The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-03-28
ZEN. HANCOCK 10 GOVERNOR pEAsE.

ply with the request, and acting Governor
Pease replied in letter arraigning the CON-
rnander's policy, declaring Texas to be still
at war with the federal government, stigma
thing her people as ''disloyal," and charging
them with settled feeling of opposition to
the government, and to the acts of Congress
He affirmed, moreover, that in consequence
of the attitude assumed by Gen. Hancock
the administration of justice had become
greatly relaxed; that criminals could not be
punished by the ordinary tribunals; and that
nothing but military force, directed by the
will Of an arbitrary and irresponsible COM
mander, could maintain order and assure pro-
lection to lie and property. The CREscEsr,
at that time, exposed the falsity of the facts,
and the fallacy of the arguments contained IN
acting Governor Pease's letter.
We have now before us the reply of Major
General Hancock, which we republish in this
mornings CRESCENT, and to which the especial
attention of the public is directed. 1t is a
document worthy of true statesman, and is
the logical sequence of those principles which
were enounced by the general when he took
command Of this district, and upon which,
as far as practicable, his administration was
conducted. In the midst of what appears to
to be the general decadence of true ideas of
liberty and law, it is gratifying to find that
liberty is still the object, and law still the
guide, of an officer who might, if he had
chosen, have been faithless to both, and who
could have ingratiated himself with power
full and dominant party by emulating the ex-
ample of his predecessors in the exercise of
arbitrary and despotical powers.
If there is, in this admirable letter, one
part, more than another, which commends
itself to the reader, it is that in which the
writer rebukes his correspondent for invoking
the intervention of the military authorities
to punish whole people, on account of their
political opinions. The references to Lord
Chatham's denunciations of the English gov
eminent, during the war of the revolution and
to the acrimonious assaults of the opposition
on the administrations of Adams, jefferson
and Jackson, are peculiarly happy. General
Hancock has not learned the lesson in vain,
that mems political opinions are no proper
measure Of their worth as citizens, and no
test Of their natural or constitutional rights.
The radical doctrine of loyalty" as express
sive Of approval of radical policy. and SYM
patty with radical schemes, is, to him, not
only repulsive, but incomprehensible. He
knows that prescription of one party by
another, for the sake of maintaining supre-
macy, or of gratifying revenge, is system
which must end in the subversion of free
institutions, if not abandoned before the
public mind becomes infamed by passion
and corrupted by heresy.
But any analysis of this document is SUPER
fuous 1t should be read attentively by all,
and should be widely circulated as a tri-
umphant vindication of those principles on
which General Hancock conducted his admin
istration, and as conclusive refutation of
radical arguments and radical falsehoods.
HEADQUARTERS, FIFTH MILITARY DIsrRIcr.l
New Orleans, La, March 8, 1865.
To His fxcelency, &. M. Peass. Governor of Texas:
'Su-Iour communication of the 18th January
last was received in due course of mail (the 9Th
January but not until it had been widely circu-
lated by the newspaper press. To such a letter.
written and published for manifest purposes-it
has been my intention to reply as soon as leisure
from more important business would permit.
Your statement that the act of Congress " to
provide for the more efficient government of the
rebel States" declares that whatever government
existed in Texas was provisional; that peace and
order should be enforced; that Texas should be
part of the fifth military district, and subject to
military power; that the president should
appoint an officer to command in said
district, and detail q force to protect the
rights OF person and property, suppress nsurrec-
ton and violence, and punish offenders either
BY military commission, or through the action of
local civil tribunals, as 10 his judgment might |
seem best, will not be disputed. One need only
read the act to perceive it contains such pro. |
visions. But how all this is supposed to have |
made it my duty to order the military commission |
requested you have entirely failed TO show. The |
power to do thing if shown. and the propriety /
Of doing IT, are often very different matters You |
observe you are at loss TO understand how I
government without representation in Congress,
o. militia force, and subject 10 military power |
can be said 70 be in the full exercise Of all ia
proper powers. You do not reflect that this gov
sTnment, created or permitted by Congress. has
All the powers which the act intends and NAV
ully exercise them accordingly. If you think Il
,pght to have more powers, should be allowed 90
ma possess yet other powers, your complaint is
Tot 10 be preferred against me, but against Con- |
yress, who ma lie it what il is
As respects the issue between us. any cues
ION as 70 Wnat congress ought TO have done has
70 pertnence. You admit the act of Congress
uthorizes me to try an offender by military com
nk sion, or allow the local civil tribunals 10 try.
. / shall deem best; and you cannot deny the
Ict expressly recognizes such local civil tribunals
8 legal authorities for the purpose specified
When you contend there are no legal local tribu-
sls Tor any purpose in Texas, you must either
eDy the plain reading of the act of Congress,
II the power Of Congress TO pass the act.
You next remark that you dissent from my
declaration, . that the country (rexAs) is in a
tate OF profound peace and proceed to state
he grounds of your dissent. They appear to me
o. little extraordinary. | quote your words
il is true there no longer exists here (Texasl
by organized Resistance to the authority Of the
Jlied States.o "Bnt alsrge majority Of the white
opnlalion who participated in the late rebellion
re embittered against the government, aud yield
0 II sn unwilling obedience Nevertheless Won /
oncede they do yield it obedience. You proceed:
None Of this class have any affection for the
oveInment, and very few any respect for it.
hey regard the legislation of Congress on the
object Of Reconstruction as unconstitutional and
ostle to their interests, and consider the govern
ient now existing here under authority of the
lnited States as an usurpation on their rights
hey look on the emancipation Of their late slaves
cd the disfIanchisemert of portion of their own
lsss as an act OF insult and oppression"
And this is all you have to present for proof
hat war and not peace prevails in Texas, and
ence II becomes my dntY-so Won suppose-to |