New Orleans Republican., 1868-11-13
GEN. REYNOLDs's LAST WORDS
FROM TEXAS.

Possible Explanation of the Dislike OF
Mr.. JOhasOn and Ihe Rebels-MurderB
by the Hundred-LHwH Only Executed
Against White UnIOnists and Freed.
men-The Light OF knowledge Be
lIeved to Consist in Burning school
Houses.
The annual report of Major General J. J.
Reynolds on freedmen's affairs in Texas
sets forth the deplorable condition Of
things in that State with terrible force. 1t
is dated at Austin, on the twentieth of Oc-
tober. We present the material portions,
which are as follows:
My constant aim has been to give to the
free people of the State all the protection
possible with the means at my disposal,
and at the same time to leave them free to
act for themselves in all things pertaining
to their material welfare. In all matters Of
contracts, whether for wages or for Dor
ton of the crops, and in the disposal of the
results of their labor, have exercised no
control, save in so far as they would be
guided by the advice and counsel Of the
Sub-Assistant Commissioners. The freed
people look to them for this, and are gen.
orally governed by it.
PENALTIES RESERVED EXCLUSIVELY FOR
FREEDMEN.
The greatest difficulty I labor under
as have often before represented-is in
securing the freed people justice in cases
OF criminal nature. | have used every
means l could employ to educate and
force the civil authorities up to doing some
thing near their duty, but the sentiment OF
the entire people is so demoralized. and
they are SO specially averse to recognizing
the equality of the negro before the law
that L can not report any very great
amount of progress in that direction.
Owing to this condition of affairs,
have been compelled, in many in
stances, to authorize Sub-Assistant
Commissioners to arrest, try and punish
certain classes of offenses committed upoa
the freed people. While the civil author
tiles aud the citizens so signally fail in
Furnishing those OF the white race who com
init ohenses upon the freed people, they
are ever ready, and, 10 fact, overzealous,
an administering the law to its fullest ex-
tent when the accused is Of the freed race.
Punishment generally follows the offense
swiftly and surely. Ofenses which. when
committed by the whites, are daily passed
by without notice, become crimes of
greater or less magnitude when committed
by them.
DILIGEFr IL MURDER,
OF the many hundreds Of freed peonle
Killed since the close of the war. know
OF no Instance where punishment has fol-
lowed the perpetration OF the crime when
the author was of the white race. There
Is, IN fact, no punishment for the perpetra-
ton of homieides when the guilty party Is
OF the white race. 1t does not matter
whether the victim is white or black, by
some book or crook the law is evaded, and
the guilty party goes unpunished.
The demoralized condition of the senti-
ment Of the whole people their total dis
regard for law and order; their intolerance
OF opinions differing from their own, and
the light value they place upon human life,
has so often been brought to your notice
oy myself and predecessors that 10 say more
upon a'subject that has already become SO
notorious throughous the length and
breadth Of the land, seems like idle repeti-
Ton drop thus snbject without further
remark, and iavite your attention 10 the
evidence contained 10 the extracts from re-
ports OF sub-Assialant Commissioner.
which have been forwarded to v1n from
time to time. especially those ios he months
Of July, August and September, ana
70 the snnexed report Of tie Inspector