730 



TEXAS. 



the war in 1865. Of these, 304 had been per- 

 petrated since the first of January. These 

 crimes were attributed to political differences, 

 and a spirit of intolerance toward sentiments 

 of "loyalty" to the Government. "Many of 

 the persons murdered," said a majority of the 

 committee, "were loyal men, and were mur- 

 dered for their loyalty." This was denied in a 

 minority report submitted some days later, 

 though prevalence of crime in many parts of 

 the State was admitted. The result of the in- 

 vestigation took the form of a resolution, ap- 

 pointing two commissioners to proceed to 

 Washington and lay before Congress " the con- 

 dition of lawlessness and violence prevalent in 

 this State, and urge the immediate necessity 

 for action on the following matter : 



" 1. The adoption of some law or regulation 

 that will secure the filling of all State provi- 

 sional offices with competent and loyal incum- 

 bents. 



" 2. The organization of loyal militia, to be 

 placed under the direction and control of the 

 loyal provisional authorities of Texas." 



At about the same time, a resolution was 

 passed appropriating $25,000, and placing the 

 same at the disposal of the Governor, " to en- 

 able him to offer suitable rewards for the ar- 

 rest and apprehension of the desperadoes " 

 who were disturbing the peace of the commu- 

 nity, and to " ferret out their hiding-places." 

 This resolution was forwarded to General Bu- 

 chanan for his approval, and returned with the 

 following objections : 



" 1. He [the commander] is unable to find 

 in the reconstruction acts of Congress, under 

 which the convention assembled, any thing 

 which authorized it to appropriate the money 

 of the State for the purpose specified in said 

 declaration. 



"2. This is properly a subject for legislation, 

 and should be left to the consideration of said 

 Legislature. 



" 3. The declaration appropriates $25,000 to 

 be used as above stated, with a proviso with 

 reference to a military commission, which its 

 author doubtless intended as a gratuitous in- 

 sult to the commanding general of the Fifth 

 Military District, by coupling it with conditions 

 intended to reflect discreditably upon his ad- 

 ministration of its civil affairs." 



The proviso mentioned was in these words : 



Resolved, That no part of the same shall be used 

 unless the military commander of the District of 

 Texas shall first be authorized to organize military 

 commissions for the trial of offenders. 



The Democratic Convention, which met on 

 the 6th day of July, at Bryan, also appointed a 

 Committee on Crime and Lawlessness, and a 

 report was published which contained the views 

 of the better portion of the conservative peo- 

 ple of the State. They did not deny the prev- 

 alence of crime, but admitted it "with sor- 

 row." They did, however, differ with the com- 

 mittee of the Constitutional Convention with 

 regard to the causes of this unfortunate state 



of things. These causes were stated to be : 1. 

 The "general demoralization resulting from 

 the war, and the absence of any government, 

 civil or military, for several months after the 

 conclusion of the war, and the sudden disband- 

 ment of a large number of Federal and Confed- 

 erate soldiery," who were thus released from 

 military restraint at a time when the checks 

 of civil law were also wanting ; 2. The " disor- 

 ders had been increased in many localities by 

 taking the execution of the laws from the civil 

 authorities, without replacing them by any 

 other power; " 3. The "inefficiency of judicial 

 and ministerial officers appointed by the mili- 

 tary authorities ; " and, 4. The " changed condi- 

 tion of society resulting from the emancipation 

 of the negroes, the indolent habits and thievish 

 disposition evinced by them, and the turbulent 

 spirit which they have manifested, instigated 

 by bad and designing men, and in many in- 

 stances supported by the officers of the Freed- 

 men's Bureau." 



The committee denied that freedom of 

 speech and of political sentiment was not al- 

 lowed in the State, and intimated that a lib- 

 eral and efficient government was all that was 

 needed in Texas. In the midst of these inves- 

 tigations on crime and lawlessness, a riot oc- 

 curred at Millican, in which several persons 

 lost their lives. An armed band of negroes, 

 with a " parson " at the head, set forth on an 

 expedition of vengeance for the supposed hang- 

 ing of a negro in the Brazos valley, and came 

 in collision with the sheriff and his posse, who 

 attempted to preserve the peace. This oc- 

 curred on the 15th of July. 



After the restoration of Louisiana to her 

 place in the Union by the act of Congress of 

 June 25th, Texas alone formed the Fifth Military 

 District, and on the 28th of July General J. 

 Eeynolds was assigned to the command. On 

 the 24th of August, the following was ad- 

 dressed to the president of the convention : 



HD'QBS, FIFTH MILITARY DIS'T, STATE OF TEXAS, ) 

 AUSTIN, TEXAS, August 24, 1868. j 

 Eon. E. J. Davis, President Constitutional Conven- 

 tion, Austin, Texas : 



SIR : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt 

 of a resolution of the convention, passed on the 20th 

 inst., asking my approval of an additional appropria- 

 tion of $25^000 to defray expenses. 



The convention has been in session about eighty- 

 five days, and has expended an appropriation of 

 $100,000. 



The present state of the Treasury, the rate at which 

 money is coming in, and the prospective current 

 wants of the State, forbid the appropriation of any 

 more money from the Treasury for the expenses of 

 the Constitutional Convention. 



The resolution is respectfully returned without ap- 

 proval. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient 

 servant. J. J. IJEtNOLDS, 



Brevet Major-General U. S. A., commanding. 



All the committees on the different portions 

 of the constitution had made their reports, 

 and the instrument was engrossed, but, on the 

 receipt of the above communication, it was de- 

 termined to take a recess. The convention 



