The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-05-23
THE WEEKLY p1oNhEER AND DEMO cRAr
s!fnrmoo 'SrAgf.gh oai1 10 3Eaiy !syoEsls
Letter from, q Union Man in Texas,

q
yer, anNextAnsive slave owner, for many years
q, citizen of Texas, and still resident of that
State, but, as will be seen from the tenor of
his sentiments, thoroughly loyal Unionist.
It was addressed to relative in New York,
and not intended for publication.] ,olilIn.
.g.98,ias Ar HOME, TEXAS, March ~, 1862.
DEAR.J.--: A friend of mine has an
acquaintance who is in the habit of :. run.
ming the blackade," who cfers to deliver
letters in Havana, and I avail myself of
the occasion to drop you q line. q
A*f -
We are living here at present between
hell and danger all the time. We have
heard of the arrest of John Minor Bolts
and five othex Union men in Virginia for
treason, and we have this morning heard of
the destruction of ten Union sloops at Nor.
folk by the Merrimac on the 9th and 9th
instants. We hear also that the Confede>
rate Generals Floyd and Pillow have been
arrested for their conduct at Fort Donel.
son, and that Johnston will be dealt with
for not holding Tennessee aid Kentucky.
Ben McCulloch, the great Indian fighter,
and the fercest of them, it seems has been
killed. We had a very different story last
week. .,.. .-.....
They keep hanging men in the eastern
part of this State for suspected sympathy
with the Federal government. The condi-
ton of society is the worst possible. The
most ferocious sentiments are expressed by
our women. The burning of houses is adj
vocated by our Governor, and nothing is
talked of but destruction. The antipathy
to Northerners is perfectly frightful, and,
strange as you may think it, the most can
tankerous are Northern people domiciled
among US. There is degree of savagery
and ferocity among them past all belief. All
the news we get is one sided. We hear lit
tie except of splendid victories of the Cons
federates, and the destruction of thousands
upon thousands of cowardly Yankees. For
man to admit the probability of defeat is
to bring down on him fierce wrath and de-
ANNEXATION if nothing worse. Northern men
are prosecuted here, and the life of such is
not worth living. After the battles of
Fooling Greek, Fort Henry, Fort Donelson,
the vigorous spirit was perfectly madden
ing. The thirst for blood is apparently in.
satiable. Thousands of men are going off
to fight, and it is said that Johnston has
three hundred thousand men near Decatur,
in Alabama. a-. .t -.-..
hope the ii ne may come when an hone
est man may speak his honest sentiments
without danger of haltar. Language fails
to give an idea of what have gone through
here, and am but one among many. I
spoke freely, especially in my own house, of
what thought of secession and war, and
shall continue to do so. Spies were sent to
entrap me, but was too smart for them.
One friend came and warned me that the
Committee of Public Safety would have me
before them, and my answer was, oh
them! let them come; III be good for one of
them" He saw the end of the handle of
my faithful bowie, and asked me i'll carried
that constantly. / told him I did, and ex.
pected to use it if occasion required, and all
assassins and Committeeman had better
keep away. They kept away, but it was
about that time that an old and good cti-
zen, loyal and true, and inofensive as
child, was led out to die, his long white hair
streaming upon the breeze. He asked what
he had done. He was not afraid to die, and
they might hang him if they wanted to.
And hang him they did, like miserable
dog. cas- 1 a~.
Some people think that if the Federal
arms should triumph, the country would
never be reduced to submission. do not
think, however, that the feeling of hatred
could be increased beyond what it was be.
fore the war. There was conspiracy to
destroy the Union and overthrow Demo-
cratic institutions in progress for years, and
Notwithstanding that heard and saw the
movements OF individual conspirators, did
not believe it until after the war begun, and
the mails were stopped. Then, by putting
that and this together, and comparing notes
with friends, the whole thing was plain.
Thousands, nay millions, were rushed into
the war with the expectation that some sort
OF military arrangement would be made
that would crush the Democratic element
efectually, restrict suffrage, prohibit natu
ralization and gradually introduce monar.
chiaI element so insidiously that it would
not be discovered until too late.
The Democratic element is still strong
among many of the people, but the leaders
are imbued with lust for Office and au.
thority, and, in great part, consist of law
yers who never had clients, doctors who
never had patients, and men generally who
had never earned their own bread. In one
respect the war has been of immense bene
fit to our people, as thousands have gone
to work doing something, who never earned
their salt before. If it will only continue q
year or two more, so as to let our folks
know what it is to be hungry, it will be a
blessing to them. hear people Boosting
that they never earned cent in their lives.
/ observe, as the war progresses, the
fercest friends of disunion and the bitterest
among the secessioDists falling, one by one,
and in pairs. Texas has lost some seven or
eight already, and needs to lose many more
before she is purged. God knows what is
to become of US. I Think famine will pinch
us terribly before July. 1t appears now to
be the policy to let Texas slide, and cons
centrate everything in Mississippi and Ala
bama. Last week we heard that two entire
Union armies-one in Missouri and one in
surrendered with all their
baggage and provisions, and that Price was
on the march to st. Louis Here and there