The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-08-07
FRONTIER PROTECTION.

What we want, and will have, in the can
didate we support next fall for Governor, IS
a well considered, we'll defined plan Of
frontier defense. and he committed to It, to
the exclusion. II needs be, Of all other poli-'
cies likely in any way to conflict with or re-
tard powerful and immediate action In this
direction. The men Of the Texas frontier
who return TO their lonely habitations at
pightfall TO find their wives snd little ones
butchered. burnt and shamefully mutilated
bv the Indians, will have no vote for the
milk-sop who is not in favor Of using the
entire force of the State, her money and in
fuence, to secure for her frontiersmen the
needed and deserved protection. Gatesoile
SUM-.
The above is the conclusion of an article
in the Gatesville Sun, sound Democratic
paper, on the subject of frontier protection
as connected with Gubernatorial candidates.
We desire to make it the text for some APP
propriate comment The situation of the
Texas frontier is deplorable indeed. It is
not the loss of vast amounts of property by
Indian depredatiOns-that could be partially
compensated by the general government,
which should justly pay the last
cent of ascertained damages; it is
the loss Of human life, which admits of no
reparation. The man who returns to his
home on the frontier, the home which he
has reared up in the wilderness and made
comfortable by his labo s, and finds the
wife of his bosom outraged and scalped,
lying before him on the bloody floor, in
the midst of his little children, dead and
mutilated, or, perhaps, nothing but their
bones left to mark the spot where his hum
BILE cabin once stood, is beyond the reach
of compensation. God only can comfort
him and enable him to bear such inflictions.
But who is to blame for these horrors9
Who is responsible for this wretched, heart
rending state of affairs. Not the State
of Texas, or her people at large.
There has been no real responsible gov
ernment of Texas since the last Radical
reconstruction of the once proud Republic,
the once honored sovereign State of a free
Unionl From the time, when Governor
Throckmorton and the other duly elected
officials of Texas were expelled from their
positions by Federal bayonets and martial
law established, she has been more or less
fettered and bound, lying at the feet of the
central despotism, and at its mercy. She
has no responsibility resting upon her. She
can literally do nothing, except by permis-
sion, so far as frontier defense is concerned.
Does not every one see and understand this?
The whole responsibility is on the general
government, of which Grant is the head
and it constitutes weight, which should
crush them to the earth and overwhelm
them with infamy. The government at
Washington, which taxes and rules us at
pleasure, win neither protect us rallow us to
protect ourselves Taxation and protection,
it was once thought, should be inseparable
That Old axiom is now utterly discarded.
Modern Radicalism has abolished every
thing, once deemed true and sacred, from
the old Constitution down to the plainest
rule of political. justice. We are totally
without the power or practical means of re-
dress, except by open defiance and resist
ance to the general government, which no
one desires. We can look to it alone for
relief, and, as long as the Radical party is
kept in power at Washington and its pres
ent Indian policy is pursued, we shall get
none. The destruction of property and
human life will go on, the pious Quakers
rejoice, and Grant viii smoke the pipe of
peace. Not so, 900 well armed regular
troops, stationed at posts in Texas, could
prevent the Indians from coming within
their lines, and robbing, burning, scalping
and butchering the poor helpless people of
Texas, on the frontier, as they now do.
The whole Indian policy must be changed,
so far as Texas is concerned, or there will
be no relief and can be none 1t is idle for
our friend of the Gatesville Sun to talk
about making this question in the COM
ing election, ''to the0exclusion, if needs be,
of.all other policies, and getting pledges
from gubernatorial candidates that, if
elected, they viii be sin favor of using the
entire force of the State, her money and in
fiuence, to secure for the frontiersmen the
needed and deserved projections" for no
man can do this, when elected, while the
Radical party is in power and Grant reigns
at Washington. Every Democrat in Texas,
whether candidate or not, is in favor of
protecting the frontier by all practical and
possible means. But when the ques-
ton of raising regiment for frontier
protection was mooted in the last Leg
;slature, Governor Davis was informed
by the general government and so
communicated to the House, that this
would not be permitted. The only thing
we have left, for US to do, is to secure an en-
tire Democratic government in Texas, and
to earnestly cooperate with the Democracy
elsewhere to reclaim the general govern
ment from the foul hands Of the Radical
corruptionists at Washington, and restore
power once more to the honest Democracy
Of the Union. That is all we can do, and
to effect this, we must all be united and not
allow any outside issue to distract and dis
turb us. With the Radicals routed every
where and put to fight and shame, and the
Democratic flag. never yet dishonored, way.
ing over the White House and the Capitol
At Washington, the Texas frontier will be
relieved and protected and its butcherie:
cease. Until this is done, no permanent al
deviation need be depended on or ever
dreamed Of
RAILROADS.