The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-04-08

any any al crimes orIbreacies Of law would B.
Ecountenanced? You knewthat there wa
not, # On, the contrary, YOU know perfect,
we'll that white IS the consideration o
crime and offenses committed in the Fiftl
Military District, was referred to the jadg
ment Of. the regular civil tribunals, 10
pledge was given in order No. 40. which
\ an understood, that Tribunals would b
supported in their lawful jurisdiction, and
THAT "forcible resistance to law would b
Instantly suppressed BY arms, Yon viii
not affirm that this pledge has ever been
forfeited There has. not been q moment
since ! have been 10 command OF, the Fifth
District, when the whole military force in
my hands has not been ready to support
the civil authorities of Texas in the execu
ton Of the laws. And | am unwilling to
believe they would refuse to call for aid il
they needed it. ~fi18
There are some considerations which, il
seems to me, should cause you to hesitate
before INDUCING in wholesale censures
against the civil authorities of Texas
You are yourself the chief Of those author.
tiles, not elected by the people, but created
by the military Not loags after you had
thus come into oiice, Ill The Judges Of the
Supreme Court of Texas-fve in number
were removed from Office and new zap
poiitments made twelve Of the seventeen
district iudges'weIeg7 removed and Others
appointed. County officers more Or less
in seventy-6ve out Of one hundred and
twenty-eighf loouaties, were removed and
Others appointed in their places. II is fair
to conclude that the executive land judicial
civil fanctienaries in Texas, are the per,
sons whom you desired to fll the Offices. = :
It is proper to mention, also, that none
but registered citizens. and only those who
could take the test oath, have been allow;
easto serve as Jurors during your admins
tration. Now, it is against this local gov
ernment, created BY military power prior
to my coming here, and SO composed o.
your personal and political friends, that
you have preferred the most grieyous com.
plants! It Is Of them that you have pre-.
ferred the most grievous complains. II is
of them that. you have asserted they will
not do their duty !; they viii not maintain
Justice; will not arrest offenders viii not
punish crimes and that out of one huh.
bred homicides committed in the last
twelve months, not over ten arrests have
been made; and by means Of such grose
disregard of duty, you declare that neither
property nor life is safe in Texas.
Certainly you could have said nothing
more to the discredit Of the officials who
are now in office, 1.-THE facts, be as you
allege, a mystery REPRESENTED for which
can imagine no explanation. Why is il
that your political friends; backed up and
sustained by the whole military power Of
the United States, III this district, should
be unwillidg to enforce the laws against
that part of the population lately in rebel
lion, and whom you represent as the often.
ders 4? In all the history Of these troubles
I have never seen or heard before Of such
q fact. ] repeat, if the fact be so, tits q
profound mystery, utterly surprising my
comprehension 4 am constrained to de
clare that r believe you are in very great
error as to facts. On careful examination
at the proper source, l find that at the
date of your letter, four cases onlg of HON
icides, had been reported to these head
quarters as having occurred since Noyem,
Der %, 1867, the date Of order 40, land
these cases were ordered to be tried or in
vestigated as soon as tho reports were re-
ceived. However, the fact of the one hun
bred homicides may still be correct, d
stated by you. The freedmen's bureau il
Texas reported one hundred and Sixty
how many of these were by Indians ane
Mexicans, and how the remainder wers
classified, is not known; nor is it known
whether these data are accurate.
The report of the commanding officer o
the district of Texas shows that since
assumed command, no applications have
been madeto him, by you, for the asrest o.
criminals in the State Of Texas vs. u iitii
To this date, eighteen cases ofhomicides
have been reported to me. as having oc
cured since November %, 1867, although
special instructions had been given to re-
port such cases as they occur. Of these
FIVE were committed by Indians; one by {
Mexican /: one by an insane man three b,
coIore1 men: two women by their hurss
hands: and -of the remainder, some BY d par
ties Tnnknown-aIl Of which could b.
scarcely attributable to order No.4O. I
the renorts received since the issuing o
order ia. 10. Are correct, they exhibit ne
increase Of homicides in nv time. if Won ar,
correct that one hundred had occurred il
the past twelve months. fEiITGlTi alH0a 7.