Daily Los Angeles herald., 1880-07-10
would refuse to call for aid If they

would refuse to call for aid If they
needed 1t.
There are some conditions which,
1t seems to me, should cause YOU to
hesitate before INDUCING in whole
sale censures against the civil au-
thorities of Texas. You are your.
self the chief of those authorities,
not elected by the people. but Gre
ated by the military. Not long
after you had thus come into office,
all the Judges of the Supreme
Court of Texas-five in number
were removed from office, and new
appointments made; twelve of the
seventeen District Judges were re-
moved and others appointed.
County officers, more or less, in
seventy-five out of one hundred
and twenty-eight counties, we're re.
moved, and others appointed in
their places. 1t Is fair to conclude
that the executive and judicial
functioDaries in Texas are the per-
sons whom you desired TO fill the
offices. 1t Is proper to mention,
also, that none but registered citi-
zens, and only those who could
take the test oath, have been al
lowed to serve as jurors during your
administration. Now, it is against
this local government, created by
military power prior to my coming
here, and so composed of your per-
s0nal and political friends, that
you have preferred the most griev-
Gus 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 hundred homicides COM
mitted in the last twelve months,
not over ten arrests have been made !;
and by means Of such gross disre-
gard Of duty, you declare 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, q mys.
terry 10 presented for which 1 can
imagine no explanation. Why Is
it that your political friends, back
ed up and sustained by the whole
military power of the United States
in this District, should be unwill-
ing to enforce the laws against that
part of the population lately in re.
bellion, and whom you represent
as the offenders In all the his
tory Of these troubles, have never
seen or heard before of such fact.
I repeat. IL the fact be SO, it Is a
profound mystery, utterly surpass
ing my comprehension. am con.
strained to declare that 1 believe
you are in very great error as t.
facts. 1 find that at the date oil
your letter four cases only of hom.
icides, had been reported to these
Headquarters as having occurred
since November 20, 1867, the date
of Orders 40, and these cases were
ordered to be tried or investi gated
as soon as the reports were received
However, the fact of the one hun.
dred homicides may still he cor.
rect, as stated by you. The Freed
mans Bureau in Texas reported
one hundred and sixty; how many
of these were by Indians and Mex.
leans, and how the remainder were
classified, Is not known, nor is it
known whether these data are &C.
curate.
The report of the Commanding
Officer of the District of Texas
shows that since 1 assumed com
mand 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
homicide have been reported to me
as having occurred since Novem
Der 20, 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 women by their husbands
and of the remainder some by par
ties unknOwn-all of which could
be scarcely attributable to Orders
No. 40. If the Reports received
since the issuing of Orders No. 4C
are correct, they exhibit no increase
of homicides In my time, If you are
correct That one hundred had oc'
Cured in the past twelve months
That there has not been a perfec,
administration of justice in Texas
am not prepared to deny.
That there has been no such wan
ton disregard Of duty on the part o
officials as you allege, L am wei
satisfied. A very little while age
you regarded the present officials
in Texas the only ones who coul(
be safely trusted with power. Now
you pronounce them worthless anC
would cast them aside.
| have found little else in you
letter but Indications of temper
dashed into excitement by cause!
which deem mostly imaginary, {
great confidence in the accuracy O
your own opinions, and an intoler
auce of the opinions of others, ,
desire to punish the thoughts ant
feelings OF those who differ from
you, and an impatiencs which mag
nifies the shortcomings of officials
who are perhaps as earnest ant
conscientious in the discharge o
their duties as yourself, and Il mos
unsound conclusion that while any
persons are to be found wanting il
affection or respect 70
the government, or yield
ing in obedience from mo
tives which you do not approve
war, and not peace, is the status
and all such persons are the prope
subjects for military penal jurisdic
ton.
If 1 have written any thing tt
disabuse your mind of so grave al
! error, shall be gratified,