The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-03-28

cn.;on' - vSef6er vou sscerfsinsd any facts at
al are points upon which your letter 80 discreeuy
omits ali mention, that may well be excused for
not relying implicitly upon it; nor Is my DIM ;aity
diminished by the fact that IN another part OF your
letter you state that ever since the close OF the
war very large portion of the people have had
no affection for the government, but bitterness OF
feeling only. Had the duty OF publishing ana
cifculat ny through tbs country long before u
reached me- your statement that the action OF the
dis riot commander was increasing crime and hos
tile feeling against the government. been less
painful to your sensibiities, it might possibly have
Occurred TO you TO furnish something on the sud-
ject in addition to your bare assertion
but what was order No. 40, and how could y
have the effect you attribute to it, Il set forth
that "the great principles Of American liberty
are siill the Inheritance of this people aud ever
should be.' That the right of trial by jury. the
hsbeas corpus, the liberty of the press, the free
dom of speech, and the national rights OF person
and property must be preserved" Will You
question the truth Of these declarations Which
one of these great principles Of liberty are you
ready to deny and repudia,e. Whoever does 50
ayows himself the enemy Of human liberty aud
the advocate Of despotism. Was there any init
nation in general orders No. 40, that any crimes
or breaches Of law would be countenancedf You
know that there was not On the contrary, you
know perfectly well that while 81 the consideration
Of crime and ofenses committed Ia the Fifth Mil
tary District. was referred 10 the judgment OF the
regular civil tribunals pledge was given 10
order No 40, which all understood. that tribunals
would be supported In their lawful jurisdiction,
and that " forcibe resistance to Law would be in
SANITY suppressed by arms" You will not affirm
that this pledge has ever been forfeited. There
has not been moment since have been in con-
mand Of the Fifth District, when the whole mill.
tary force In my hands has not been ready to sup
port the civil authorities of Texas ia the execu-
ton of the laws. And | am unwilling TO believe
they would refuse to call for aid If they needed IL.
There are some considerations which, il seems
TO me, should cause you to hesitate before indulg-
ing in wholesale censures against the civil
authorities of Texas, You are yourself the chief
Of those authorities not elected by the people, but
created by the military Not long after you had
thus come into Office, all the judges Of the Su-
preme Court of Texas-fve in num 0er--were re-
moved from Office and new appointments made;
twelve Of the seventeen district judges were re-
moved and others appointed. County officers
more or less, in seventy-ive out Of one hundred
and twenty EIGHT counties, were removed and
others appointed in their places. II Is fair to
clude that the executive and judicial civil func-
tionaries in Texas. are the persons whom you de-
sired to fill the Offices. 1t is proper to mention,
also, that none but registered citizens, and only
those who could take the test oath, have been al
lowed to serve as jurors during your administration.
Now, it is against this local government. created
by military power prior to my coming here and
so composed of your personal and political friends
that you have preferred the most grievous com
plants 1t is of them that You have asserted they
will not do their duty; they will not maintain jus
tice; will not arrest offenders; will not punish
crimes; and that out of one hundred homicides
committed in the last twelve months, not over ten
arrests have been made; and by means Of such
gross disregard of duty. yoa declare that neither
property nor life Is safe In Texas.
Certainly you could have said nothing more to
the dscredit Of the officials who are now in office.
If the facts be as you allege, mystery is pre-
sented for which can imagine no explanation.
Why is it that your political friends. backed a
and sustained by the whole military power Of the
United States, in this district, should be unwilling
to enforce the laws against that part of the popu
lauon lately IN rebellion, and whom you represent
as the cfendersy In all the history Of these trou-
bes, have never seen or heard before of such
fact repeat, If the fact be so, 1t is profound
mystery, utterly SURPRISING my comprehension.
am constrained to declare that believe You are
in very great error as to facts. On careful exam
nation at the proper source find that at the date
OF your letter, four cases only, Of homicides had
been reported to these headquarters as having &C.
CURED since November 20, 1867, the date of order
40. and these cases were ordered to be tried or
investigated as soon as the reports were received.
However. the fact of the one hundred homicides
may still be correct, as stated by you. The freed
mems bureau in Texas reported one hundred
and sixty; how many of these were by Indians
and Mexicans. and how the remainder were clas-
slfed, is not known; nor is it known whether
these data are accurate.
The report of the commanding officer of the
district of Texas shows that since assumed CON-
mand, no applications have been made TO him, by
Texas.
To this date, eighteen cases of homicides have
been reported to me. as having occurred since
November 20, 1867, although special instructions
bad been given TO report such cases as they
VI these, five were committed by Indians one by
a Mexican; one by an insane man !; three by col |
cred men; two women by their husbands; and of |
the remainder, some by parties unknown-all of |
which could be scarcely attributable to order No.
fhA -
order No. 40. are correct, they exhibit no increase
OF homicides in my time, if you correct that |
months.
fhas there has not been perfect administration
OF Justice In Texas, am not prepared to deny.
That there has been no such wanton disregard |
OF duty on the part of officials, as you allege am
well satisfied. very little while ago you re- |
garded the present officials in Texas the only ones
who could be safely trusted pirh power. Now |
You pronounce them worthless and would cast /
them aside.
have found little else in your letter but indica
tons OF temper, lashed into excitement by causes
which deem mostly imaginary, great confidence
u the accuracy OF your own opinions, aud an in /
folerence Of the opinions of others: a desir4to |
punish the thoughts and feelings of those who diff
er with you, aid an impotence which magniies |
he short comings of officials who are perhaps as |
arrest and CONVERSATIONS in the discharge of their
Jules as yourself, and a most unsound conclusIon
hat while any persons are to be found wanting in
Affection or respect for government, or yielding II
obedience from motives which you do not approve,
var and not peace is the status, and all such per
ons are the proper subjects for military penal
Jurisdiction.
If have written anything to disabuse your mind
" so grave an error, shall be gratfed
! am, sir, very respectfully, your obedieut SER
Tant, ws.HANoocK.
Major General Commanding |
There are in the State of Louisiana abont