The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-20
EASTERN TEXAS AND NORTHERN LOUISIANA.

EASTERN TEXAS AND NORTHERN LOUISIANA.
Home Truths Plainly TOld-CriticaI Condi-
ton Of Things-The Patience Of the People
Giving Way-Carpet-Baggers and Radicals
Shot Down and Hunted Out of the Country
Twenty Thousand Troops Required to Up
hold Negro Supremacy and Carpet-Bag Tax
atiOn-PrOminent Radicals Acknowledging
the Nature of the Crisis-s'StOp Here EX-
terminate, Which 90
MARSHAL, Eastern Texas, Sept. IL, 1885,
tour through Northern Louisiana and Eastern
Texas suggests various considerations which cannot
be too seriously or too temporarily set forth. To
pass them by lightly would be to ignore one Of the
most striking pecularties In the present aspect OF
affairs in the South. To state them broadly without
qualification or explanation would convey most
impression of the condition Of the country
The facts must be taken as they stand, and the
said facts most undoubtedly are that lawessness
and the class OF disturbances which the radical
press term without distinction rebel outrages are
lamentably the increase throughout the whole OF
this section Of the country. 1t Is no use Disgusting
the truth nor attempting to gloss 1t over. Excuses
readily enough found for every deed Of violence.
This man notorious horse thief; that man had
married q negro wench and outraged the whole
community by thrustng her forward among white
people; Mrs. Smith had had a difficulty five years
ago with somebody's wfe's uncle's cousin and the
family feud that resulted the only Of his
being killed John Jones had been melting the
negroes to armed violence and had endangered the
public peace In the most atrOciOus manner-all
admirable explanations in their way, but when re-
peated over and over again to account for hundreds
OF ''dliicuties' in which, somehow or other, the
man killed is in nine out of ten radical carpet
bagger q loyal league negro or renegade South
erner, these explanations begin to lose consistency
and probability 1t better to meet the case fairly
and squarely and confess the truth at once The
patience or the southern people or this section rs
| about morn OtH.
Like boiling water the ebullition starts from the
bottom and affects the lower strata OF society first.
| Any who travels with his and eyes open
meets the indications OF it at every STEP He needn't
seek them they thrust themselves upon him. not in
menaced violence studied insult to the traveller.
II. &. might journey from one end of the country TO
the negroes or squatted to run for Congress it is
very doubtful whether he would be moested. O. o.
Howard has just travelled in safety through most OF
the Southern territory. But the conversation of the
people In stages, cars and steamboats, the sulen
moOdness of the groups around the barrooms and
hotels, the damnable iteration with which the terms
''scalawags" and "carpet-baggers' strike upon
ones ear, comparable only to the number of times
man notch the word "dOllars' in crossing Wall
street ferry, convince the least observant traveller
| that the barometer South Is veering rapidly from
'cloudy' to stormy" The overland journey from
Monroe to ShrevepOrt-that weary, sitting stage ride
Of forty hours without rest or sleeps varied by
dialogues such the following, which give, nothing
extenuating and naught setting down In maice:-
| Travelling Texan-Country's very unhealthy about
| here (NeighborhOod of Franklin parish, Lay Good
| Unsuspectlng Female-Is that SOP heard there
agood deal Of chills and fever but didn't think
travelling Resemblance altogether that ma'am
There's new disease bout here-attacks foreigners
to get it. fact anybody from the North who don't
| carry much baggage long with him has got to try
change OF air or he'll die sure.
Unsuspecting Female-Oh
Travelling Texan shifts his slX-shooters into an
easier position, raises the leather curtain eXpec-
md rQl int IN innna
On the road 10 Marshall the trouble at Sulphur
Springs was considerably discussed. Fragments
only Of the conversation reached me.
'You say he's got the Yankee troops surroundedS"
eyes, and he's gev em TILL Friday TO surrender,
He's the man to do it. too. They say there's been
| some right smart fghtin' already. The citizens are
all arming themselves and they've killed good
.'What'l he do if they do surrenders"
Kill the cap'n and the soldier that fired the shot,
sure"
''Serve em id well right, too-how's crops up
your way was the next query, and the conversation
turned of In another vein.
| From another part Of the carr
'we've had reconstruction marriage up
CLOVIS thatr -
"You remember Mrs. R, General Rs widow
Well, she's married the Bureau Captain"
| women"
"Nor either. After her husband was shot you
couldn't sit and talk to her five minutes but what
she had some Of her venom to spit out about these
cussed Yankees, and now she's married filthy Yank,
and a radical at that.O
"Reckon they'll both have to get up and git,
Eyes and right smart, too Tha've druv that other
fellow out OF Jefferson. lie came down last night,
scared near TO death.n
"lm glad OF it. There's few more got to 60 YETI
"Thatis So"
OF the numerous Northern Northumberland
congressman State Senators and egislators-wno
settled at Shreveport TO be on hand for either
Louisiana, Texas or Arkansas, as circumstances
might direct, not three left, and they are pre-
parlng for speedy departure. ait isn't exactly
that any violence has been threatened them,D ex-
planned prominent citizen In the mildest niagin-
able tone, "but the general sentiment O the commu-
nifty was such that 1t wasn't safe for them to
remain"
Having seen something more OF the region OF Gov
ernor Warmoth's hundred and fifty political murders
since last wrote from that district the conviction is
forced upon me that II Mr. Warmoth had said two
hundred and bfty, instead OF one hundred and nfty
and had left out his deductions and generalIties,
there would have been little cause OF complaint
against him on the Of veracity. Let the truth
be told. In all Northern Louisiana and Eastern
Texas there is scarcely one white carpetbagger or
recently converted "UniOn mani don't speak OF
original and consistent Unionsts, men who fought
or suffered Punishment for their opinions as all such
men had to do, but OF recent converts whose change
OF views Is invariably accompanied by some fat
ofice-in all this wide extent Of country there is
scarcely one Of these men located five miles and
upwards from United States military post whose
life is safe from hour to hour.
Dreadfuy shocking, no doubt. sadly dsap
pointing result Of four years. war and three years.
reconstruction. But extremely natural after all,
when you come to look into the causes and condition
OF things staring the facts boldly In the face, not
blinking them, as the partisan journals OF side
have done; not exaggerating them, as the partisan
journals OF the other side are doing; not hiding,
skirknR and denying them, most of the Southern
newspapers have weakly tried to do. There is moth
ing here that does not follow naturally as cause
precedes efec;.
1t Is proximate diocy to talk about these things
being evidences Of the continued 'dsloyaltyu Of the
South. Let that cobweb be cleared away first Hos
tllity to the government OF the United States and
desire to be longer excluded from 1t cannot be found
In the community at large The flag which I'm lS64-5 |
the ladies' of Charleston and New Orleans spit upon |
and tramped under foot now decorates the stalls at
every fancy fair and appears In innumerabe forms |
In every public demonstration. Greenbacks, which |
In 1866 waged an unequal fight with specie az the
currency OF the country more then from political
than financial causes, have gained the upper hand.
specie has retired into the interior OF Texas and
even there Is being rooted out by the national cur
rency. The priyates OF the United States |
army may be seen at every post frater- |
nizng with the soldiers OF the exconfederacy |
The officers also, II they attend to their military dn-