Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-28
A SOUTHEN RADICAL CHIEF
ABIoGRAPHCAL SKETCH
MOVER OF THE BLACK-AND-TAN
PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION.
From the Houston Texas Journal. 18th inst.l


stincts Of depraYed nature, engaged in ira
ducing the President who has kept him il
power, slandering the people who once fur
Dished him a refuge, and who, trusting Il
his promises Of reformation, attempted Il
promote him 30 respectability.
Il is to be deplored, that President LIN
colin should have selected such men a
BROwNLow and HAMILTON, to organic
provisional governments in the South. Tn,
enc, n hypocrite in religion, and BLACKBOARD
in politics had obtained vagrant nctoriety
for profanity in the pulpit, and defamins
good men, while HAMILTON, destitute Of
every virtue, had been branded for years, as
a kidnapper Of free negroes, the scourger o.
his wife, and priyy TO the murder Of the
husband, whose companion he had seduced
Had President LINCOLN known A. j.
HAMILTON, he would never have imposed
such a mass Of moral depragity on ouI
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 a man be-
lieved in his ISLANDERS and lionized in North
em cities, the cause of truth and Justice
should be yindicated by exposing the cham
pion Of universal suffrage. The task would
since have been performed, but a respect for
the position which he held, and the fear
that the publication Of truth would have
been construed into disloyalty, has re-
strained as.
A. j. HAMILTON, after obtaining posses
sion Of several negro children who we're
free, emigrated from Alabama to La Grange,
Texas, about the year A. D. 1913, where he
continued 10 reside until about 1850, when a
Mr.. CoNKwRiGHT was murdered by hired
assassin at night, under circumstances of
peculiar atrocity. DIR. CONKwRIGHT tie
brother Of the murdered man, soon after
Published pamphlet, 10 which he boldly
charged HAMILTON with first having crimi-
nal intercourse with the wife Of the muir
dered brother, and afterwards being privy to
his assassination. That pamphlet was extern
sively circulated in Texas, its charges be-
lieyed by many citizens of La Grange, and
was never responded TO by HAMILTON, nor
its author required TO make atonement for
It's publication.
The indignation existing against HAAfIL-
TON at LaGrange about this time was such
that he soon after removed 10 the town Of
Austin, where after a time he enlisted the
sympathies Of the people in his behalf. But
his brutal nature could not long be concealed.
In 1858 il was reported and believed through
the community, that he was accustomed 70
whip his wife In that year he became a
candidate for the Legislature against JOHN
w. BANKS, a plain planter. who defeated
him. The charge was boldly and publicly
made during that canvass, by GEORGE w.
PAsCHAL, JOSIAH Fisk and others, who
now worship with HAMILTON before the
black idol, that he whipped his wife. The
people believed it, and he was defeated. His
defeat perhaps was partially owing to another
fact, which we should first have stated, viz /:
Before the treatment Of his wife became no.
torious, he had been elected to the Legisla-
ture, and while there, was charged by Judge
HANCOCK with having received a bride for
his vote. Part of the consideration for the
control Of his plastic conscience, was believed
to be fine horse, which he unblnshingly
rode with the brand of perjury on his fore
head. The charge was openly and boldly
made by Judge HANCOCK, not only once
but often, and through series OF wears and
he was never called 10 account for il by
HAMILTON. Scores Of witnesses, among the
first men Of the State, still live who have
heard Judge HANCOCK denounce him as a
periured scoundrel, on the streets Of Austin.
The political aspirations Of HAMILTON
subsidized from the period Of his defeat until
A. ID. 1858. lie continued % reside in Aus
tin, and many had learned to doubt the re-
cord Of his iniamy, when a circumstance oc-
CURED which though notorious in the neigh
borhoOd where he resides, has never been
before communicated 20 his northern friends.
AARON BURLEsToN neighbor of HAMr.-
TON, and brother Of Gen. Ed. BURLEsToN,
of Texas revolutionary fame, was in 1858
applied 10 by n negro woman who had been
held hy HAMILTON rs n slave for protection.
She looked weak and Frustrated; stated that
she had run away from HAMILToN's house
20 avoid being beaten 10 death by him; that
she believed she was free, but had been held
by HAMILTON rs a slave, and claimed his
protection. On examination, il was found
necessary 10 dress the wounds upon her per-
son, inflicted by the lash, and so severe were
they that her clothing had TO be sponged
from her person, and the worms already at
work on the neglected sores These details
are revolving, but the cause Of Justice re-
quires them to be stated.
Soon after this Mr.. BURIEroN Whose
social position is equal TO that Of any man
in Texasl investigated the statements of the
negro in regard 20 her freedom, and found
they were true. HAMILTON, finding that
his appropriation Of this woman years be-
fore, would be exposed, made no effort 10
obtain possession Of her again. Soon afler-
wards she appeared in open court, in Travis
county, Texas, and selected 3 master for
herself under the law which required free
negroes 20 select masters, and was decreed
10 be his property. Therocord is there unto
this day. BURLEsToN still lives. The
CoNKwRIGPr pamphlet can still be prodno-
ed. Judge HANCOCK, who has denounced
HAMILTON as periured scoundrel, is now
in Texas, and will be our next Senator; and
we dare A. j. HAMILTON to deny the truth
OF The statements as above made.
So much for the private character Of the
man who galvanized the sneaking EZEK1EI.
and a few others of contemplate notoriety,
and who now stands close by the bosom Of
his master THApEUs, 90 spawn his ISLANDERS
in the ears of ianatical listeners, and TO ira
duce the true aud loyal men Of Texas
Tho political record Of HAMILTON, is as
little understood by our Northern brethren
as his private character. From AID. 1853
until 1857, he stood almost solitary and
alone, the uureasoning champion for the inn
mediate secession Of Texas. and so remained
until his sudden and mysterious conversion,
under the manipulation Of priests who Off
ciaied in the temple Of HAM. IL any one
denies that HAMILTON was for years in favor
Of immediate, and, il necessary, of bloody
revolution, to accomplish secession, on ac-
count OF the iniermeddling OF the Northwith
slavery, we refer him 10 Gov. LUBnoCK, 70
Gov. REYNOLDS, and 60 every prominent
gentleman who resided in Austin, fcom 1858
TO 1858.
Such are a few Of the anieccceuts OF the
man, who, aiter preaching secession for FIVE
years in the State Of Texas, became treach-
erous 90 his own convictions, at the moment
when they became thepolicy Of the State
fod from our borders 10 fatten on our mis-
iortunes-returned after cur deiest TO gloat
with fiendish exultation over the graves Of
our kindred, and has now returned to the
North, the hrazen-iaced and hired champi-
on OF Islander.
We have now discharged public duty,
too long DELAYED. Every statement here
made We stand ready to make good by host
OF creditahle witnesses, and by the public
records Of the country.
Il is due 10 the Northern people that they
should know who this man Is. who turns with
paricida hatred against the State in which
his children were born, aud clamors for her
ruin. IL is due 10 the Federal officers and
soldiers Incur midst. that they should know
the charaeter Of the official witness against
our people, who has elamored for Military
Commission, and more blood, and i is
due 70 ourselves that We should expose the