The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-09-18
A Southern Radical Chief.
A Biographical Sketch of Jack Ham,
ii,on, the W over of the Blacks nd
Tan Philadelphia Convention.


Tan Philadelphia Convention.
From the Houston Texas) Journal, 18th inst
A. j. Hamilton, grown insolent By
temporary pros perity, is now, true to the
instincts of Gepraved nature, engaged
in traducing Inc President who kept
him in power, sandering the people who
Orcc furnished him refuge, and who,
trusting to hi,. promises of reformation,
attempted to omote him to respecta-
bility.
1t is to be deplored that President Lin
coin should, have selected such men as
Browulow and Hamilton to organize pro-
visional governments in the South: The
ono n hypoorite in religion and black
Guard in politics, obtained vagrant
potoliety for profanity in the pulpit and
defaning good men, while Hamilton, des-
titutc of every virtue, had been branded
for wears as u kidnspper of free negroes,
the scourger Of his wife, and prlyy to
the murder Of the husband, whose COM
panion he had seduced.
Had President Lincoln known A. j.
Hamilton, he would never have imposed
spch mass Of moral depravity on our
people. A review of the career OF this
man, which would lay bare his character,
would be too revolving for the columns
of public journal but when we find
such q man believed in his ISLANDERS and
lioniZed in Northern cities, the cause of
truth and justice should be vindicated
by exposing the champion of universal
suffrage. The task would since have
been J erformed, but a respect for the
position which he held, aud the fear that
the publicati,u of truth would have
been construed into disloyalty, has re-
stIaiaed us.
A. J. Hamilton, after obtaining posses.
sion IF several negro children who were
free, emigrated from Alabama to La
Grange, Texas about the year A D. 1St0,
whefe he cont ued to reside until about
1850, when NJ Conkwrig ht was muir
dured by q hir, assassin ut night, under
circumstances peculiar atrocity. DR..
Conk wright, Ito brother of the murder
ed man, soon ai,yr published pamphlet
il Which he loldly charged Hamilton
with first having criminal intercourse
with be wife &C the murdered brother,
and afterwards being privy to his assas
sinatpn. Thar pamphlet was extensive
" circulated il texas, its charges believ.
ID b. many citizens Of La Grange, and
was ever resp lded to by Hamilton, nor
its author required TO make atonemept
for it. plblicat IN. $780,.
TIL indignation existing against Ham.
i.ton at La Ora SO about this time WIS
such that he soon after removed to the
town Of AastiI where after time he
enlisted the rpathies Of the people IL
his behalf. BIZ his brutal nature could
not long be CO, ceaIed. In 1868, II was
reported and b, eyed through the CON-
munity that Ii Tas accustomed TO whip
bis wife. IL that year he became can
didate for the legislature against John
". Banks, a plain planter, who defeated
him. The charge was boldly and pub
licly II de durins that Canvass, by Geo.
". PGsehal, 10 ah Fisk, and Others, who
now worship d Hamilton before the
black idel, I'll he whipped his wife.
The people beli~yed IL, and lie was de-
feated. His d, cat perhaps was partially
| owing to anotl fact, which we should
have stated, "a: Before the treatment OF
| his wife becamr notorious he had been
elected 20 the Legislature, and while
there was cha ged by Judge Hancock
with having received bride Tor his vote.
Part of the cor liberation for the control
| of his plastice nscience was believed to
be fine hor> ., which he unblushi1gly
rode with the rand of perjury on his
forehead. The charge was openly and
boldly made BY Judge Hancock, not only
once, but often and through series of
wears. and he never was called TO account
! for il BY Hami on Scores OF witnesses,
among the fr>t men of the State still
live, who huvr heard Judge Hancock
denoruce him IS periured scourdrel,
on The streets g. Austin.
The political aspirations OF Hamilton
subs ded from The period of his defeat
until A. D. 1855 He continued to reside
in Aus tin, and Il any had learned to doubt
the record of his infamy, when circum
stance occurred, which, though notori-
Gus in the neig} borhood in which he re.
sides, has never been before communi-
Gated TO his Northern friends. Aaron
Burleston, a neighbor of Hamilton, and a
brother OF General Edward Burleston, Of
Texas revolutionary fame, was, in 1855.
| applied 10 by negro woman, who had
been held by Hamilton as a slave, for
protection. She looked weak and pros
trated; stated that she had run away
from Hamilton's house to avoid being
beaten to death by him; that she was
| free, but had been held by Hamilton as
q slave, aud claimed his protection: On
examination it was found necessary to
dress the wounds found on her person,