The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-17


the Legislature, and never notices the Gov
ernor: but after much Cabinet consultation
and cogitation, an order to the General com.
manding in that department is laboriously
evolved. This directs the General to make
such distribution of the troops already under
his command to be ready to act without
delay when the President shall order it.. and
to communicate to the President any facts
that may seem to call for military inter
ference.
The order is bunglingly drawn, and it Is not
quite clear that the President does not mean
to suggest the inferencs that after notifc atiou
from the military commander he would still
await formal application again from the
State authorities. But its main purpose is
clear. He wishes to do just as little as will
save him from the charge of disobedience to
law, and just as much as will save him from
having given any practical assistance to the
struggling State Government.
Some very sanguine people have professed
to see in the order recognition of the Con-
gressional reorganization in Louisiana. We
are unable to perceive it. The President
makes no reply to the Governor. He takes
no direct notice of the Legislature. He does
not even inform the General commanding the
Department that applications for aid have
been received from the State authorities. He
does not accept the testimony of the Legisla-
ture and Governor as TO the existence of the
alleged outrages, but requires the army Off
GERS to report to him if any such outrages
should occur. In short, he utterly ignores
the State government, and goes just as far as he
dares in notifying the Rebels that it is illegiti-
mate, and has no claim upon their obedience.
Still we have no apprehension that Mr..
Johnson means mischief at the South, except
in negative way. He has no disposition to
provoke the reassembling of Congress. If he
can possibly avoid the recognition of the re-
organized State governments, he will do it;
but he will take no step so bold as to tempt
another trial before a Senate now swelled by
members from these very States. SO far as
he dares, he will simply leave them to take
care Of themselves.
Meanwhile his attitude and that of the
Democratic party serve to encourage alI mau-
ner of eXcesses on the part OF the Rebels.
What we have to expect for the next three
months may be gathered from what has
already occurred in several Southern States.
We give elsewhere the CHASTITY array of facts
on which the application from Louisiana WAS
made for Government aid. The Governor has
summed it up in a single sent-n nee: "There
exists no protection for the citizens in courts,
and men are shot down in the roads, in their
homes and elsewhere, without any questions
being asked or steps taken to bring the offend
ers to justice.' "There seems to be settled
determination" he adds, ''on the part of those
men who adhered to the rebellion, to either
kill or drive away Union white men and lead
ing colored men, so as to be able to terrify the
masses of the cOlored population into voting as
they shall dictate"
There lies before us a report m 2de to the
Constitutional Convention of Texas by com.
mittee appointed to investigate the awless.
ness and violence that prevail throughout that
State. In population not four times as great
as that of Cincinnati there have been, since
the surrender, one thousand aud thirty.five
murders concerning which the committee have
positive knowledge; but, they add, ''the figures
here presented come far short of representing
the actual number of murders in Texas during
the time specified" Look at the frightful de-
tails of occurrences within the month OF July,
as officially reported by this committee to the
Convention.
"In the counties of Collins and Hunt, five
men, well known as sterling loyalists, were
brutally murdered wiLnin the last two weeks
by some Rebel desperadoes. The Hon A. ..
Cooley, worthy citzen Of Gillespie county,
and prominent Republican, was shot and
wounded on the 10Th instant, at home, by an
assassin from distant county. We also learn
that W. Ii. Upton, a Union man, was hung by a
mob on the Sd instant, in BrAzOrla county.
Here, then, are six we'll known UnionistS m ur-
dered, and the life of another attempted-all in
the present month. Some time ago the Rev.
Joshua Johnson, an excellent citizen of Titus
county, and against whom nothing can he said
by any body unless IL be that he has always
been true TO his country, was driven from his
home and the State by Rebel intolerance. 1t is
now a matter of general notoriety that loyal
men In various parts OF the State are receiving
notices TO leave, threatening them with death
and the burning OF their homes II they do not
fly. 1t is equally notorious that great alarm
prevails among the Union men IN many locali-
ties, and many of them are abandoning their
homes for their lives. we also state that II Is a
fact that many honorable members of this body
are in receipt OF letters from those that 1--we
them, from wives and children, informing
them OF threats to take their lives, and i'm plor-
ing them not to return home. And we say
further that the families OF at least two dele
gates on this floor have been forced away from
their homes by Rebel prescription since the
meeting of this Convention. All the accoun Is
agree in stating that TWENTY-FIVE or thirty freed
men were Killed, while not single white man
I'VE conclude by expressing 1t as our delibe.
rate conviction that unless relief, prompt aud
decided, is provided, not only will any cOnsti-
tuition presented by this Convention Oe de
controlled by violence, rut the loyal law
abiding people of Texas will b. hunted t.
death or driven into exile. We have ii upon
conservative testimony that in many localities
an election could not now be held without mill
tsry protection; that the lives of good loya
citizens are in danger, and that ,ovalist could
| not lravel through the State organizing Loyal
| Leagues without molestation."
Similar reports come to us from the remotel
| districts in several OF the other Southern
| States. Everywhere the Rebels exhibit fresl
! bitterness and courage that can only be ex
! planned by their constant boasts that they
have the Administration on their side, and arr
| sure of support from the great Democratic
party. Everywhere they boast that the ex
istiDg governments are to be overturned, anC
that all the guarantees Congress has exacteC
are as worthless as waste paper. The South
which in the spring and early summer, wa
quiet enough TO hold ont inducements fo
capital, and to give promise of the revival o
| industry and the return of prosperity, is nov
as laWless and turbulent as in the spring O
! 1861. Now as then il threatens new reHnln