Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-09-26
For the Standard.

=
Mr.. ED1roR: Perhaps some Of the readers Of
your excellent paper would not object to a letter
from Texas occupying small space IN your COL
umns. There are doubtless many in your STATE
(my native State,) who design moving to Iexas
either this Fall or at some more distant period For
the benefit of such I wish to state few facts IN
the beginning. We have suffered very severely this
summer from the drought which has prevailed in
so many States of the Union think though, from
accounts, we are hardly as bad off as some of our
bordering States. There no rain to do the corn
crops any good after the middle of May, and yet,
notwithstanding this unusually long dry spell, most
of the farmers in this portion Of the State have
made enough to do them. 1tmay seem strange to a
North Carolinian that any thing at all could be rals
ed, with no rain on it for two or three months be-
fore it is matured Yet he has only to come to
Texas to be convinced that crops can he made here
with less rain than almost anywhere in the known
world. l am free to admit however, that in some OF
the less fertile portions of the State the prospects
for something to eat another year is truly alarming
They have made no corn, and nothing to buy corn
with. don't suppose any county will make more
provisions than will be required for home consump-
tion so that the coming Fall will be in one respect
and that very important one, an unfavorable time
| for emgrants to come in. In other respects the
| drought has operated in their favor. Monty of
| course will be very scarce, and consequently land
and other property will be very low. 1t would be
| greatly to the advantage of those who intend to
purchase land in this State to do before another
crop is made, even if they do not move out to it
| Immediately
Rains that have fallen since the corn crop was
lnatured have brought out the cotton crop wonder
| fully-and il promises to make fair yield The
| danger now is from too much rain. For the last
week or two We have been flooded with it; and if it
continues much longer the worms will be apt to take
the cotton at any rate it will be prevented from
| opening. Texas seems to go it on the extremes.
1t is the coolest and the hottest country, the wet
test and the dryest, anu has some of the meanest
and the best people in it in the world. OH whata
glorious country it would be if we could only have
one or two more rains at the right time in the sum-
mer! But since we can't always get them, We must
be content with merely cxcelling neighbors,
without going too far ahead of them.
Our people have been greatly agtated this sum-
mer about the doings of the abolition emlSsaries in
our midst. Some Of our most fourishng inland
towns have been destroyed by fire, besides several
store-houses mills, &C., in different portions of the
| State There have been repeated attempts to fire
| Austin (the CapitaD and several other towns, but
fortunately the fire discovered in time to pre-
vent its doing much damage. | see that some of
the papers outside of the State are disposed to
slider the accounts of the burnings greatly exag
gerated, and look upon it as small affair. There
may have gone ABROAD some highly colored reports,
but the truth is bad enough in all conscience. From
| recent developments it has become evident that
! there was a well concocted scheme for devastating
the whole of Northern Texas. The agents of abo-
litonism were at the bottom of it melting the me-
groes to do the horrible work by promises of free
dom, and others equally delusive 1t seems that
their plan was to cause general insurrection on
the day of the election, have all the wells poisoned,
houses burned, &c. They were then to kill the
women and children, and murder their masters as
they returned from the polls. Some of these North
ern rascals have been detected and dealt with in a
very summary manner Several negroes have also
been hung. Yankee school-teachers. preachers, and
travelling agents. had better keep away from Texas.
They will be held to strict account of themselves
hereafter The people have formed vigilance COM
mitteeS, and have the towns guarded night and day.
They let no stranger pass without examining MIN
particularly
Would it be amiSs to insert word in politics?
The present contest for the Presidency is one upon
which every patriot must look with deep interest,
for he cannot but regard it that will decide the
fate of our Union. Is it not surprising then, that
when so much is at stake, Southern men should al
low themselves to be divided on so many candidates,
instead of uniting all their forces to defeat the pow
erfuf enemy of our Institutions? Why will they
not discard all minor issues and rally to
| the support of Breckenridge who is the only cand
date that stands any chance to beat Lincoln p
Whatever may be the course of other Southern
States, Texas will do her duty in the coming cleo.
ton. There is yet, but ticket in the field.
Sam Houston, seeing the hopelessness Of his cause,
has at last withdrawn from the race He could not
possibly have carried even Texas if he had held on.
We regard the contest as being only between Brock
inrldse and LINCOLN, and are not disposed to throw
our votes away on any man. understand there is
to be Bell ticket in the State but it will scarcely
divide the votes of the State at all. It will give
Breckenridge an overwhelming majority.
Twas glad to see that the Democracy of the old
North State has again COME out triumphant in the
election for Governor notwithstanding the almost
superhnman exertions of the Opposition. May they
do as we'll for the gallant young Kentuckian in No
vember. S..
Leona. Texas Sept. 1860.