The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1868-04-11

HDo'ns., brn MiLlrAar Drs'r., !
New Orlsans, La, Mar. ., SO. I

|
HDo'ns., bfn MILITARY Drs'r.,
New Orleans, La, Mar. 9, '6s.
II HI Erceiie.ey, H. n. Pse~, Go--
er~or Of 7eras:
SIR-Your communication Of the
l7th January last, vas received 10
due course Of mail, Ohio 9th Janu.
ary,) but not until il had been wide.
ly circulated BY the Newspaper prsss.
To such . letter-wntten aud pub
lished for manifest rurposcs--is has
been my intention to reply ~ soon
~ leisure from moro importan. bust.
ness would permit.
Your statement that the act Of
Congress to provide for the more
eMcient government Of the rebel
States" declares that whatever gov
eminent existed in Texas WAS pro-
visitnal; that peace and order should
be enforced that Texas should be
part Of the Af.h military district, and
subject 70 military power; that the
President should appoint an officer
to command In said district, and DO.
tail force to protect the right Of
personal property, suppress insv:rec-
ton and violence, and punish offend.
ers, either BY military commission,
or through tie action Of local civil
tribunals, A. in his judgment might
seem best, will not b disputed One
may only read the act to psresive Il
contains such provisions. But how
al this is supposed to have made II
my duty 10 order tho military com.
mission requested, you have entirely
failed to show. The power to do .
thing II shown, and the propristy Of
doing Il, are oftsn very different nat
tiers. You observe you are At loss
to understand how . government
without representation in Cosgrsss,
or 4 militia force, asd subject to nil
itary power, can be said to 10 in the
full exercise Of Ill it. proper powers.
You do not reject that this govern
mont created or psrnittsd BY Con.
gress, has al the powers which The
act intends, and may fully exercise
them accordingly. II you think il
ought to have more powers, should
DO allowed to send members to Con-
grsss, WELD . militia force sud pos
sess yet other powers, your complaint
is not to DO preferred sgainst me, bat
against Congress, who made IL what
il Is.
Is respects the issue between us,
any question - 70 what Congress
ought 10 have done has no pertinsncs.
You admit the act Of Congrsss au-
thorisss me 10 try an offender BY
military commission, or allow the
local civil tribunals 70 try, - | shall
deem be.., snd you cannot dsny the
act expressly recognizes such local
civil tribunals a. legal authorities for
the purpose specified. When you
contend there are no legal tribunals
for any purpose in Tsxas, you either
deny The plain reading Of tho act VI
Congress or the power Of Congress
to pass The act.
You next rcmark that you disssnt
from my declaration. "that the coun-
try (Te1as) Is in . state Of profound
peace" and proceed 70 stata the
grounds Of your diessst. They aP-
pear 70 ~ not little sxtsserdisssy.
| qaots yo~r words; al b tsss thsrs |
no longer exists here (Tsxaa) sny |
organised Resistance to the authority !
Of he United Etatss." "But . large |
majority Of Tie whits population Who
participated 10 tho late rebellion arc
en- bittcfsd agsinst the goveramsss,
and yield 70 Il an unwilling obedl. |
eucs.' Nevertheless you ooneeda
they do yield II obedience. You pro- |
coed "Nons Of this class have any |
Affection for the government, aad
very few any respect for il. They
regard ths Legislation Of Congress o.
The subject Of reconstruction as M.
constitutional and hostile T. their IN.
forests, asd consider tls govsrnnsnt
new existing hers under authority Of
the United BATES - an usurpatiea
on their rights, They look on ii:
emancipation Of their late slaves and
The disftsnchissnsnt Of . portion Of
their own cisss "a 40 act Of insult and
oppression" /
Aud this u I'll yos have To present
for proof that war aud mot peace pre-
vails in Texas, aud hence Il becomes
my duty-so you auPPcss-to ~
ssids IRE local civil tribunals, and
sufcrcs the penal code against cii.
Gems BY means Of military commits
sions.
Nv dear sir, l ~ not . lawyer,
nor has II bssa ny business, - Il
may have bssn yours, to .tady the
philosophy Of ssatssrah aad politics.
Bot l may lay claim, afer an exps-
riepcs Of more than half . lifetime,
soms poor knowledge Of nen, sad
some spprscistioa q VIA. is neess'
ssry 10 soeisl order and happiness.
And fos The failure Of oar common
country, / could devoasly wish that
no great number Of our people have
vet fallen in with tbs views you ap- |
near to entertain. Woe Be 70 u
whenever IL skall como 10 pass that
The powsr Of The s,agistrats--civil Of
m;liiayy-is permitted to deal with
tho mere cpiaions " feelings Of the
people.
Ihsve bsen accustomed 70 believe
that ssstinests Of rsspset cs disss-
spees, ssd feelings Of assction. lov:
o. hatred, 70 iosE - aos dsvs'ePsd
into sels 10 violation Of law, we're
mssssn vkslly bsyss1 Tie Pusitory
power n huRas tribssss. q
i viii naiasaia thas ths satirs
fre,do,n Of thought snd sPsseh, how
over scsimoniously indxlssd, y con.
sisteut with tho modest ssr;sasscss 81
man, and the hsppisss condition Of
his1scs.
when = boy, l rsnenbsr to have
read . speech u Lord Chsthan, g.
liveved IL Parliament. II vas dssisg
our rsvclutiesary war, and rs'assd to
the psiicy Of s.psoyisg 10 'avsGss
on ths side u Bsitaia. Yse nay b
more familiar with ths speech sAas
am. II Ian aot greatly mistake.
biz losdship dsssusssa ~ BssSeA
,ovs,ruent-.his Kovssansst---ia
I tsrms az usueassrsd bitterness. He
characterized il policy y rs.sstisf
u sve,v sentineut Of humanity AID
rsligses; proclaimed y eovsrsd w
disssaes, SD veatsd biz etsFsai -.
hesseoee e h ard iis Dsesufss. II
= Al ~