The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-11-04
M..ti.i Law in Texas.

from ths New York World. sA 81
South Carolina is not the only StAte
liz which martial law has been pro-
claimed. Sit now appears that on The
9th ultimo Governor Davis, ofsFexas,
unclaimed martial law and suspended
the privilege of the writ of habeas cor
pus in Limestore and Freestone coun-
ties, and, under date Of the 9th ultimo,
we have an order from one Of his major
generals levying upon the former county
| q war tax go 600, payable in three
days, Under penalty Of 10 per cent. ad-
ditional and instant sale. The pretext
on which these violent and lawless pro-
ceedings are taken is the same as that
alleged in the case of South Carolina
the existence, to wit, Of armed and or
ganized insurrectionary bodies too
strong for the process of the courts.
The real cause, as also in South Caro-
lima, is purely political. In the late
Texas election Limestone and Free
stone counties went heavily against the
Radical candidate for Congress in that
district, and only by throwing out their
votes could the returns be possibly
made to elect him. A pretext for throw
ing them out was found in an election
disturbance in the former county. A
SQUAD of negro militia shot down an
old man in the streets, resisted the
attempts of the local authorities to ar
rest them, and only succumbed when
the posse comitatuS stormed the house in
which they had intrenched themselves.
Discerning in this foul and permedl-
tated rebellion, Governor Davis inme.
diately proclaims martial law not only
in the country where the disturbance
occurred but in the one next adjoining.
hounds out his standing army, and
assesses a special war tax upon his VIC
Tins to defray the cost Of their own OPP
preston This is the language of his
proclamation OF the 9th Of October:
81, Edmund J. Davis, Governor of the
State of Texas, by virtue ofthe authority
| in me vested by the constitution and
laws of said State, do hereby declare
and proclaim martial law in said coun-
ties of Limestone and Freestone, and do
order that the laws be suspended there.
| in, and that the issuance OF the writ OF
habeas corpus within or directed to said
counties or either Of them be prohibited
until the Legislature now in session
shall take such action as it may deem
necessary, and until this proclamation
is revoked. An assessment OF S5O, 600,
or 90 much thereof as may be necessary,
being hereby directed to be levied and
collected off the property subject to tax,
alton of the resident citizens of said
county OF Limestone.
Following in this wake, a subaltern
in the State standing army publishes on
the Oath OF October bis proclamation
thus:
Pursuant to orders received from
Major General A. G. Malloy, command
ing State forces in Limestone county, |
am ordered to assess and levy special
military tax of forty thousand dollars
(s4O,0 00), to be paid by the citizens OF
Limestone county, 10 defray the ex-
penses of military commission and State
troops now on duty in said county. |
therefore levy tax Of three per cent
on the hundred dollars of all taxable
property situated in said county, as per
assessment rolls of 1871. All persons
owning property in Limestone county
are notified to appear at my office, In
the city of Groesbeck, Immediately, and
pay the same. All persons refusing or
failing to pay said tax within three (3)
days from above date, ten (lO) per cent
will added, and their property levie 1
upon and sold to satisfy said tax.
The scoundrelism of all this speaks
for itself; it is of piece with the
abominable expressions Of Mr.. Grant
towards South Carolina; it shows how
emphatically the Republican party is
understood by its leaders to be a party
of force; how they hate the fair tesll-
mony of the ballot box, and are mali
ciously and wilfully predetermined to
use violence before surrendering their
power. But yesterday it was South
Carolina only that we knew to be under
the iron heel; to-day its Texas, too /;
and tomorrow yet some other State or
States may be added 1t is time tor
| IL.