The Weekly Southern Intelligencer. (Austin City, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 10, Ed. 1 Friday, September 8, 1865 Page: 2 of 4
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Iwi
II.. —
wTThT^pabJic. And that you ultimately
will I have no more doubt that 1 have of my
own humble existence. p^xEB JONES.
®|t govern gnltUigtnttr.
INTUI. FMMÍ, SEPTBMM 8, 18 .
titled
II it ElgM t
'• The disposition manifested by the leading
radicals to war upon the policy of President
Johnson la granting amnesty and pardon to
so large a class of the participante in the
late rebellion, 1 not only illiberal bat unjust.
They would visit Indiscriminate condign pun-
ishment upon all who were in afty way con-
nected with the Confederacy, whether from
choice or because they were involuntarily
drawn into it by the force of circumstances
then surrounding them. They would dis-
franchise all such, and enfranchise a race of
men Just emerged from centuries of servi-
tude. They would regard the Union as hav-
ing been dissolved ; insiBt that a foreign
ptwer hod been established which has been
conquered ¡ that the conqueror has the un-
limited right to impose conditions on the
eoaqaered, and to prescribe who shall be es-
to the elective franchise within the
limits of the conquered territory.
This policy of President Johnson, though
condemned by the class referred to, has re
wived not only the approbation of the great
mass Of the conservative men of the North,
hat the commendations of the enlightened
statesmanship of the world. While the peo-
ple of the South are fully prepared to ac-
knowledge their unsuccessful revolution to
have been a rebellion; and to confess them-
selves as rebels against the government; that
to this extent the government has just cause
of complaint against them; yet the masses
feel that they are not entirely without cause
of complaint against the government. We
think we are safe in saying, that witb the
txéeption of Sooth Carolina, there was not a
single State originally in favor of a dissolu-
tion of the Union. It was a fact patent to
the government, that a general and system,
atic effort was being made by leading spirits
all over, the South, to break up the govern-
ment. For months this threat was daily
made with impunity by Southern representa-
tives in the National Legislature. The Pres-
ing failed to give them protection, they
sought it from the de facto power then over
them, and beeame involuntary participants
in rebellion. No other alternative was given
them. Believe in the Confederacy and swear
allegiance to it, or meet a traitor's doom,
were the "situations" offered—the only al-
ternatives. In vain did they look to the na-
tional courts for protection against this
forced alternative. The judiciary was pow-
erless to assist—the judge had been driven
from the beach.* Is It just now, is it liberal,
that these men should be proscribed by that
government which abandoned and deserted
them in their hour of necessity ? The gov-
ernment having failed to give protection to
those of her citizens in the South who were
true and loyal to her as long as they could
be—who would ever have remained so if
they had been protected in their loyalty; and
having abandoned and deserted them, forfeit-
ed her demands upon their allegiance, and
ought not now to inflict unnecessary severity
opon them for yielding to a power establish-
ed oyer them against their will. If in doing
what they could not help; if in yielding, and
religiously observing their allegiance to the
de facto government which tbey could not
U't the nation
first would not, and afterwards could not,
prevent, tbey have been guilty of any of-
fence, certainly they have already received
sufficient punishment. It was enough for
them to be compelled to witness the emblem
of their nation's greatness, which they loved
with all the affeotlonate ardor of their na-
ture, torn down by phrensled bands and
trampled upon by wild intolerant fanaticism ,*
to be compelled to look upon a Strang; ban-
ner, unfurled upon their capitol dome, bear-
ing the device of treason. It was enough to
have been compelled to live under the Con-
federate dynasty for four years, suffering
conscriptions, impressments, martial laws,
military commissions, legalized robberies,
and oppressions unparalleled in the history
of any other military despotism ever before
built up on the crushed spirits of a subjugated
people. But if all this is not enough, then
the pecuniary loss to which they have been
subjected by the emancipation of their slaves;
their exclusion from holding office and par-
ticipating in the national government; the
exclusion of those of them who are attorneys
from practicing their profession in the Fede-
ral courts, ana many other disabilities tbey
ident was openly defied in his cabinet bv I"** ""Y
t and secession; ana no effort was find themselves under, ought to be suf-
to suppress it. Those in authority- ficlent t0 sat,8fy even the mostradlCfll of
, ' , . . . those who now clamor f5r their entire dis
the government, looked quietly on and saw the . , . , 7 . , ,U1"
torch of the Incendiary applied to the build- ** indiscriminate
tag. No move was made to arrest it until condign punishment of all rebels.
the flames had fairly commenced their work
of destruction. Unauthorised and treasona-
ble conventions, called by a few individuals,
and representing less than a majority of the
votes of the State, we permitted to assem-
ble for the avowed, and well understood pur-
poses of taking the States out of the Union
—dissolving the Union; and setting up a sep-
arate government in opposition to the Union.
A Confederacy was even permitted to be es-
tablished, with a national standard, and all
the forms, officers and machinery of a real
government. Daring all this time armies
were being organised, drilled, disciplined and
«jnlpped, to fight against the Union. Batte-
ries were erected around the national forts of
sufficient strength to destroy them in a ft w
hours when afterwards the conflict had com-
menced. These things many of the people
of the South contended against with all the
energy and power at their command; but
their efforts were Ineffectual to stay the tide
of treason that was overflowing the land
Tbey than looked to the government for as-
sistance and protection; they implored her
strong arm to rescue them from the vortex
into which they were being irresistibly drawn
and to save i&e «nam-, gv^nummt
deaf to their appeals. Instead of giving
assistance at the time It could have
availed anything—at the time this class of
her citizens had the right to demand it ana
L. j
Dirt Eatobs.—It will be remAbered that
our Confederate orators and leadrag journal-
ists, early in the days of the Confederacy,
were eloquent in their denu eolations of all
Yankee land, as being dirt eaten. We coald
not fully understand the force of the termf
until we met up with the following: " To
start a baulky horse, don't beat him unmerci-
fully with á dray pin, but fill bis mouth with
dirt or gravel from the road side, and he'll
go." Uncle Sam was a little baulky at first,
and instead of beating him unmercifully,
these "leaders in war" simply filled his
moutli with dirt; and sure enough, he star-
ted. Having once started, he was like the
statute of limitations—hard to stop.
There are two spunky Confederate officers
detained on Johnson's island, because tbey
refuse to take the oath of allegiance to the
United States. One is Capt. Qusman of
Louisiana; and the other Maj. Robert A.
Stiles. While their bravery may be commen-
ded, their discretion is certainly condemnable.
But perhaps they are waiting for President
Johnson to go to them and ask their pardon.
We know some in this section who are doing
thajsamething. Of course he will do it. Of,
if he don't come himself, Governor Hamilton
will for bim. We advise all such to wait on. •
D'ont under any circumstances accept pardon,
unless you can get it
Ung arms to be used in coercing
men of the South into rebellion.
Thus was a government in feet permitted to
be established, over the active and energetic
opposition of a majority of the voters of the
South. In the State of Virginia alone, there
wero eighty thousand majority for the Union.
Tbeee men were the demoted Mends of the
Union; and were We and loyal to it, ever
moving themselves snch until a power thus
permitted by the national government to be
established over them as a de facto govern-
ment, ©rtatoeid it treason longer to do so.—•
HThoy would have remained tirue and loyal to
the United States, government to this day, if
th^y had been protected in that loyalty by
***1 J®Jern®ent- But tbey were abandoned
•Mjeft without protection in the hands of
dyWtety having unrestrained power over their
person and property. The government bav.
Pray On, Brother.
We have several times propounded to our
ootemporary of the Houston Telegraph, cer-
tain Interrogatories, which he can't answer.
By way of educating his mind up to the an-
swering point, we withdrew the interrogato-
ries and recommended him to study well the
President's Amnesty Proclamation, and his
own amnesty oath He now seems to be in
trouble over these documente, and calls upon
ns to pray him out of the difficulty, Well,
brother Telegraph, we will remember you in
our prayers—have done so. We prayed for
you when you were rushing headlong iuto
rebellion and precipitating war upon the
country. We prnyed for you, when we found
you first a " leader in secession " and then a
driver in war: that Is, staying at home your-
self and driving everybody else into the ar-
my. We prayed for you, when we found you
cheering, coaxing, arguing, deluding, driving
everybody else on to the front, and then
shielding yourself behind your yellow-jaun-
diced tripod, at a time when the cause yon
supported so enthusiastically, demanded—ab-
solutely required, your services in the field.
We prnyed for you, when w© found you advo-
cating the most odious system of impressment
robberies, and the vilest usurpations of pow-
er, under the plea of military necessity, that
ever crushed to earth an oppressed and sub
jugated people; the most infomous system of
provost marshal, military commission, brass
button despotism ever established upon the
downfall of. constitutional liberty ; and all
the other usurpations, despotisms and oppres-
sions of the late dynasty experiment. We
prayed for you, when we found you lending
your columns to the advocacy and eulogy ot
Quantrell muiderers, guerilla robbers, and
other violent desperadoes and assassins who
have deluged the land with the blood of iano
oent women and children, and unarqied non-
combatants. We prayed for you when we
found you laboring for years to inflame the
minds of the people of Texas against the "old
flag" and the people of the land of your
birth ; when the columns of your paper were
weekly filled with the phrenzied ravings of
maniac men and women, against the United
St tes, its laws, officers and people; with
u Federal barbarity " republications ; in fact,
anything and everything, whether true or
false, that would serve to poison the Southern
nftnd against the national government. We
prayed for you when, after the restoration of
the national authority, in Texas, you profess-
Dlda't Do It
Our amiable and consistent ootemporary of
the Houston Telegraph, is not a little exer-
cised because we have'worn tho Confede-
rate uniform," and served on the tented field
in the Confederate army. Well, perhaps It
was very naughty in us to do so, especially
when so many enthusiastic, original secession,
die-in-the-last-ditch war men, were at home,
comfortably protected from conscription be-
hind class exemptions. It would, perhaps,
be cruel in us to quote from the old files of
the Telegraph, the language therein used
against all who failed to go to the front. It
might possibly binder thevedftoc, of that pa-
per in getting a special pafduu—not for fight-
lug against " the old flag," but—well, no dif-
ference what exífpted class he belongs to.
We wish it distinctly understood, however,
that the Telegraph man di<T not bear arms
against the United States government. Tni6,
he may have had a friend at Arkansas Post,
who, at times, may have been in rather an
equivocal condition; and he may have bad an-
other friend ifllciating during that eventful
period as Judge Advocate of a certain milita-
ry commission, before Which men were tried
and punished for all manner of offences never
heard -of before, and eveu for "intended of-
fences injurious to the Confederate States,"
.whether accomplished or not; but as for Bro
Gushing raising an arm iu the rebel cause,
why he jus.t didn't. do it. No, indeed, he
would never be guilty of such an awful, un-
pardonable offence. Wo know it is provoking
to him, for Confederate soldiers, who were
wicked enough to fight against the " old flag"
themselves, to keep implicating the Telegraph
with any connection with the late rebellion,
and that such things are calculated to irritate
•f his nervous temperament; but we
will defend him to the last. Yea, even ro
member him in our prayers. We could wish
however, that he would " search the scrip-
tures " a little more, so as to know when
quotation is correctly made. Some wicked
sinner, who is anxious to fiud something to
condemn, may think the Telegraph editor in
tentionally misrepresented us, when he gave
to us the credit of certain italicising in a quo-
tation we recently made from the bible. If
he don't read the- good book, and search the
scriptures, how can he know when a quotation
is correctly made, and when the italicising is
done by aaóíhér. We are charltabU.enough
to excuse anything he may say against us
personally,'but if he publishes political here-
spceiat Pardon
As yet, but comparatively fc*
dons have been granted by ft,
though many petitions have u_
torney General's office and haveb#^
ded to the President for his aetlo®.
the 25th of August, less than a tl
pardons, In all, bad been granted,
case is carefully scanned by th«
after it has passed the inspection of th.
torney Generé!. Over three thooun,/
tions, from the State of Virginia «w
progressed so far as to be laid
Executive, some time ago.
the Governor of Arkansas, to
dons revoked, that had
bis recommendation, to those ,
the twenty thousand dollar txcJfinT
the request of Governor Parson l. '
ed to "accept the situation in good f Ub," advocates principles dangerous to
¡the best interest of the country, we will, com
bat them as positively as we may think neeeB-
sary. If he answers our arguments with per
sonalities and misrepresentations, he but ac-
knowledges the weakness of his cause. We
may, however, he driven to reply in kind,
We have a few scraps of the unpublished
history of the rebellioa, laid away, which
might interest some of our cotomporaries, if
published with notes and commentaries suited
to the occasion.
J. A. Orr, the Confederate senator from.
South Carolina^ and who for the last two
years held a commission in the rebel army,
has received special pardon from President
Johnson. Instead of falling in with the ab-
surd idea that Southern plantations cannot
be cultivated with anything but black slave
labor, he has taken a common sense view of
the real situation, and purchased, at the
North, a complete outfit of agricultural im-
plements for his plantation, on the Mississippi.
The Louisville Journal says that a man
named Pliiil Tomppert, was recently arrested
and paroled' for his appearance, ta that city,
for electioneering for «be democratic party.
He reported, and was discharged.
Five hundred and forty-five privates, and
sixty-seven officers have received paroles at
the Provost Marshal's office at this place.
HmpltA Off,
iwSPf
bu* alter tnfchig Hte amneatj ontli declared
that you had only " accommodated yourself
to a system which wos established without
your volition ; " that you still have a " tho
rough and satisfactory conviction of the jus-
tice and religiousness of the cause " of seces-
sion ; that you have ouly " technically asked
pardon for yourself as a rebel;" that be-
cause you were an original secessionist, there-
fore you are now " entitled to respeot and
confidence," and worthy to be trusted in
the delicate and difficult work of establishing
the civil government;" that because you had
been a leader in the work of destroying the
government, you are now entitled to the po-
sition of a leader in its re-eBtablmhment.
And we now pray for you when we find you
hesitating to answer, with candor and frank-
ness, questions involving only the principles
included in the amnesty policy of the govern
meat. We will continue to pray for you.
But, brother, if you would be forgiven: if
you would not over tax the amuesty atone-
ment, you must pray for yourself. Other
vile sinners have been converted before. Why
may you not also " come through T Be en-
ceuraged. Remember, that
" While the lamp-hold* out to burn.
The vilest sinner may return."
Read the friendly epistle of Peter Jones to
John Smith, in this issue of the Iuteliigenoer.
You will find much therein suited to yonr
present distressed state of mind. It will do
you good. Take your time, and «keep striv-
ingGet more strata, if necessary. Be hon-
est. Make a full and complete confession of
all your sins. Wrestle night and day untQ
you'^tj the ;;
tor you to give up your secession idols, bu
don't think of leaving the mourner's bench
until you have clear evidence of the " new
birth." We leave you " at the anxious seat"
for the present, and go to intercede witb Pre
sident Johnson to let you into the church on
probation; but your case hfts been so stub-
born, that we can't promise to get you into
full fellowship, until you give evidence of a
thorough conversion, and can give satisfacto-
ry and unequivocal answers to all those
questions.
The Jefferson (Texas) Bulletin reports that
Col. R. p. Crump and Lieut. Col. W. P. Sau-
fley, recently Confederate officers, were ar-
rested at that place a short time since, by
order of Gen. Hawkins, on a charge of hav-
V1! ««cation of certain Union
itt«? « *,n rk*08M daring the winter of
1802-3. It waa stated that they were to be
t, £ Sn^ith /or trial, but they es-
caped from tho guard, and haw not been
heard from since.
; «¡.í. ■
Petitioiis for Special Pardon.
As there has been no published regulations
as to what facts are necessary to be stated in
petitions to the President for special pardon
under his Proclamation of the 29th of May
last, we will say that all such petitions
should state the exception or exceptions un-
der which tbey are excluded from amnesty—
stating every exception which embraces their
case, and denying that they are embraced in
any other,; the precise nature of their con-
nection with the late rebellion and the rebel
government; whether the same was volunta-
ry, and in conformity with their feelings or
qtherwise, and the manner, spirit, and temper
which characterized their conduct; whether
they aided in bringing about the so-called
Secession of the State, and voted for the
same Or not; whether they believed in the
right of Secession then; and what their
present views of the question are. They
should state, that they have taken the oath of
amnesty, (the oath accompanying the peti-
tion) angfdeclaro id tbé most explicit manner,
~ intend to observe it In spirit and
recog%fcing the fact of the extinction
of slavery and their duty and intention to
observe and defend the laws of Qpngress and
the Proclamations of the President of the
United States upon the subject ot the eman-
cipation of the slaves—that they intend to
deport themselves in all things, as good and
loyal citizens of the United States govern-
ment: and obey its laws and Constitution;
with whatever regrets they may feel for their
past conduct, ifad desire to renew their alle-
giance to the United States.
The petitions should be swoW to and be
accompanied by any recommendatioas of
known loyal men they can get, as to their
disposition to observe In good faith any
promises they may make of fidelity to the
government hereafter.
We observe in the Civilian that a cargo Of
no,000 feet Pensacola lumber recently ar-
rived at Galveston,
■
request of Governor Parsons to I
tion suspended on all petitions wh
received his recommendation, doubt! I
had the effect to hinder action on i
tions, even from other States. Th<n
have made applications from Texu t
expect final action on their petition,
soon. This, however, should not d«t#
who are included within either of thee
ed classes from making application,
apply, and apply promptly, it will bo'il
evidence of the disposition of the peopül
return to their former allegiance to thjc
erument, and to resume their duties ssd
zens. It may be a long time before t!
plications are all acted upon, bat i
we are safe In saying that if the <
to see the government restored and i
in its integrity and magesty ; re-c
on the interpretation given to the<
and the theory of the government by the*
generally manifested by the people, i
pardons will be granted in all cun i
the safety of the nation and the subili
the Uniou will possibly admit of i^
doubtless will be some few cases, i
fences have been committed of sneh
tude, that justice may require a final r
of special pardon, but we believe then i
stances will be few compared to the i
number requiring special pardon.
Occasionally we hear impatient tpp]
express great dissatisfaction at the Blovq
ration of getting, pardons. One, over i
ous, M original Secession," twtoty i
dollar applicant," wanted to
mandamus, the other day, to
Governor'HamiltoB to act otyjggipp
application. 'He doubtlessfVreidthi^
guments of the Houston Telegraph, t
" original Secessionists and war nia'j
about the only persons entitled tot
confidence; and thoroughly coarta
self of the soundness of the position, 1
outraged that his demand for special
was not acted on at once,
others, had forgotten, that if be gets j
at any time, it will be an act of
mercy by the offended government If|
gratuity is not extended to bim at once,*
the time it would suit bis
ence to receive it, or if it is finally
from him, he has no just grounds of i
plaint against. the government or anj«
agencies appointed to enquire into thif
tion of whether or not the government (
ly extend amnesty and pardon to him.
ever gets it, he will owe a debt of (
to the government, for a gratnUoai, i
served favor, which he can only i
performing well bis duty as a good citi#
after; and renouncing, forever, not
Secession theory, but the absurd ndr
lous idea, that, because be rebelled!
the government, and tried hard to
up, therefore, for this reason aim, hekj
eminently entitled to " claim
honest and patriotic man," and to hetl
in the delicate and difficult work of <
tag the civil government of. the State-
he relinquishes this claim he need not4
special pardon.
mmM- Frwn the FroBti,r*
pfWe learn from 'Squire
Isaac Mailing, with ten men,
campment of twelve Indian in j
county, a short time fcince. The
on the red-skins in the night, and1
completely by surprise. The India"
ediy skedaddled, leaving 13 horsei( 1
bridles, a lot of leggins and moCC**._
bow, quiver, etc. The Indians "
upon, but none known to be killed
A portion of Capt MulliM^
on the Concho, se'
ed RL and Q-C.
Capt. Mulitas is an old ÍWhü
ids fighting Indians, and ii'
to give protection to tbat«
We a>e assured by Mr.
white men are engaged in <
hers of cattle, supposed to tot* k
ber, out of tho country, to
man is preparing to purw« ^
Paso, with a view of recoverinj
possible. 3 Success attend him.
PHES1
Ml,
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The Weekly Southern Intelligencer. (Austin City, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 10, Ed. 1 Friday, September 8, 1865, newspaper, September 8, 1865; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth182337/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.