Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-09-07
PROTEST OF GOV. THROCN.
( '1a7 zri erie MORTON. EHfhGlH.
A Narrowing Recital of Federal Out
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We are in receipt of the Texas State Ga
sette, containing lengthy protest by Gov
ernOr Throckmorton against the order of
Sheridan removing him from the Office to
which he had been called by the voice of
his people. We cannot find room for the
entire document, but the following extract
will show how strong is the "'case' the
Governor make out against the oppressors:
| The property of citizens has been used
without compensatiOf-not in a few isola-
ted cases, but in many; not alone the prop
erty of those who engaged in the war
against, but of those also who were through
the struggle, and are vet loyal to the Gen
eral Government. Wellington. punished
with great severity, any interference with
private property. by his officers or soldiers
Scott and Taylor pursued the same course
in Mexico. IT has been the boast of the
lGovernment and the people that they did
so. Yet here. when the strife of country
men had ceased, and after the highest au-
thori:y in the nation had proclaimed the
glad tidings OF peace, our people are not
entitled to the same consideration as
Frenchmen were at a time when they had
deluged Europe in blood, and had pillaged
almost its entire population. or the Mex
ican people. who had violated all the rules
of civilized warfare. ...., 49,. -. :. =
The Freedmen's Bureau has exercised
powers not conferred upon it; its agents
have made arrests, and imposed penalties
not justified by the law, nor sustained by
reasens Under pretence that the civil
rights act had been violated, citizens have
been arrested and restrained of their lib
erty, without the process or forms required
by law, and for offences alleged to have
been committed long anterior to its pas
sage. trr .l -.f -g sr ..s-
The town of Brennan was set on fire by
United States soldiers, and a large amount
of property destroyed. If the deed was
not instigated by the officer in command,
it was perpetrated almost in his immediate
presence, and no effort was made to pre-
vent it. nor punish the offenders.
The Judgments and DEGREES of the courts
have been prevented from being executed,
aud have been ordered to be set aside, and
indictments and papers in criminal and civ
il causes have been forcibly taken and de-
stroyed. and the judges required to dismiss
suits in a number of eases. m ... r
A decree If the District Court of the
United States, for the Western District of
Texas was interfered with, and, fol time,
| its execution was prevented.
| Freedmen charged by Indictment with
high crimes have been protected from ar
rest and trial. One charged with an at
tempt at rape upon white girl, IA years
of age, was taken from Jail by the order of
an agent of the freedmen's bureau, and
when the facts were made known, the
agent was not punished, nor the criminal
returned to the officers of the law.
Two citizens, arrested by and in custody
of a company of soldiers, were murdered
in less than an hour after their arrest, by
the person (himself fugitive from JUS
tice. who pointed them out, and at whose
inStigatiOu they were arrested. Upon the
testimony of soldiers, who were present,
the officer in command was indicted as ac
cessory TO this murder, yet he was not de-
| livered up for trial.
The following is a specimen of some of
the orders that have been issued-this by
an officer of the grade of 1st Lieutenant: !:
| Special Order No. s.
1T having come TO my knowledge, that
lawIess men, perjured traitors, enemies of
law, order and of the United States, SYM
pathizers, aiders and abettors of Burns and
Clerk, thieves, outlaws and assassins, have
been engaged in making threats, and in
other notorious, disorderly and disloyal
conduct; and it having come to my knowl-
| edge, that certain numerous citizens here
and in the vicinity of this post, profess to
be opposed to these lawless scoundrels, and
| to be friendly to and willing to aid in main
| tanning the authority of the United States
Governments This is therefore to notify
the former that for the first Ouert act no quar-
ter aouL be qiUea, and the latter that they a1ill
be held responsible in person aud property"
Under order of this officer for arrest of
clGlZ6nS, mousse was surrounded at nlS0U,
two of the inmates were shot, bayonetted
and beaten with the butts of guns. The eX-
cuse was that resistance was made and the
soldiery fired on. 70 .rc
The dying declarations of one of the men
slain, corroborated by the sworn statement
of survivors OF the family, were, that the
house was surrounded by men unknown
to them, and their surrender demanded,
! which at first was refused. But when the
father was informed that the military au-
thority of the United States demanded the
arrest of his two sons, the officer was in
formed that they would yield, and he was
! invited to come into the house, and that
upon the entrance of the offiser, follow
ed by some of the men, the work
of death commenced. This man
stated further, that when he had
partially revived, from the wounds he had
received, hearing the crowd in the yard, he
seized his gun and fired on them, and then
crawled out aud eXtinguished the fire al
the end of the house. Other testimony
showed that the fire had been kindled as
stated. The Executive of the State in
formed Maj. Gen. Griffin of the occur
rences, and without expressing censure ol
exculpating the citizens of any offence
expressed the fear that a great wrong haC
been committed, and made respectful re.
quest. that a Commission of army officers
should investigate the acts. His request
was not complied with.