, 1880-07-12

There are some considerations which, it
seems to me, should cause you to hesitate be-
fore indulging in wholesale censures against
the civil authorities of Texas. You are your
self the chief OF these authorities, not elected
| by the people, but created by the military
| Not long after you had thus come into office,
all the Judges of the Supreme Court of
| Texas-fiye in number-were removed from
| office, and new appointments made; twelve
of the seventeen District Judges were rcmOv
ed, and Others appointed in their places 1t is
fair to conclude that the Executive aid
Judicial civil fupetiOnaries in Texas arc the
persons whom you desired to fill the Offices
| It, is proper to mention, also, that none but
registered citizens, and only those who could
take the TEST oath, have been allowed to serve
as jurors during y)ur Administration. Now.
it is against this local Government, created
by military power prior to my coming here,
and SO composed of your personal and politi'
cal friends, That you have preferred the most
grievous complaints 1t is of them that you
have asserted they will not do their duty;
they will not maintain justice; will not arrest
offenders; will not punish crimes; and that
out of one lundred hOmicieds committed in
the last twelve months, not over ten arrests
have been made; and by means of such gross
disregard of duty, you delarc that neither
property nor life is safe in Texas.
Certainly you could have said nothing more
to the discredit of the officials who are now in
office. If the facts be as you allege, mys.
tery is presented for which can imagine no
explanation Why is it, that your political
friends, backed up and sustained by the
whole military power of the United States
in this district should be unwilln. to enforce
the Jaws aginst that part Of the population
lately in rebellion, and whom you represent
as the offenders In all the history OF these
troubles, have never seen or heard before of
sach a fact repeat, if the fact be so, it is
profound mystery, utterly surprising my
comprehension, am constrained to declare
that believe you are in very great error as
to facts. On careful examination at the proper
source, find thai at the date of your letter
four cases only of homicides had been reported
TO these headquarters as having occurred since
November29. 1867, the date of order 40, and
those cases were ordered to be tried or inves-
tigated as soon the reports were received
However, the fact of the one hundred hOmi-
cides may still be correct, as stated by you
The Freedmap's Bureau in Texas reported one
hundred and sixty; how many of these were
by IDdars and MeXicans, and how the re-
mainder were classified, Is not known, nor is
it known whether these datas are accurate.
The report of the Commanding officer of
the district of Texas shows that since l as
sumed command no applications have been
made to him by you for the arrest of criminals
in the State of Texas.
To this date eighteen cases of hOmicides
have been reported to me as having occurred
since November %, 1867, although special in
structions had been given to report such cases
as they occur. Of these, five were committed
by Indians, one by Mexican, one by an in
sane man, three by colored men, two of wo-
men by their husbands, and of the remainder
some by parties unknOwn-all of which could
be scarcely attributable to order No. 40. If
the reports received since the issue of order
No. 40 are correct, they exhibit no increase Of
hOmiciies in my time, if you are correct that
one hundred had occurred in the past twelve
months.
That there has not been perfect admins
tration of justice in Texas | am not prepared
to deny,
That there has been no such wantOn dSre-
gard Of duty on the part of officials you al
lege. l am well satisfied. very little while
ago you regarded the present officials in Texas
the only ones who could be safely trusted with
power. Now you pronounce them worthless,
and would cast them aside.
have found little else in your letter but in
dications of temper, lashed into excitement by
causes which deem mostly imaginary, great
confidence in the accuracy Of your own opin
ions, and an intolerance of the opinions of
others, a desire to punish the thoughts and
feelings of those who differ from you, and an
impatience WHICH magnites the shortcomings
of officials who are perhaps US earnest and CON
seientiOus in the discharge of their duties as
yourself, aud a most unsOund conclusion that
while any persons are to be found wanting in
affection or respect for government, or yield
ing in obedience from m-tives which you do
not approve. war, and not peace, is the status,
and all such persons are the proper subjects
for military penal jurisdiction.
If have written anything to disabusc your
mind of so grave an error, l slall be gratitied
am, sif very respectfully, your obedient
servant. W. s. HANCOCK,
Major General Commanding.