Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-09-23
The Tarp!,ude OF iS0saS RadI-
.nlI<sN.

Ralira'ism throughout the eauniTy, eve
70 wl,err, has presented features Of enorni,
~, enough to create anxiety and alarm in
every honest hrrasl-csVecIally at the
South In every siair, RECONSTRUCTED with
bsyoneis, has Il exhibited It's foul Propor.
Iions and wicked tendencies but IL re-
maiuc. Tor Texas, the once proud Republic,
rich in historic fame, to furnish the most
cNccnLle aud striking eS mples Of 6nOr'
nifty aud iurpilude of which This political
monster is capable. II may well boast OF
its exploits elsewhere, Of It's disregard Of
law aud human rights, Of its insults and
ISLANDERS aud Outragcs Of every sor:, OF the
wounds IL has inflicted aud the terror il has
crcnied-but In Texas, poor miliiary-rid'
den and ralicnl.gondci Texas, the climax
has been reached and this power Of "eyil
incarnaie' cannot further 50.
Let US consider briefly what has been
done.
Texas had not suffered ms much NJ her
sister States during the war. At its close,
under The Reconstruction Of President JOHN
son aud the able and honest Administra-
ton of Governor Throckmorton, her people
were comparatively prosperous and happy,
The treasury was full nnd the taxes mole
rate, Competent officials executed the
laws aud peace and order prevailed. Hope
once more sprung up in The bOsoms of her
children, saddcned only by the recollection
Of the noble ones who had fallen In the
bloody and vain struggle for independence.
Radical misrepresentation here and rndi-
cal legislation at Washington, in open vio-
lation of the Constitution of the United
States and the pledges and coIapacis of U.
s. Generals at the surrender of tie Conied.
crate armies, rudely interrupted aud des-
troycd this cheering state of affairs. The
officers of the peoples choice were rven
out by the bNyonet aud military despot-
ism substituted. This, to mel accustomed
to civil freedom, was hard to bear, but,
compared to the civil despotism which has
followed, was bic saing indeed. Many Of
the officers of the U. S. Army were gentle
men, and, though compelled to carry out
iniqui,ous laws Of Congress and the ,lawless
orders of tho commandor-in-chief, they Of
ten tempered them with mercy, and strove
TO make the CALLING yoke as easy as possible.
Except among the Bureau Agents, they did
not steal. Gen, Reynolds guarded the
State Treasury and no exorbitant taxes
were imposed. The radio Reconstruction
ensued. Negroes, carpei-baggers and seal
awags, the ignorant and the depraved, were
permitted 10 vote, while thousands of the
most intelligent and honest were excluded,
nd thus Convention was secured with a
large majority of like material, opposed
to the best interests of Texas and, in truth,
anxious TO dcbase and humliate her. An
attempt was made to frame Constitution
to this end, and it was only through the
strenuous cxertions of Gov Hamilton, and
few other decent and more liberal men,
bers, that the attempt failed and a Cons,i-
tuition, bad enough, tut one which the peo-
pie were willing to take under the crcum'
stances, was laid before them. AN cleo
ton for State officers and n Legislature was
held, at the same time that the Constitu
ton was adopted, and, under the same re-
stricted registration and through the deplo-
rable remissness Of many registered voters
in not going to the polls, a Radical Cover
nor ard small Radical majority Of the
Legislature was secured. This could not
have been done without the aid of the mil.
itary, and there is good reason for belicv-
ing that A. j. Hamilton, a moderate repub
lican, actually received q minority of the
votes cast for Governor. The manner in
which this election was conducted-thep pre-
vention of some counties voting and the ex-
clusion of the votes of others, must always
rest as foul blot on the otherwise amiable
of Gen. Reynolds.
When the Legislature met, the majority
of rpei-baggers, scalawags and negroes
was made larger by the unauthorized and
arbitrary exclusion of democratic and con-
servative members, fairly elected, and the
of minority candidates in their
places, so that no clog TO their contempla-
ted wicked designs might exist Then con-
~ ,o
no parallel in the history of any civilized
All that the extreme radicals
had failed TO do in the Constitution, which
had been forced upon the people of Texas,
they now assayed TO accomplish by So
called lcgislationsin violation Of and in the
very teeth Of that instrument, which all OF
them had sworn TO support. An enabling
act was passed, concentrating all power in
The radical Governor. While the Constitu.
lion contemplated the election Of Dist. At
torneys by the people and Of all municipal
oEicers by the qualified voters of each mu-
nicipaliiy or city, this net gave to the Gov
ernor tie appointment Of all ibsse officials,
hus taking away the right Of selfgOrern-
nent from every city ard town in the
Stale, and putting them under the control
Il his minions, in many cases earpet-bag- /
gers and men Of no property or character
nd strangers 10 the people whom they 1
vere authorized TO rule over as Mayors /
nd Aldermen. A standing army of State
iuAras and Policemen, creatures Of the [
executive, we're created 10 oversue all op-
osed to his despotie vii, ct an expense
uinors 10 lie fBanoes Of the State, aud
alcuiatsd, as intended, 10 produce disOr-
rr and outrage. Negroes, igncrant snd
rsryrsy untitled Tor ibeir pasifiors, were
rrOiHfss as Feli lnsn in ooaniiss. airH0ss
"A .