know that the Board of
visited the Province of Pernambuco. He I Tax Commissioners will continue to pursue a
says: Isteady course in th* execution of their duty
The city of Pernambuco is in about eight I and the laws of the United States, without
grees sooth latitude. It is a beautiful sea-1 hesitation or delay. ...
port town, with a population of one hundred ¡ Let tbe people then clearly understand that
tiionsand. - if they do pot pay the taxes assessed upon
Pernambuco is also one of the great expor- them by the United States laws,, within the
tatieu towns of Brazil. Most of the sugar is | sixty days after due notice haB been^given,
>arts sf the South, not only for the
reedmen, but for white children.
Surely nothing but the most vindic-
tive hate could lead Republicans to
give thousands of dollars to set up
free schools for the children of
Southern men. Eleven Northern
societies, aU of them under the man-
agement of abhorred .rtidié<f, Afcd |. d «. ___ „ Tr _ „
supported by the contributions (if ! «ry large yield—from four to five thousand I relief that has been raised by the Conveútion,
- — — - -• * ' pounds of sugar to the, acre. Cotton also and induced to delay payment; if they per-
comes well, and the same bush will yield five nut themselves to be led into future expense
without replanting. But I think the | and loss Ih the hope (hat they can avoid a
made in this province and Babia, tbe next their property is, by law, forfeited to the Gen-
province. Tbe Brazilians are backward in I «ral Government; and the Tax ^Commission-
agriculture. They cultivate only with hoes, ers will execute the law to the letter. If the
t obtain from the cane an «xtraor^n-1 tax payers are now misled by this phantom of
these Republicans who so
late the South, have employed dur
ing the last year, and are now main-
taining, in the Southern States seven
; mndred and sixty teachers, every
one of whom has orders to teach all
the white children in reach; and so
bigoted and fanatical are these radi-
cals, that they aré setting up sepa-
rate schools for white children in
some districts, where they find prej-
udice against the blacks too strong
to allow the children of the turo
races to attend schooL together.
Anótiber proof of the bitter and
vindictive spirit of the Republicans
towards the Southern people is
found in the fact that,
small cotton which is planted in the States certain consequence; let them be assured
would, yield better planted every year. I that'no Convention or State Legislature can
The country in this province is undulating, ever repair the evil; and, if reuef ever comes
with some few flat valleys, the soil of wbicb to them, it will be by the clemency of the
bears a great resemblance to the Mississippi I United States government, alone.
bottoms, and the hills a light gray soil, very The Tax Commissioners have received no
fertile. j official instructions from Washington, direct-
There is a great deal of unsettled lands in ing a change in the conrse adopted, and pur-
province of Brazil, and the government sued from tbe commencement of the collec-
great inducements to emigrants. The I tions in Texas. Whenever such official m
¡ soil and climate of Brazil are nnparallelled. I structions are given by the Departinent, the
Bis maieBty, the Emperor of Brasil, wishes people will know it without tbe aid of priva
t* elevate his country in agricultural indus- parties, or private lettew, published witho
try, aad will no donbt soon accomplish his authority, . 2 r '
... - vf xl ; I IT Q DlMAt TM i
' Suiting all those who wish to come and who
[ fa'áver had some experience in the culture of j
For U. S. Direct Tax Commissioners.
That oúr
is tobe
possesses the best water
% cotton, corn,"tobacco, rice, etc., to]
ng the bought lands in the province of St Paul, U™ a flonnBhing mant
year 1865, thirteen societies for the Where be found most of tye American emi- 8ldM there are yet only
íeürf of .'offering i ér&túlW.
ceived four hundred and two thotí- I UgS WnLÍof üifcountry is Portuguese i TÍX-. Tbe Window wd door-making and wool
sand nine hundred and twenty-eight 1 have met but few who speak English, but carding * tJI¡^^T&r
debars in e& ^Útílée 1$$$ ^ — — —* -i— .Jtoníbctortoí lle^ ftnnge«Tan,. They
beata t* Ma A
and Bixty-seven thousand
dred and nine dollars' worth of sup-
plies, of which we hate rea&on to
believe at least nine-tehths was con-
teibuted by the Republicans who so
dollar per acre.
The graves of the following Texans have
identic a* WincheMer, Ya.:
Botoriooilj h te tfc Soothert feo-
pie. j Graham, 6th Texas, co. K.
the'M«ramen? aífrem^frtí £wÍi^Sob« running, which daily turn out
the government at from forty | JJJÍQf g^^Wter domestic than
that imported from the Ñortheni States.
The spinnmv jennies furnish also every day
1000 to IfiOO pounds of thread. There are
already about thirty persons engaged in the
fcotory. aU the loéms are kept goibg they
can turn ont 500 to 600 yards of what is
called " Indian Head Sheeting," a yard wide.
—New Bravnfeli Zeitvng.
. M. H. Newman, 1st Texas, co. M; H. Hal'
linswortb, 1st Texas, co. H; W. S. Riley, 5th
To the People af Tei
name has been brought 'before yon bj
the Union men of Texas, as a candidate fo
the office of Governor, and I take this method
of giving you my views in regard to our sit'
nation, and the course best calculated to se
eure an early and foil recognition of oui
rights as a State, by the government of th<
United States.
The principles contained iu the address
those gentlemen who have recommended
Union ticket meet my cordial apprebatioi
They are such as must prevail if the Nation
Government is to be perpetuated, and such as
no one can object to, who, in good faith, in-
tends to submit to its authority, and desires
to see Texas again restored to the Union and
the foil enjoyment of all her constitutional
rights and privileges. Tbe highest and best
evidence of their soundness and applicability
to our condition is to be found in the fact,
that while most of our old secession presses
and politicians find fault with the candidates
and call them radicals,' not one of them has
dared to condemn these principles; indeed
they cannot do so, without Justly subjecting
themselves to the want of good faith in their
loud professions of loyalty to the govern-
ment.
We all profess to acquiesce in the abolition
of slavery and tbe re-establishment of the au- j
thority of the United States government over
us. If we are honest in these professions,
there Bhould be no great and irreconcilable
difference of opinion among us in regard to
the course we ought to pursue.
Our laifs and public policy, in the past,
have been framed for a society where slavery
and compulsory labor existed. These have
passed away forever, and we ought to divest
ourselves of the habits, the passions and the,
prejudices that have grown up under their
influence. That despotism over public opin-
ion, which for many years past has suppress-
ed among us all discussion of the merits of
slavery and its effects upon society, has been
broken down, and henceforth these questions
will be canvassed with the same freedom as
all 6thers that are connected with tbe peace
and welfare of the community.
Our future happiness and prosperity, as in-
dividuals and as a State, imperatively demand
that we shall as early as possible adapt our
habits, our laws and our institutions to the
great change that has taken place in oar sys-
tem of labor.
Every inhabitant of tbis State is now free,
by the provisions of our own Constitution as
well as that of the United States, and as a
necessary consequence all are now entitled to
the same civil rights, and must be protected
in the eBjqyment of them. It becomes our
duty to secure these rights by our own laws,
and to give this protection through our own
officers and eourts. If we fail to do this, it
must and will be done by the United States
government, nader the powers conferred upon
it by the recent amendment to the Constitu-
tion.
Every consideration of justice and human-
ity as well as of interest demand that we
shall treat tbe freedmen justly and kindly,
We are at present mostly dependent upon
fh&pJs>& wisb to em-
and for ourselves we must act ftWrtJQE t&tlB
in such *a manner as to secure their confi-
dence and friendship, we must encourage and
aasist them in improving their moral find
physical condition, and in obtaining such an
education for themselves and. their children
as will enable them to take care of their own
interest, and contribute to the wealth and
prosperity of the State.
Whatever may have been our previous
opinions in regard to the practicability of
making them useful as free hired laborers, we
have new no alternative but to make the
trial. All admit that our experiment thuB
for has been more successful than was antici-
pated by the most hopeful among us, and this
should cause us to be somewhat distrustful of
the soundness of our opinions upon other
matters connected with the institution of
slavery.
Whenever the Freedmen can apply to our
own courts, and secure the same protection as
tbe white race now enjoy, they will cease to
regard us as hostile to their interests, and tbe
United States authorities will no longer have
occasion to interfere and adjudicate causes in
which their rights are involved.
Then, too, tbe world will see that we have
a just appreciation of tbe dignity and import-
ance of labor, and white laborers will come
among us with a full confidence that they can
be secure in their persons and in the enjoy-
ment of the just rewards of their industry.
The question ef conferring suffrage upon
the Freedmen belongs to the State govern-
.menta alone. It has been settled by our
Constitution, and cannot therefore be made
an issue in this election. Some of the Union
^en of Texas favor qualified negro suffrage,
bát the great mass of them do not believe
that tbe Freedmen of Texas are at present
intelligent enough to exercise this privilege
properly, and in this opinion I agree with
them fully. Neither the President nor Con-
gress have required any such concessions
from us as a condition to our restoration.
8hould they hereafter do so, I am free to ad-
mit that I would concede suffrage to such of
tbem as can read and write understanding^,
rather than bave Texas remain in a provision-
al or territorial condition.
It was hoped that our Convention would
realize the necessities of our situation, and
give full effect to all those measures of paci-
fication and reconstruction recommended by
President Johnson, but unfortunately the
majority of that body was composed of those
politicians who were instrumental in bringing
about the present order of things, and they
were more intent upon preserving their
character for political consistency, than upon
the adoption of those measures which are
necessary to secure lasting peace and har-
mony between the different sections of the
country and to restore our State to that posi-
tion in which our people may again exercise
an influence in the councils ef the nation.
It is true, that body recognized the fact,
that slavery no longer exists in this State.
It also declared the war debt invalid and pro-
hibited any provision being made for its pay-
ment, and conceded to the Freedmen a greater
measure of civil rights than any other of the
late Confederate States bad previously done,
but it stopped short, of giving them all the
civil rights possessed by other inhabitants.
It foiled to declare the ordinance of secession
null and void from the beginning, as was re-
commended by President Johnson, and there-
by give aid and encouragement to tbe position
assumed by those members of Congress, who
assert the right to take possession of our
State and govern it as a Territory for an in*
definite period, on the ground that we were
out of the Union by virtue of tbe ordinance
of secession. It also made an unjust aud un-
wise discrimination against the Freedmen,.in
denying them any benefit of onr 8eboól Find,
thereby creating the impression that our
people are opposed to the improvement and
education of this unfortunate race. While it
made provisions for electing State officers, it
to provide for the election of members
of Congress at the same time, as tt might and
should bave done, thereby showing that they
were more desirous of getting control of our
State government than of resuming our rela-
tions with the United States government,
which last is a cherished object with our peo-
ple.
There is a general feeling of disappointment
and dissatisfaction with the action of the
Convention, and its failure to come squarely
up to the measures recommended by the
President, and if we continue to submit the
work of reorganising our State government
to the hands of those politicians who were
most active in its destruction, I fear that we
are destined to suffer further disappointment
and delay. It is asking too much of human
nature to require the same politicians to un-
do and repair the errors committed by them-
selves, and their associates.
AU of the late Confederate States, but this,
have . superseded their provisional govern-
ments by civil governments, elected by their
own people, whith have been recognised by
the President, who has issued a proclamation
declaring " that the insurrection which here-
tofore existed in them ¡b at an end," and yet
in what particular is their present condition
preferable to that of Texas, which is still un-
der a provisional government ?
Laws enacted by them since their recogni-
tion bave been set aside and annulled by
military orders. Causes in which the civil
rights ef freedmen are involved are still ad-
judicated by officers of tbe Freedman's Bu-
reau; officers elected by these people are' pre-
vented bymilitarj^orders from entering upon
their duties and their Senators and Represen-
tatives are still excluded from Congress. In-
deed, it is announced by authority of the
President, " that the proclamation does not
remove martial law or operate- in any way
upon tbe Freedman's Bureau, Freedmen and
abandoned lands, but resort will only be had
to military tribunals, when justice cannot be
obtained through the medium of the civil au-
thorities." Is tbis the kind of reconstruction
that the people of Texas desire ? Has it ever
occurred to you to enquire why this condition
of things exists in those States ? It is because
there as here, up to tbis time tbe work of re-
construction was committed to the hands of
those who were most active in destroying
their government, and they failed to adopt
the meas ares recommet-ded by the President
as necessary to secure their restoration to tbe
Union. In Georgia they are just beginning
to appreciate trae situation of affairs, and
the Legislate^ of that State, as late as the
18th of April passed a law giving to the freed-
men all tbe civil rights that are conferred
upon them by the Civil Rights Bill recently
enacted by a two-thirds vot^of both Houses
of Congress.
How shall k be m Texas ? Are we prepar-
ed to leave the work of reconstruction to
those who declare, that they wiü\oiúy keep
goyd faith towards the United Statee govern-
ment so long as it is morally and legally obliga-
tory upon them to do so—that their faith in re-
publican liberty is waning in consequence of the
recent war—that the general political doctrines
for which the South contended, must be admitted
before the country finds the path of successful de-
velopment, and that the present temper of the
South is incompatible with any other settlement
than an admission of the correctness of ihej¡pyfá¿
cal doctrines for which shg^eñétriííe civil war
étofáffiovr'fain?
SP_viinents meet the appróval of
our people ? They are put forth by two of
the most widely circulated journals of the
State, who are urging yon to place the State
government in bands of those whom they
are pleased. <0 call Conservative Union men.
Are you prepared again to encounter all the
horror of the late unhappy civil war for *ae
purpose of establishing the doctrine «r seces-
sion ? Or are you even prepared to hinder
and delay the work of reconstruction, while
these politicians, who are so ready to plunge
others as soldiers into, a war in which they
will never take any personal risk save as offi-
cers, can fight over again, at the polls, tbe
same political contest in which the South was
defeated in 1860, and with a like result? I
do not believe that you desire again to peril
your dearest interests in any Buch contest.
I believe that you are tired of war aud of sec-
tional strife and contention; that you desire
peace and harmony to prevail throughout the
land, and that to seeure these ends will mani-
fest your disapprobation, at the coming elec-
tion, of tbe teachings of all such unsafe and
turbulent politicianSi
We are dependent upon the action of the
United States Government for a restoration
to our former position in the Union, not upon
tbe President, nor upon Congress alone, but
upon the action|of each in the proper sphere
of its authority, and upon the concurreat
action qf both where they are required to act
together.
Our past conduct has placed us in a position
where we can exercise no power in deciding
what the action of the Government shall be
towards (us as a State, and we have no al-
ternative but to submit to the legitimate ac-
tion of every department of the Government.
There is a difference of opinion between
the President and Congress, in regard to tbe
cat aociruics
wdtTU&KÁ
Do these j
our people ?
degree of loyalty and good feeling entertained
by the people of the South towards the Un-
ion, but while the President has vetoed the
Freedman's Bureau bill he has not objected
to the main object of is, which was to give
protection to the freedmen, and this he is now
extending to them under a law previously
enacted, which will not expire for twelve
months. So, also, with the Civil Rights bill,
which has been passed over his veto. He
did hot object to its máin object, which was
to counteract State laws that make a discrim-
ination against the freedmen in regard to
civil rights, and he has, by military orders,
set aside all such laws, and given them all
the rights secured to them by this bill.
The fact that no one of tbe Southern
States has accepted all the measures of re-
construction recommended by the President,
bas caused Congress and the people of tbe
north to distrust our sincerity, and has been
tbe main reason' why the Southern Senators
and Representatives who can take the nec-
essary oaths, have not been permitted to take
their seats in Congress.
Neither House has yet completed its exam-
ination into the condition of tbe Southern
States. When they do so they will present
some plan for re-construction, and we shall
know boif for they will differ with the Presi-
dent.
Some members of Congress have favored
a general confiscation of ihe property of those
engaged |n the rebellion, and some bave pro-
posed that f
the States lately in rebellion shall
be governed as Territories; but neither of
these measures has received tbe sanction of
any considerable number in either House, nor
of the great Union party of the nation. It
is therefore unwise and unjust to denounce
the majority in Congress or the Union party
of the North as hostile to our interest and
unworthy of our confidence.
Those politicians who are attempting to
deceive you by inH'Bg the Union men of
Texas ftariirolH, put forth no principles, as
receiving tbe approval of their Conservative
ticket; you are left, therefore, to gather their
principles from the acts and declarations of
the gifeat body of their supporters. I have
already shown you that the more prominent
of them have learned nothing from the great
events of the last four years; they are still,
as in 1861, believers and advocates of the
doctrines of secession, aad toady to resort to
arms for their maintenance, whenever an
opportunity offers.
It is true they tell you that they and their
ticket support Andrew Johnson's re-coeutruciton
poticy, but they do not tell you what meas-
ures recommended by him oompoie that pol-
icy, and when you come to examine their ac-
tion in regard to the measures recommended
by him, you find that they do not give any
of them a hearty support; while the Union
men in the late Convention endeavored to
have them all adopted. The loyalty of the
Union men of Texas is not limited to the
support of any man's policy. They support
all measures having for their object the res-
toration of peace and harmony to our distrac-
ted country, from whatever source they may
come, and they support the Government and
every department of it in the exercise of all
its legitimate authority. ,
Tbe chief sponsors and prinsipal support-
ers of the Conservative Union ticket are the
same politicians who deposed Gen. Houston,
and overthrew our State Gcvernmeat in
1861. They then promised us a better gov-
ernment, with larger liberty and a higher de-
gree of civilization. They also assured us
tiiere would be no war, tod they continued
to promise periodically, during the days of
the Confederacy, that we should have the
intervention and aid of the great European
powers, in establishing our independence.
But instead of redeeming these promises they
subjected us to martial law,, conscript laws,
tithes, impressments, cotton agents, and all
the other appliances of a military despotism,
until no citizen had any security for his per-
son or property, and all inducements for la-
bor were destroyed. They and their friends
continued to control the administration of
our State Government, under which upwards
of eleven hundred thousand dollars of our
school fund, nearly three hnadred thousand
dollars of the university fond, and all the
other trust funds in the treasury, were ab-
stracted and squandered for purposes from
which our people derived no benefit, aad
finally they permitted the State treasury to
be broken into and robbed of a large amount
in specie, when on the rumored approach of
the Union army their chief officers abdicated
and fled the country, leaving it in a state of
anarchy and confusion.
In following the counsels of these politi-
cians oar people have sacrificed upwards of
one hundred millions of prepeity in slaves,
almost the entire product of the labor of the
country for four yews, besides a vast amount'
of other property. It will require years of
patient industry and economy, in times ef
peace, to repair these pecuniary losses. But
the loss of life and tbe indescribable
mental anguish and suffering attendant npon
four years of bloody civil war and tbe hu-
miliation of defeat can never be repaired.
Have our people forgotten all these calam-
ities ? and are they still willing to follow the
counsels of those who brought them on the
country; or to listen to their denunciations
of the men whose warning voice was raised
- *"■— rñscin'u f"! tne consequen-
ces that must inevitably follow an effort to
maintain them by arms ?
I do not remind you of these transacti/** '
of tbe past ia any spirit of bitter- ' *•
order that we may avoid. -* "TnT®rrora *■
the future. The Uni^ n ® Texas enter-
tain no unkind ~clfn88 Awards any one be-
cause he -"*8 a secessionist, or because be
gappjrted the Confederacy either from choiee
at necessity, if he now, in good faith, sap-
ports the Government and the principles that
are necessary for its ancceqafol operation.
There are thousands of such men in every
part of the State, who are heartily co-oper-
ating with the Union men in this election.
When we shall have succeeded in re-or-
ganizing our civil government, many impor-
tant queBtionB of State policy will occupy
our attention. We need reforms in our Judi-
cial system, to secure a speedy and certain
administration of justice, in which there has
been a failure for many years past.
Reforms are also needed in the Executive
and Legislative departments, that will estab-
lish economy of expenditure and a rigid ac-
countability on the part of those entrusted
with the collection and disbursement of pub-
lic moneys. In these matters there has been
a sad demoralization during th« last four
years.
Our tax system requires a thorough revis-
ion, so as. to make the bardana of govern-
ment fall equally upon property. Under tbe
present defective system not less than twelve
millions of acres of patented lands escape
taxation entirely. ,
We need labor to cultivate onr lands and
develop our resources; to obtain this, tbe
State must adopt judicious system to en-
courage emigration, both from the North and
from Europe.
We need railroads to facilitate travel and
the transportation of our products to mar-
ket. We are far behind oar sister States in
these advantages. If we desire their con-
struction at an early day, some aid must be
extended to such enterprises by the State.
Our educational system has bee* entirely
neglected during tbe war, but our amended
Constitution secures us a magnificent fund,
with which, if honestly and judiciously ad-
ministered, we may hope soon to build up a
system of schools that will educate every
child in tbe State.
Our frontier settlements are subject to
constant forays from tbe Indians, which
greatly retards their progress. This evil
should be remedied, and doubtless will be,
if onr Government acts in harmony with that
of the United States.
It was not my wish to become a candi-
date for the office of Governor, but I have
done so at tbe request of those who believe
that the surest mode of relieving ourselves
of military government and restoring our
State to tbe Union in tbe exercise of all its
constitutional authority, is to place our Gov-
ernment in the hands of those whose feelings
and opinions, in regard to public affairs, are
known to be in harmony with the Govern-
ment and people of tbe Union.
There are times when the Press and aH
candidates for public office should speak
manfully and truthfully, and call things by
their right names. Those who encourage
and endeavor to keep alive sectional strife
and bitterness, and hate towards the people
of the North, or tbe Congress, or any de-
partment of tbe United States Government,
are not loyal citizens, and do not, in good
faith, keep their oaths of amnesty.
There can be no permanent peace and
prosperity until kindly feelings and inter-
course are resumed between tbe different
sections of the conntry, and those who eon-
tribute, by their counsels and example, to
produce this desirable result, will deserve
tbe respect and confidence of our citizens.
E. M. PEASE.
Aran*, May 1st, 18S6.
On Monday. March the SOth, Shoat Reeves
shot, and instantly killed, Mart Jones, in
Wood county. Both parties fired almost at
the moment Jones' shot entirely miss-
ed Reeves. Reeves' shot struck Jones in the
region of the heart.—Quitman Clipper.
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The Southern Intelligencer. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 10, 1866, newspaper, May 10, 1866; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth180047/m1/1/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.