The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-21
The CoIored People Of Texas.


The sad events that lately visited us, and
from which we are now recovering under the
powerful influence of Northern indignation,
should not deter us from looking into the con-
dition of our colored brethren in the neighbor-
ing States. We have been for some time receiv-
ing from Texas information of q discouraging
character. It Is said that "the Rebels refuse to
let the colored people have their fields next
year" that "the freedmen are crushed and
abused that ''they have nothing to expect but
persecution, poverty, destruction, conhagration,
robbery, famine and untlmely death" Still
they are "a good stock of men, brave, progress
ing, and anxious to come forward and upward;"
they are industrious. thrifty and some of them
wealthy coloTed people," |af.H. .f
From the condition of the laborers in some Of
the parishes OF our State, and from our personal
acquaintance with the unscrupulous and pre-.
JUDGED planters of Texas, we can iairly Judge
the intolerable suferings under which labor the
colored population of that Reighboring State.
Still we do not despair. Far from it; we be-
Ieve the time has come when the nation will be
awakened, through the very excesses OF the old
pro-slavery men, to the urgency of protecting
the 'pariahs" of the South. The question is
not peculiar to Texas. The same bitterness, the
same afeeling against the colored people, the
same injustice 10 them, exist, more or less,
through all the Southern States. The Civil
Rights bill was contemplated by Congress as a
securing their rights to all citizens.
The next step will be 10 practically enforce
that bill. We have seen in Louisiana how the
United States Commissioner exercised his autho-
rity in the remotest parishes through the inter-
ference of the military authorities. We nave
seen him bringing into Court planters, citizens
justices OF the peace, ana other magistrates,
who had violated the rights OF the colored clti-
zens. We have seen how the would-be assassins
OF our friend Ruby were brought, by military
guard, from distant parish, to bar of the
United States Commissioner at New Orleans.
And although many outrages and many injus-
| tices go unpunished still the work of redress
has begun, and these efforts must impart to our
brethren some confidence for the future
We know that Texas is large State, where it
VIII be at all times nearly impossible tor the
military authorities to control all the counties.
| But the military is not present in all the pa
riches OF Louisiana, or in all the counties of
South Carolina, Mississippi, and other Southern
| States 1t has been found difficult everywhere
| to enforce the law, with the means now at the
| disposal of the Government; and that very
| difficulty will bring with it remedy to our
sutierings. ..... Fl. .. .... .slrr r..'..
The organization of loyal militia will.
4 through the necessity of the case be one of the
q objects submitted to the next Congress. The
militia alone can be present in all the towns and
villages, and protect at all times the loyal citi-
4 zens. loyal militia will be a force always in
readiness to control the movements of the Rebels,
and compel them TO obey the existing laws.
Already, in the State of Missouri, loyal
u
1 none but loyal men are allowed to belong to
that organization. Since that militia has been
| set on foot, protection has been extended to all
| loyal citizens, irrespective OF color; outrages
| in the country have become nearly unknown;
and security has returned to the State
The recent riots of Memphis and New Orleans
will demonstrate the necessi y for the loyal men
| of setting up some means of self-protection.
I Should the State Legislatures continue to prove
| themselves dlsloyal, then Congress will un-
| doubIedlystake the marLer in hand and pass the
| bill OF Senator Wilson, or any other bill calcu-
| lated to attain similar object. A loyal militia
| will be organized, irrespective of color; and
Rebels and Ead men will IN that way be checked
| and overpowered. The laws must be enforced;
| # they were not, it would be dishonor for the
| United states Government. No standing army,
| even ten times more numerous than that which
exist now is able to enforce the la in all parts
Of the Southern States; therefore, the armIng OF
the loyal men has become matter of necessity.
| And " bo are the loyal men of the South? They
are mostly the colored citizens. .
I So we regard that militia organization as an
unavoidable result, which will force itself upon
| the country. 1t may be delayed some months
| longer. But it has come, as condition OF the
| nations honor as well as the hurting of two
hundred thousand BLACK men on the battlefield
| was necessity fthe nations life.
| We feel, therefore, that the present suf'erings
| of our Texas brethren will be relieved. Mean
| while prudence, forbearance, sacrifice, for the
sake of patriotism, may be commended. The
| actual means of living must make the great OBJ.
| ject of the colored men at the present time
| According to law of Congress, all those who
| wish to settle upon eighty acres OF land can do
| SO in five of the Southern States. Louisiana and
Arkansas will offer particular inducements to
| our Texas brethren. A special agent of the
| Freedmens Bureau in New Orleans, and one in
Little Rock, have charge of this matter.
EverY loyal citizen over twenty one years OF
age-or, if younger, every head of family and
every discharged Union soldier-has right 10
enter (belore the 3lst of December next these
eighty acres, with paying five dollars to the
| Bureau. After five years he will receive the
| title to the land, and become the owner Of it, by
paying five dollars more. There are in the
| parish of Ca!casleu, near the dividing line
| between Louisiana and Texas, vast tracts OF
| public lands which could be entered in that
| way. A large number OF coored Louisianians
have already applied for entries there, and
| villages with truly loyal inhabitants will un
| doubtedly spring up in a short time.
The settlement of the colored men on land OF
| their own is one of the best plans that can be
| devised for them. But we repeat, our confidence
| IN the wisdom and humanity OF Congress is un-
| bounded. Protection will finally be extended
| to all by the organization of loyal militia.
| The very necessities of the political situation
1 will bring forth such a result. Meanwhile, let
| our brethren have energy, thrift industry. And
| let them look for settlement where they can
| obtain land either in their State or in the neigh
| boring ones.