Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1865-10-14


per to-day % The remarkable letter Of Hon.
Jno H. Reagan, written in his prison In
Boston harbor While PublisLiug the let.
ter as rot Currcn,history OF ihe times,
We eanDot but express our surprise at, and
Dissent from some Of the views presented
ny Mr., Reagan, Some portions Of the let
ter meet with our hearty approval, and We
hope to see them the subject Of discussion
In the forthcoming Convention, Weallude
particularly TO the recommendations for
lengthening the terms Of office, aad for the
appointment By the Governor and Senate
OF some officers who are now elective.
In, on the most important matter discus
srI by Mr, RCagan--tho giving the right Of
suffrage to those who have been -layes--wc
think, TO say tho least of it, that he has Ia
ken an extreme view Of the subject
The Galveston News omi,a to publish the
letter "hccsuse OF It's character, both az to
the policy advocated, and as to the grounds
on which tkatpolicy isrequircd to he based Of
The Newa says'
"Tho pivotal paint Of Mr.. Rcagan'5 reyo.
lUtiou ia, probably his confinement in M
atmosphere Of radiealism. Doubtless, this
II unconscious 20 himself but there can
hardly by doubt that the locality Of his
Imprisonment, aud his anxiety TO be rcleas'
Ell, have had an undue influence upon his
opinions We do not refer 10 this rs q cause
Of blame; men iu confinement have not the
opportunity oC forming correct opinions;
but We mention il simply Hs n reason for
precauti0n In the acceptance Of his advice.
As The people Of Texas do not live IN Mas
sachusetts ut present, and nrc not confined
in Fort Warren, ii may not be 30 necessary
for them to adopt negro suffrage as Mr., Rea-
gan seems to think.
That gentleman sc0ms to take an extreme
view in the following sentences, which form
the basis of his advice;
"Thu State occupies the position VI c0nlu0rcd n.
ton. State Government aud State sovereignty arc in
allowance: aud will be 20 hold until you adopt a Gov
crnmont and policy acceptable 70 the conquegOr4, \
refusal to accedo tO these conditions would only re-
suit IN tho prolongaticn Of tho time during which
You will be- deprived of civil government Of your
own choice, and continue subject 10 military rule
Tais is not true; and we cannot suppress
our establishment that any Southern man
10 such an admission. Only the other day,
President Johnson said. Seen. Washing
ton declared that the people or the militia
was the army Of the Constitution, or the
army of tho United States" and decided
that ''the people Of the South Unjust be
trusted with their own government affirm
ing his faith that "if trusted they will act
in good faith and restore their Constitution
al relations with all the States comprising
the Union" This doctrine of the Presi-
dents is directly opposed to Mr.. Re0gan's
assumption of unmitigated conquest and
subugaton. 1t grieyes rs 10 see Il Texan
taking such position, while we are every
day publishing opposite views from North
ern men. In our daily Issue Of the lst, for
example, ne gave the speech of Hon. Geo.
II. Pendlctor of Ohio, in which he main
tanned the difference between the Presidents
doctrine, and the one adopted by Mr.. Reagan,
which latter he said was "the offspring of
moro than Yankee ingenuity, stimulated
by more than Yankee fanaticism.' The
claims Of conquest as allowing the Federal
Government to dictate negro suffrage, etc,
says Mr.. Pendleton, 1--WE must resist be-
cause "it will lead to dcspotism." MIR. Rea-
gan, however, proclaims that We must
adopt all that we can imagine the
Radicals require, even down to negro suff-
rage, for fear that party may continue mil
itary government "to the subversion Of the
civil government and the establishment of
n military despotism' That is, Mr.. Rea-
gan wishes to conciliate despotism by an
ticipating and fulfilling all its wishes, sim
ply to prevent its carrying them out for it
self. We had rather be excused. To live
under despotism would be unpleasant; to
become the tool of q despotism would be
something worse; and of the two evils, We
should prefer to choose the least.
The News closes its somewhat lengthy
article as follows:
Anyhow, where is the need Of haste? All
the Provisional Governors, we believe, except
perhaps, one, are opposed to negro suffrage.
Governor Perry, of South Carolina, sass the
adoption of it would be "a folly and Il
crime" The Radical party are afraid to
adopt it with unanimity. The Presidents
position has frightened and disintegrated
them. He opposes negro suffrage. The unit
ed democratic party Of the North are oppos-
ed to it, and adopt in every platform dec
larati0n in favor of 80 white mans govern
ment." Why, then, should Texas be so
much ahead of the rest Of the world p
Above all, why should any State suffer a
question which confcssedly belongs to the
States themselves be made test in her case
with reference to the Union The State
which does so will be untrue to all the rest
of the States and to the spirit and letter Of
the Constitution. We hope Texas will set
no such example.
/ With all respect for Mr.. Reagan, and all
confidence in his honesty and sincerity, We
think, concerning his advice, that it is Civ
On from wrong point Of view-that it is
Hs unnecessary as it was unexpected, and
that it is TO the last degree unsound both
In sentiment and in principle; and that as
it would be improper in motive, il could on
ly be disastrous in result. If
Mr.. Reagan had waited until his release
had given opportunity to survey the whole
field properly, and to inform himself from
other sources than those TO which he has
had access, or which have had access to
him, we believe his judgment would have
been different. 1t is clear that he had not
seen, at the time of writing this letter. the
Presidents dispatch to Gov. Sharkey, and
that he was in the dark as to the action of
the depocratic party at the North. Cap
ltured at the very moment when the South
! was crushed by an overwhelming military
force and made acquainted, perhaps with
Everything that has occurred since through
radical sources, il is not SO wonderful that