Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1868-04-11

Wholesale fTnsup1s againi lhu riEil
authorities ui Texas, A0n am y0nr-
sell lhe chief ~ those aulh0niies-
uoi rleelei ~ lhe people, hul GREAT
"a On lAe military, Aus long allrr
YOU had thus rolne inlO office, all
tho Jujsrs oft Supreme Conrl "I
IrNas-Hge ia numhcF-Eere To-
moved inom office and new appoint
mrnis made; twelve 0f the seNen-
teen District Judges We're ramovei
anl others appointed, County oil
GERS, more or less, In seveniy-fivo
Oul 0l ono hundred nnl twenty
eight counties, were removed and
others appointed In their places
Il h fair l0 conclude lhai the cNcrnr
tive unl judicial civil mnc,lonar.es
ln Texas are lhe persons whnm YOU
desired 10 iill lhc o.l.ces, Il j. pro-
pcr a. mention, also, that mono but
registered cllizcns, and only those
who could take the test oath, have
boon allowed Ia serve as jurors dur
Ing Your administration, Now, II
is against this local government,
created hy military power prior to
my coming hero, aRl "a composed
Of your personal and political
friends, that YOU have preferred lhc
mort grcvious complaints Il II OF
them that yOu have asserted they
will not do their duty; they will not
maintain justice; will not arrest of.
tenders; will not punish crimes; and
that out or one hundred homcldcs
committed in the lasr twelve months,
not over ten arrests have been made;
and bv means OF such gross disrc'
gard of duty, You declare tha, ncilh'
or property nor life is safe in Texas.
Certainly you could have said
nothing more to the dis ere IL
iof the III ais who are
now in Office. II tho facts be rs
YOU allcdgc, u mystery is presented
for which can imagine no cXp'ana.
ton. Why is il that your political
friends, backed up and sustained by
the whole military power of the
United States, in this district, should
be unwilling to enforce tho laws
against that part of the population
latoly in rebellion, and whom you
represent as the offenders? IN all
the history of these troubles, | have
never seen or heard before Of such
n fact. ] repeat, if the fact be so,
it is n profound mystery, utterly
surprising my comprehension. |
am constrained to declare that | be-
Iicvc you are in very great error as
to facts. On careful examination
at the proper source, | find that at
the date Of your letter, four cases
only, of homicidcs, had been report
cd to these headquarters, as having
occurred since November 20, 1867,
the date of Order 40, and these cases
were ordered to be tried or investi-
gated rs soon rs the reports were
received. However the fact Of the
one hundred homicides may still be
correct, as stated by you. I @
Freedmcn's Bureau in Texas, report
ed onc hundred and sixty; how
many of these were by Indians and
Mexicans, and how the remainder
were classified, is not known nor
is it known whether these data are
accurate.
The report of the Commanding
Officer of District Of Texas
shows that since / assumed COM
mand no applications have been
made to him by you for the arrest
of criminals in the State Of Texas.
TO this date eighteen cases OF
homicide have been reported to me
us occurring since November 20,
1867, although special instructions
had been given to report such
cases as they occur. OF these five
were committed by Indians; one by
u Mexican; one by an insane man
three by colored men; two women
by their husbands, and Of the re-
mainder some by parties unknown,
all Of which could DC scarcely attri-
butablc to order No. 40. If the re
ports received since issuing Of Or
: der No. 40 are correct they exhibit
no increase of homicidcs in my time,
if you are correct that one hundred
had occurred in the past twelve
months.
That there has not been perfect
administration ofjustice in Texas |
am not prepared to deny.
} That there has been no such wan
ton disregard of duty on the part
of officials, as you alledge, l am
we'll satisfied. A very little while
ago you regarded the present Off
B cials in Texas the. only ones who
could be safely trusted with power
f Now you pronounce them worthless
and would cast them aside.
, | have found little else in your
, letter but indications of temper
lashed into excitement by causes
! which / deem mostly imaginary; a
great confidence in tho accuracy OF
your own opinions, and an intoier-
t ance of the opinions of others; Q
: desire to punish the thoughts and
feelings of those who differ with
you, and an impatience which mag
{ mites the short -comings of officills
: who are, perhaps, as earnest and
t cons scientious in the discharge oI
their duties as yourself, and a most
t unsound conclusion that while any
. persons are TO be found wanting in
, affection or respect for the Govern
= ment. or yielding it obedience from
= notices rhich you do not approve
, war aud not peace is the status, and
= all such persons are the proper sub
r jeets for military penal jurisdiction
II ! have written anything tC
disabnse yonr mind Of so grave ar
error | shall be gratified.
| am, sir, very respectfully. your
ohedient servant, W s. HANCOCK