National Republican., 1880-06-25
UINCOCR Nv TEXAS.
a Leaf from the Political History of That
State

A Leaf from the Political History of That
State
The action of the Cincinnati convention was
unquestionably based upon the idea that its
whole mission consisted in devising q plan TO
capture New York in the November cont ST us
All appendage to the solid south in order that a
democratic president may be chosen, ana IL
must be con fcssed that the ticket placed in the
field yesterday put the choice OF fgbting-
giound in the hands of the democratic party
In 1868 Andrew johnson sent General Han
cock TO Louisiana and placed him in command
of tho department of the gulf, which included
the state OF Texas. Under his regime The ma
tive union men and oarpet.baggcts were
crushed out OF political existence aud the lat
ter state was reconstructed under democratic
auspices with tho cx.ConiCdcrate General
ThrOckmortOn as governor. A constitution was
adopted embracing system of Iabpr laws that
brought the freedmen into tho NEST abjcct
pCOuage, and the peniicntiaries and ails of tho
state were soon filled with laborors convicted
on charge of absenting themselves from their
employers premises without passes, and SINH
lar Oiirnsos (?). These "COnvicts" were then
hired out to tho highest bidders, making the
system of involuntary sGrvitudu complete.
General Hancock was appealed to in petitions
aud prayers of the more intelligent union men,
and instead OF extending tho protecting arm
VI bht bONOlnuchb W Nucil NDHllhtbtlul
appeals wero referred officially back to Cover
nor Throckmorton who, in turn, referred
thom to the county authorities, resulting in
making the writers tho target of their persecu.
| ton and increasing the lNtter's fury.
As an illustration: yOung man named
Lindsey, living at Bolton, in Bell county. was
cOnscripted in tho confederate army. He WIS
of u union family, aud by advice of his father
he fed the country, aud being pursued by
officers lp plupDt I. mining wild
! the prairie aud with its aid escaped across tho
| line into Mexico, made his way to Browns
vile, enlisted in y Texas union cavalry regi-
mont, and at the close Of tho war was honor a.
| bly, discharged, when lie returned homo 10 his
| fathers. The two had been active in their
community in opposition TO the pconage laws,
| also were instrumental in getting up IL
petition for relief, citing instances of outrages
within their knowledge. This petition was
returned in tho manner described, and these
| two men instantly became u shining mark for
| the persecution of their liu-kluxng ncighbors
To escape the dangers they had unwi;tiugly
| brought upon themselves, these men were
compelled to Immediately abandon all thoir
aCCumulations of two generations and flee.
Thcy settled in Attascosa county, more than
| 100 miles away, whore they hoped to live in
comparative peace and ont OF the range of the
hornets nest thoy had disturbed. Not so,
however. A warrant was sworn out against
| the son on a charge of hUrsc-stealing, based on
| the circumstance above named. Although the
ownership of the pony worth less than five
dollprs) was not known. tho father was in
cluded rs accessory, and officers OF Bell county
proceeded to execute tho warrants. While en-
route to Bell county in the custody of the oili.
GERS the Lndseys succeeded in getting n
friendly freedman to convey information OF
their peril TO cx- Confederate Major L. +. Teal,
a prominent lawyer OF San Antonio, who APP
pealed to General Mason, commanding the
post to intercodo on the ground that the
charge was fraudulent and was made to get
Lhcm in custody for the purpose OF assassina-
ton. General Mason retained the prisoners in
jail at San Antonio and forwarded their appeal
for change of venue in due form TO military
headquarters. This was in turn referred To
Governor ThrOckmorton, who disapprOycd
the petition, aud the prsOnes were again put in
the custody of the Bell county authorities, with
the commanding oflicer's kind assurance that
they Should have justice" The Lindscys
We're taken TO the county Jail Of Bell county,
which was two.story concern built of hewn
logs, with an outer and inner layer Of logs
laid horizontally and dovetailel at the corners,
and another thickness of logs between them
standing perpendiculurly and loose, in order
that they might keep dropping If by any de-
vice the prisoners should attempt to cut por-
ton out. Tho second story was separated
from the first by u solid log floor with twenty
feet clear between tho lower floor and this
ceiling, and the only entrance OF opening to
the lower story was through a twonty-iuCh
trap in the separating floor, the upper story
being reached by outside stairs The Lind
seys were placed in this dungeon, where they
remained and weltcred in their own filth
about four months in company with u couple
Of colOrcd prisoners charged with capital
Oileuscs, until within about ten days Of tho
time the court was to meet TO try them, when
an organized band of about sixty Of the best
citizens Of Bolton calmly entered the Jail about
midnight one night, and throwing torches OF
cotton, saturated with turpehtinc, into tho dun.
gcon empted their shOtguns into the bodies of
the two Lindseys until they and their colorcd
companions lay wcltcring in their blood, after
which score of the leaders were let down
into the pit, when they marched around the
manglGd cOrpses, singing rebel war Songs and
cmptying their royolvers into tho helpless
carcasscs Of the victims, This vus the cul.
minating point Of Hancock % surrender to tho
ku-kluN. On the presentation Of The UirCum-
stances of this outrage to President Giant,
who had succeeded Johnson, as they were
prepared by Major Teal, who was an cX.con-
fedcrato and TO this hour consistent demo.
crat Hancock, Throckmorton and Heintzlc.
man were wiped out ut one fell sWOop, and
for the first time after the war Il union mans
life was made comparatively safe in the de.
partmcnt OF the gulf 1t is this immunity to
kill negroes and union men that eudrars
Hancock to tho ku.kux heart, and
the latter has the double incentive of loyo
aud n determination TO catch northern
gudgeons in making The nomination, 1he
love insurts solid south, aud the fishing
ground is transferred to New York aud In.
diana by reason of taking candidate accept.
able to John Kelly. There Is but ono way to
meet this skillnll move of tho democracy with
any hope of success. That Is, to accept the
issue, which means that the solid south has
thrown down the gauntle, and challenged the
north to another sectional contest, and Mr.
Garfield aud his friends must accept the issue
or surrender at once,