New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-05
pE1CE AyD QUIET REiGN"

and knows he will keep
"PEACE AND QUIET REiGN"
Early in November, 1867, General Hancock
arrived IN Ncw-Orleans and took command OF
the Fifth Military District, composed OF Lou
lsiaua and Texas. He replaced General Sher-
idan. who was removed by Andrew Johnson
because of his vigorous and loyal enforcement
of the Reconstruction Acts and his active
measures for the suppression of the lawoss
and rebellious spirit which prevailed III the
South. General Hancock had been but IA few
DAYS in Ncw-Oreans-nOt long enough to re-
ccivc reports from any portions of his district
save those lying in the immediate vicinity OF
his headauarters-whe he issued his IA
nous Order No. 40 which was promptly inter
preted by the late rebels he was sent to govern
as Withdrawal Of military supervision over
The evil authorities they had themselves set
up In that order he said: The General
" commanding Is gratfed to learn that peace
&" and quiet reign in this department" He had
in fact learned nothing Of the sort. He as
sumed n state of affairs which did not exist
as an excuse for reversing the policy OF Cen
eral Sheridan and putting in force the policy
of Andrew johnson.
Let us inquire what sort of "pcace and
"quetn reIgncd in the With District. An
abundance Of testimony on this point Is fur
n,hed by the Investigations Of Coug1essiona
Committees, the reports OF the officers OF the
Freedmens Bureau, and those Of General
IIancocI}s own sub rdInatcs. We Will pass
| this evidence by for the present, and 20
TO another source for information. In 1868
convention was held in Texas under the au-
horitv OF the Reconstruction Acts, to form
new Constitution. Ii appointed special com
mIttee to investigate the lawlessnos' and gio-
lcnce prevailing in the State. The Committee
rcported on juno 30, about seven months
after Hancock issued his order. Included IN
/ their report were the following statistics OF
murders committed in Texas from the end OF
the war in 1868 to June 80, 1865: Killed IN
| 1865, 80 whites, 3S freedmen; total II.
! Killed in 1866 20 whites, y freedmen;
! total. li2. Killed i'll 1867, 1GG whites, 1G5
! freedmen; total, 331. Killed during the first
six months of 1868, III whites, 165 freed
men; total, 3O4. Killed, year unknown,
| "a whites, u freedmen; total 10. Killed
Of unknown race 40. Grand total, 939.
! OF these 939 homicides, the Committee found
! that S33 we're committed by whites,
! 80 by freedmen and 45 by persons
OF unknown race. White men killed 400
whites and 1913 freedmen. Freedmen killed
| 10 whites aud As of their own race.
Commenting upon the remarkable increase
in the numbDr Of murders during the first six
months of 1865, the Committee traced the
cause directly to General Hancocks new pol
| lev During the three months before he took
command, the administration Of Governor
Pease. sustained by General Sheridan, had
reduced the number OF homcldes to Q per
month. In the first month after Hancock is
sued his order 80 murders were reported
by the Freedmen's Bureau. Fuller reports"
! said the Committee, SHOW that since the policy
"of General Hancock was inaugurated, sustained
" as it Is by President Johnson, the homcides
Gin Texas have averaged 80 per month,
&c and for the last five months they have aver
"aged 60 per month. 1t is for the COM
"mander of the Fifth Military District to an
"swer to the public for at least two-thirds of
"the $50 or more homicdes committed III
Texas since the first of December, 1867"
The practice of numbering white and cOOred
Republicans hourished i'll Texas until General
Hancock's rule came to an end and the State
passed into the hands of the Republican Gov
| eminent, at the head of which was Governor
| L. j. Davis. The energetic measures Davis
adopted greatly diminished the number of
| homIcides Even the Texas Democrats ac-
knowledge that there was less lawlessness in
| the State under his administration than at any
time before or since during the past fifteen
years.
OF course General Hancock had no sympa-
thy with murder in Texas He assumed that
"peace and quiet" prevailed there, because
Andrew johnson and the Democratic party
wanted him to so assume rs an excuse for
putting their let-alOne policy in operation.
Matters were bad enough In the Fifth District
before he took command. Even the stern
| measures OF General Sheridan could not keep
the spirit of the beaten rebellion from mani
Testing itself in the murder of freedmen and
of white Republicans. A wholesome fear of
| the military authorities tended to limit the
number of homcides, however but the muir
derers had no appre of civil courts
composed of judges and juries who sympa-
thzed with Them and when Hancock gave
| notice that the military authority was subor-
| dInate to the civil power, carnival OF kill
ing began.
| ON WHICH SIDEf
General Weaver, the Greenback candidate
| road m tho afvrn