, 1866-12-08
GENERAL SHERIDAN ON TEXAS
klxEaIESA

General Sheridan, IN his recent rcport.
states some very important facts in regard
10 affairs in Texas It is evident that tn.
General docs not write for political effect;
he states w;:at he las TO say with tile direct
ress and something Of tue bluntncss Of q
plain soldier lie says tina! when he went to
Texas, he f1unI that the Provisional Cover
nor NIamilt on} backed by small portion
Of the population, Ind for his standard Of
loyalty adherence for the rebellion aud
glory in its defeat" willie his successor,
(Th,ocku,ofton, the present Govcrnor), had
for his standard Of loyalty, "rride in the re-
lsellion--that it WAS righteous but lost
cause, being ovcrpowercd by the Federal
Forces "Both Of these representatives of
:he civil Law, entertaining opposite standards
for the loyalty Of their Subjects" says the
General, ~ was required to support, aud
lid 1t 10 the hest Of my ability; hut 1t has
hceEen'barrassing In the extreme" The
statement that tic Generals task was en-
Harrassing will he readily believed. Governor
Hamilton waited more troops, mud declared
that the civil law could not he Gu
forced; that freedmen would be killed
and Union nlcn driven ont Of The State with
out the presence Of military support. On
the Other hand, Throckmortou wants all the
troops removed, asserting that the civil law
is enforced, and that Justice would be done
TO freedmen, Cnion men and soldiers, In the
\ courts "Ba& Justice is not donc," says The
| General. Two unarmeG tsollcrs were shot
| in Dcnhan,, about two months aro. without
| rrovocation. The grand jury failed TO find
any indictment against the would-be assas-
rins, Int indicted 4 Federal officer for bur-
| elary, because he broke into house in trying
| to arrest them.
| The Gcnc,al says: "-lv o'cn opinion Is
that Tie trial of a 1rAie man for The murder OF
a freedman, in 7s1ns, ,coa1d be a fare" The
rebel papers, North and South, assert that
| the rights Of tho freedmen nre as scrupu-
lousy guarded by the magistrates as those
Of tho white people. But General Sheridan
who has had very superior oppn, tuuitics tc
observe, will doubtless be regarded as better
authority than these interested Witnesses
I who would rc-cnslavc the freedmen to-day
If they had the power. ne tells us that tlt
greatest excitemcut will take place over
wl:itc man killed by the Indians, on IN cx
tcnsivc frontier, "but over the killing @
many freedmen In the settlements, nothin;
il dune"
We thus have it on the highest authorit
in the Department Of the Southwest, tha
John. on's so-called " Government in Tcxa
is a mere farce; that its standard o" loyal
ty"i. glory In the rebellion and grief for tn
.ost cause that even with military fore
present In the State, freedmen ore murderc
with itnpunItY; that neither Union soldiers
Union citizens or freedmen, can expect jul
sicc In the courts, nnd that the so-callc
Governor under this misnamcd Stat
: organization wishes to have VIII;
Few troops remain taken out
tho way forthwith, in order, doub
: less, that Justice" may be admin
tered as be and the rebel mob undo
; >tand it. 1t is clear that to Congress, and I
Congress alone, the loyal population
Texas can look for protection, and that the
IS no hope that justice will be done until Il
present disloyal and Illegal Government
!. set aside, and legal and loyal Goyetn.nc1
l | set MI in Its etcad