The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-16

respect to such rights and responsibilities as are
created by law. Political power is conferred In
equal measure upon all citizens. white or back.
The negro votes sits upon jurles and is eligible to
every once to which the white man is. There Is
absolutely no distinction as to law between him
and the white man. Whatever inequalities exist
are moral and as Inevitable in that State as In
every other society OF men no more and no less.
The interference OF external force. independent
OF and beyond the control OF the people, has pro-
duced IN Alabama the same results that in other
times and In other lauds always have flowed from
the exercise OF power over an intelligent people
BY authorities not responsible directly to those
whose rights were affected. The government has
been, practically, one OF violence and Its con-
sequences disanection, discord and unrest. Moral
forces have been crushed By mere numbers. Bad
men have obtsined control OF Affairs by means
utterly beyond the reach ofpuoic opinion to check
or cure. The negroes have been banded together
as a class. taught to regard white neighbors as
enemies and 0rcibly maintained in unnat ural
position OF political superiority. The inevitable
result has been msgOvernment in public admins
tration and an utter contempt for all honesty in
politics.
In proportion as federal power has become re.
Taxed In Alabama through the weakening there OF
the dominant political party, kindly spirit has
arisen between all classes such as exists In every
Northern State; laborer and employer, ceasng to
lear one another, are on good terms public opinion
Is acquiring its former regulative functions; good
men are being placed at the head Of public affairs,
and confidence and hope. with their consequences,
are rapidly returning to the places from which
they were long banished by msrue.
think, therefore, 1t is no mere unsupported
assertion to say that the entire and total with.
Grawal Of federal interference from our State will
be followed by the solid peace and material well
fare which are the natural convictions OF free
society.
What is true OF Alabama is true OF every other
Southern state. Very respectfully,
FREDERICK G. BROMBERG, NJ. C.
JOHN HANCOCK, OF TEXAS, ON CIVIL. RIGHTS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Jan. IL, 1881
| To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
In reply to your question, "What, socially and
politically, would be the result. in your State II
| the federal government should at once and en-
tirey cease to interfere In the affairs OF your
| State, and leave Texas to govern itself and its
| people to manage their own local AFFAIRS, Just as
| the people OF New York and Pennsylvania manage
theirs % have hesitation in saying that our So
| cal and political position would be more nearly
like that OF the States you name than 1t now is.
think am fully sustained in this view OF the re-
suits which have followed successive changes since
| the commencement OF the congressional plan OF
| reconstruction. For some years our state was
| under military rule, and a sort OF amagama.
| ton OF civil and military, the CIVIL how
| ever, subordinate to the military The peo-
| pie We're greatly harassed by arrests and
imprisonment, by having their property
| arbitrarily taken without compensation, and In
! come instances citizens were murdered by those
oioic
| and bitter feuds were engendered among the peo-
| pie. Our State government, finally organized In
1870 unfortunately retained strong disposition to
employ military force in the admi nistrati0n OF the
| laws and especially in connection with all cleo
| lions. SO long as this continued we were kept in
| turmoil, dissension and strife, not always Tree
| from violence and bloodshed In 1872 the people
elected Legislature opposed to this semi-mili-
| tary government. The laws were repealed in part
| or modified as to guard against q continuance
OF these abuses and the people clothed with power
| to govern themselves. Quiet, order and kindly
| disposition toward one another among all classes
followed, occasionally disturbed Il am gratined to
| be able to say not very often) by injudicious
| sometimes malicious or mercenary interpOstion
| OF these Il-udged enactments ortCongress de-
signed to keep sort of surveillance over the con.
| duct OF the white people toward the blacks.
The existence OF such laws regard as unfortu-
| tuuate for both races. They are predicated on
| the erroneous better OF animOslty existing be-
tween the white and coo ed people, and that their
interests are antagonistic. Neither is true except
| when adventures and place-hunters. both at
home and from abroad, have been enabled to use
these laws as the means OF imbung the impress
BILE mind OF the colored man with the belief that
there IS antag onism between him and the white
man. and that they \ere passed for his especial
protection: thus creating a sense OF obligation to
oppose politically those he had been guarded
against and to blindly follow their opponents.
To such influences are traceable most OF the dis.
turbances that have occurred. in any way OF q
political character. Remove the cause and they
Will cease. The natural kindness and sympathy
felt by the whites for the coored people, who know
them best, would be revived and their social
and material conditions improved by the aid, op-
portunity and encouragement that would be
cheerfully extended to them.
Now, IN Texas, without any federal requirement
colored children have equal participation in the
common school fund and the common schools with
the white, being taught, however, in separate
schools, and, as the whites are. within their
scholastic age required to attend school for as
much as four months OF each year. No one thinks
OF any limitation on political rights not appls-
cable alike to all citizens l cannot doubt but
the sooner shall be restored to complete and
unqualined local seli-Rovernment the better 1t will
be Tor all, socially and politically. Respectfully
your 0bedienr servant. JOHN HANCOCK.
ICE IN THE NORTH AND EAST RIVERS.
T,,o tp0A nat In Tho TO nv,hN nrfN ryxrnrc