The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-05-05
Acts Of the Texas Convention-Their
Committee Wait upon the Presi.
dcuf--TYfs Reply. 4 @

On Thursday highly interesting 'h'ei
view took place between the President ana
committee, composed OF John hancock,
J. ". Henderson, X. ii. Lane, and }. a.
Porter, appointed by the Convention OF the
State of Texas, who, in person, delivered
to the President official copies OF the ordi-
nances adopted by that body.
Judge Hancock, on behalf of the COM
mittec, addressed the President, in sub
stance, as follows:
Mr.. President, We have been directed
by the Convention of the people of Texas
to present to you the ordinances OF gene
raj character adopted by that body, ana 10
assure you, and through you the natlomai
authorities, of the loyal and pacihc dis
position of the people of our State.
The Convention, deeming 1t eXpedleIt
to reform and amend many OF the proVi-
sions of the Constitution of the State, the
session was somewhat protracted, extend
ing. from the 18th February last to the
25th of April. But on those SUBJECTS
which have arisen as results OF the late
unfortunate civil war, entire unanimlty
of sentiment was manifested by the men,
bers as to the general scope and object
of the action to be taken to testify the
good faith of the people OF Texas III theii
acceptance of the results Of the war, ana
the sincerity of their professions OF loyalty
TO the Constitution and the Union OF the
States hereunder.
We have the honor to present you Official
comics of the ordinances adopted by the
Convention on these subjects, ana 10 'hcil'
we invite your attention.
It will be seen that, by the most solemn
acts of organic law, the Convention
declared null and void the ordnance
termed the ordinance of secession, ny
which part of the people OF leSaS, Oh
the lst of February, 1861, declared their
purpose to separate the state from lne
Federal Union and nG'N outstanding the
voices and opinions Of n..,hy OF the mem,
bers entertained in the past, the loved ana
fondly cherished sentiments of many OF the
citizens of the State, the Convention, re-
cogpizing the supremacy OF the ConStltu-
ton of the United States and OF laws
passed in pursuance thereof, renounced the
claim of a right on the part of the State OF
Texas to secedc from the Union.
The entire debt growing out OF, and ac-
cruinr during the war, the Convention de-
clarcd null and void, and prohibited the
Legislature from assuming or making any
provision for the payment Of any portion
thereof.
By constitutional provision the Convcn-
ton recognized as free those persons here
toforc held as slaves, and declared that
hereafter neither slavery nor involuntary
Impnt
crime. shall exist in our State. Freed
men are protected in their right OF per-
son and property, enabled to contract and
to be contracted with, to sue and to he
sued, to acquire, hold, and transmit pro-
pcrty, and to testify as witnesses IN the
courts whenever any interest or right OF
anv of them may be involved, under the
same rules of evidence applicable to the
white race; thus securing to them by con-
stitutonal provisions equality before the
law, leaving no material right subject to
the contingency of legislative action not
doubling, however, that this class of per-
sons, so long as they remain among us,
will receive ample protection in their
rights from all departments Of the State
government.
On all these subjects the Convention
has spoken diSpaSSionatcly, and Ill good
faith, what they believed TO be the Sent-
mcnts of the people of Texas.
When to these acts are added the clrculn-
stances connected with the manner i'll
which the sodicry Of Texas laid down
their arms and returned to their homes
and peaceful avocations, despite the au-
thority of their officers, when their judg-
mcnts were convinced that further resist
ance would only augment the calamiticS Of
the war, without waiting for the arrival Of
a national force to accept their surrender,
and that since that time these people have
readily conformcd to all requirements
made of them sby the United States Go
vernmcnt, we think there will be few
instances found of people giving higher
evidences Of their reliability, or the sim
ccrity of whose professions Of loyalty
should inspire greater confidence. a
brave and chivalrous people, who have
given earnest such as these of their faith
and loyalty, deserve to be trusted. \
magnanimous and just people ought not to
desire to maintain military rule over them
when they are ready and willing to do their
duty as good citizens.
For some months after the breaking up
of the Southern armies the public mind OF
Texas gave unmiStakable assurance of
feeling of gladncSs, and hope Of an early
return to peace, law, order, and good GO
vernment, of which they had been so long
deprived. They remembered that the
/ National Congress had claimed that Il
/ State had not the constitutional right to
secede from the Union, and the ott-rc-
peatcd declarations that the seats of
Southern members in Congress, though
vacated, were there to be occupied when
those III rebellion against the Government
should lay down their arms and return to
their rightful allegiance. They believed
that such would be the policy of the Co
vernmcnt, and rejoiccd in the hope Of an
early restoration of all the integral parts
of the Union to a position of political
equality, without which republican insti-
tutions may linger for a time, but must
soon perish. We regret that truth and
candor compel us to admit that these de-
monstrations of hope and patriotic desire
have, to some extent, given place to feel
ings of doubt and dependency, attributa-
BILE in the main to two circumstances-firSt
the powerful efforts that have been eX-
erted in Congress to exclude thcretrom
representatives from other States similarly
situated, while the people are to be taxed
as those who are fully represented; and
second, the course of the military autho-
rity toward the people of Texas in holding
it as a conquered country, appropriating
n.