New-York tribune., 1866-04-24
The momrnteus struggle in Texss-Gov. A. !.
pLamilto1.

STR: am unaccustomed TO write for the public press
and perhaps what Imay say would command moro atten-
ton over fictitious name. Mine is less known to fame
than would be that Of Junius," Aticus" other
nom de plume. But those times when every man
should take the~ssponsbty Of his facts and sentiments
for none can weigh the value Of single fact wemed
utterance through the nodium Of the public prints
ANDREW j. HAMILTON the subject of this article, is
little known 70 fans and however clover he Is as man.
all that he oye did or said is only valuable IL illustrates
great living truth And certainly the history Of this
man. during the last ten years. presents one Of the
most striking examples OF individuality Of any other upon
/ the public theater.
His reputation up to the year 1856 entirely proviD
cia. He was known good lawyer apowerful criminal
advocate and very consistent politician Since that
time the Of A. j. Hamilton has been growing more
and moromationa until to-day he has the proudest pot-
! cal record of any civilian in the nation.
The last public notice Of Gov Hamilton is that he has
mede speech az Austin in which he took issue with tho
Texas Convention; denounced the most Of their ord
nanees and appealed from the Convention to the People
of Texas Il is 70 this appellant the appeloos and tho
tribunal which to decide, that would invite the aten-
on Of the thinking reasoning, sympathetic public TO-
day a. j. Hamilton stands to-day whore he has stood
for ten years-in the minority with bis neighbors not
because he is personally unpopular for he is not All who
know him admit that be possesses liberal SOUL and
that he owned the whole world its good things and its
wealth would soou be far moro equally and justly dis
ubgied tbsh al present and that very soon Hamilton
! would Own the smallest sasTe
He never breathc1 moan or selfish sentpslt in his
@ he ncyor shut his pur,o to shy one IN want or refused
his name when hl purse cmps no mover i9ihd an
poor devil 50 low that ho voll plead hs cause with
out money and without price. Ho rose from tho " mud
ss;" he of The people and has deep well Of
sympathy with thom, ard unchangng confidence IN
tho vlr;ue integrity and intelligence of the masses
Faults he has but they proceed from genial soul over
flowing with generous kindness Enomes deep and bitter
he has but they enemies because they ike not the
great truths this child ofnaure illustrates Why hen
is Andrew j. Hamilton yet in a minority with lis neigh
bors with the representative who lead and control
the voting population Il may look like presumption in one
so young myself and who also in the minority position
10 venture an opinion that the facts will demon
sats Hami,on has been the ungeky po
neer Of cautious ciTA.zaoa one who has sam the
forests and M tho rich Larvests those who had not the
courage penetrate tho woods and Jungle In 1886 Hamilton
was rcoga,si a. the ealng d1scrao orator OF Texas In
the convention OF that year he Illustrated by speech power
fu flr soiaeucs aad logic TIA 40 rsn. 81 suffrage oe
iongel States ali that tae KroW Nothing
ideas u ths effect OF cit xnshp - naturalization were found
ei IN e.or lie placed uPDa the baoasnan ticket as an
ecor But 10 had he commenced tho canvas than
his notions Of Territorial law sad the rights Of American eiti
1ens when incorporated into government, to legate io
themselves a. 10 every mauicp right subject ony to the
Consultation and OF the United States most bitterly
as,siei Tls principle was plain and simple 1t
sefevidert that hardly capable OF demonstration, but
il was denounced "sluaer sovereignty. And while
hundred opposing urged. tho whole arguments
themselves into the hEpohes that the negro was
property bnt 10 Kind Of property which could be car
rel into tho Territories of the United States and
held thoro a. slave pte any legislation OF the National
Cosr,. OF Of the incorporated Legislatures the Territories
bu that someNhcrc time that the people threw of
the ohry.a state Of territory "inchoae state sndhsVe
lnslci Into them "sspre.ry b. the aasenbago Of con
rs.ioa or tho admission into Calon these people
Who oor not with he aid of Congress keep Slavery ont Of
tho Toe on society might destroy Il a, their viii In the fa
lsdsed Ga tao Other haId thefo extremists who ar
gred that lie common territories sacrcdy dedicated
o. f.e labor" that ,ie combined power Of Congress and the
,erorii governments cold no. protect property In man
~ law uatu the Interesting posod Of CESSATION when
the assembled conceived so7creigDty and gave birth
% slave STATE according tho viii In the hour Of
tho ofrhe nusins mother. II almost impossible to
observe respectful gravity toward hese strange lessons which
crowded out ao.i every other species o. political and aEid
cal literature long years Of unprecedented agitation n
TIN. country suspect that the critical historian may say
that tie false opposite cosc.ioa grew out Of erroneous prem
ses that although the land in the territories was common
property subjec the disposition Of the common Legislature
tha, tho right to prescribe the Of LIE liberty and proper
IT, subject 10 organic law there belonged to the inhaba
ae the same manner Of other communities In the United
States and at the bug ~ sguater sovereignty was
moi in the epitc or no coined adjective but in total msoon
c,ion NJ the noun substantive applied 70 State or Ierro
risl government
Had men better understood their words there would have
been moro agreement, Bot bowever deeptn the well the
truth ay the logic did not convince Gov Hamilton Of bis
imn ab
error for the But after became undis
gucd historical fact that great conspiracy had been formed
for the destruction OF tho Uon that dogmas and absi actions
we're created and s,ced to promote this ono Satanic object
that our rights in the Territories carried along the right
to inpor. all Africa to stock .heD Gen Hamilton met the
issue fairy sluiry He became the Union candidate io
Congress for tho Western District Of Texas against Goa
T. n Ward South Caroina nnlher. Hamilton hal to
pack the Atlas OF "squat.sI sovereignty shle Ward was
boosted upon the inviting Of that State sovereignty
which acknowledges no bond Of union that may not
be broken upon days notice and drunken vote
But there then something In the name OF the Con'tu
,on aud tho Union when advocated By such Hami
ton and Houston.
They were elected In spite Of the charge Of "squatte
sovereignty and the still terrible charge of nnsound
ness upon the Slavery question"
II was even then noticeable by Hamltons friends that he
did not propose swallow the negro whole He seemed to
have very strong sympa.hie for the aborng tong whites
and he was disposed Slavery whore the Constitution
and the laws loft IT, lie elected BY triumphant majority
The fact that his veywsnt OF entire harmony with party
amos, elected him Speaker Of tho House Is well remembered
That lie the support OF Douglas ia historical
Hence he was prepared Cor the eloquent warning which he
gave his constituents aer the Charleston split aud when the
precipitancy q revelation" longer concealed
Even aer election OF kr. Lincoln the eloquent appeals
OF Hamilton made treason shrink aad ITS authors .or tine
trembe
During his Of tho Committee OF Tbirtyone
for a compromise Gov. Hamilton more fecely de-
pouuced than Andrew johnson because his constituency
hercer spirits