The Portland daily press., 1867-07-02

A newspaper correspondent sends from
Texas the following description of an "unre-
constructed" Texan:
Among the groups OF takers on politics
found one, the central figure of which was
young Texan. he served during the war, as l
learned through listening to him, in the
Eleventh Texas regiment, and approached the
nearest of any person have ever seen to my
beau ideal of a Texan ranger. Considerably
over six feet i'll height, he stood head and
shoulders above his companions, and, inappro-
pirate costume, would give an admirable per-
sopation of Roman gladiator, the captured
African prince OF Whittiers poem, or Russi-
an erenadier. A dark grey suit, nearly new.
light felt hat OF the newest pattern and fresh
ness boots whose genteel make made up for
their crosser Dimensions, broad network
cold chain, molelled after the style ola meal
SITTER, a most fashy gotten up shirt, cravat
showing all the priSmatic hues of the rainbow,
and an expansive collar constituted his dress.
He evidently felt himself well dressed, and
counted largely on the influence attaching
to this fact TO the extent that subsequently
as he staggered through the ladies' cabin, to
have heard him MARBLE forth in baritone that
song of the rustic maiden, who'll marry me
while my clothes are new?" would not have
surprised me in the least. A most noticeable
feature about him was an unwonted profuse-
ness of coarse dark, ggy hair, which iutted
out In parabolc curve from under the rim OF
his hat, very much like the capillary adorn-
ment OF an adult Albino. His only whiskers
was moustache. He seemed conscious oil
his physical superiority, for he expressed his
views with the most perfect abandon imagin-
able, and hurled his anathemas at the Cen
eral Government with like recklessness OF
utterance. s.,...-. ... ~
Go III for getting back the Union, does
you?" he was asking one OF the circle about
him as l came up, and at the same time rails
ed aloft In gesticulation his right hand, whose
expansive growth looked like full grown
terrapin; sand you Southern born'd man at
that. What did you fight for? spects you
are a fool, and don't know what you fit for!"
Hold on, yer talking a leetel too strong"
spoke out the one addressed "I'm no dumb
fool, I'll let yer know nor nothing else''
"Well, if you omit nothing else 1t Is all
right" resumed the Texan, evoking laugh
from the crowd. "Yer as much on my side as
any one else, / reckon. "I'll tell you what |
fit fur, and then you can set me down for a
darnd TOOL or anything yer likes. / tit to kill
Yankees, and Amt going ter let any live ones
rule over nue. now and make laws to suit their
ID notions. tit fur an independent gov
eminent. and I'm ready to fight fur it over
again. Pm in a Southern government. 1
don't believe in no Yankee government and
never will, l don't believe in any Thad. Ste
venses. / tell you what I'd do If bad ten
thousand such men. I'd take a contract to
pave hell with two-thirds of them, and with
the rest I'd corduroy Texas" y >t--
"Would you supervise the job yOurself?" in
CURED one of the crowd of listeners. (
.'yTell, if didn't do it, and do 1t up right,
yer may shoot me" hs replied. "Tm pretty
fun of he'll naturally; so yer see it wouldn't
come much amiss to me, and the devil would
be my right bower, any way"
What makes you SO BITTER asked an
other, against Yankees and the governments"
ats worse than bitter am" he spoke up
excitedly; I'm down on both; was worth
$4,000 and more before the war; l lost
every cent on account of the war; / lost
the only two brothers I had besides-6oes you
thirk am going to like those who robbed
me and murdered my kin? Not bit OF it,
But the South brought on the war;" sug-
gested one, land all the troubles that war in
evitably brings with 1t" aLy az 81 .-..1
sNo, sir; the South had nothing to do with
bringing on the war;" lie answered. at was
all the doings OF the North. They drove
the South to war; l mean by this the cussed
Abolitionists, and they are all Aboitionists
North They determined to make the niger
a white man, and .hongh they haven't done
that ar. and never will, because 1t Is one OF
the natural unpossibilities that can't be did,
they are now trying TO make us Southern
white folks into nggers; and they'll find they
can't do that ar, neither, cept perhaps few
fools who don't know no better"
But the North conquered the South" in
terrupted the same person, "and has a per-
feet right to dictate its own terms, and /
think the Reconstruction acts, taking every
thing into consideration, offer very consider
ate terms" 1904.
Yer make great mistake" continued the
Texan. The South is not conquered. I'm
Southe: ner, and do l look like a conquered
MP" and as he asked the question he
Strengthened himself up to his fullest height,
and threw back his shoulders, as if he felt
himself able to cope, single handed, with the
whole United States government, and then
went on to say, sand what Is more, never
wiu-never can be conquered"
Don't you acknowledge the supreme juris-
diction OF the United States government ?"
this individual again interrupted.
Nov don't yer be throwing yer big words
in that way at me" he answered. what is
it yer want TO know?" .E.sf
the United States, and bound to obey its
laws?" was the question put In a similar
phrase.
"Now l understand yer,' he rejoined, 'and
answer, mol l amt going to hang nobody,
nor shoot nobody, reckon, unless they try to
shoot me; and amt going to steal nothing,
ana gets nothing don't pay for, and amt
going to be restorated either"
For some considerable time the Texan con-
tinued talking in about the strain have quo I
ted with like feeble conception as to what
he was talking about, and his vanity and ig-
norance leading him into an error not very
uncommon South among those of like mental {
calibre and deficient education-the suppose
ton that loud talking and swearing constitute
the basis of incontroyertble argument. Al
forwards he got to playing poker, and lost
somewhat heavily. The last saw of him
he was playing solitaire. asked him if he
preferred the game to draw poker. Not by
q long shot," ne answered; 'but when play
by myself know am playing with an hon
est man and can't be beat out of money" A
remark showing that he has some common
sense even Il it be of the commonest kind