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TEXAS. 



The Democrats, as a party, took no direct 

 action in regard to this election. They held no 

 State Convention, nor offered candidates for 

 office. Their leading men and papers, how- 

 ever, earnestly urged every one to vote for the 

 new constitution and for the election of those 

 among the Republican candidates who pro- 

 fessed sentiments of impartiality toward all 

 citizens. 



The result of the election appears from an 

 order issued by the military commander on 

 January 11, 1870, as follows: 



VOTE ON THE CONSTITUTION. 



Number of votes " For" 72,366 



Number of votes " Against " 4,928 



Majority for Constitution 67,438 



The following-named persons having re- 

 ceived a plurality of the votes cast, were de- 

 clared elected to the positions designated : 



Members of Congress. First District, G. W. Whit- 

 more ; Second District, J. C. Connor ; Third District, 

 W. T. Clarke ; Fourth District, E. Degener. 



State Officers. Governor, Edmund J. Davis : Lieu- 

 tenant-Go vernor, J. W. Flanigan ; Comptroller, A. 

 Bledsoe; Treasurer, G. W. Honey; Land-Office 

 Commissioner, Jacob Knechler. 



The Legislature elected under the provisions 

 of the new constitution seems to have a fair 

 representation of all parties, "Democratic," 

 "Conservative," and "Radical," the last- 

 named apparently preponderating. They have 

 been so classified in some papers as to make 

 seventeen "Radical" and thirteen "Conserva- 

 tive " senators ; though others contend that 

 " several of those marked Radical were elected 

 by Conservative votes ; " in the Lower House, 

 forty " Democrats " and " Conservatives," and 

 fifty "Radicals." Among the members of the 

 legislative body there are ten negroes ; two in 

 the Senate, eight in the House of Representa- 

 tives. 



With regard to the natural and social condi- 

 tion of Texas, it might be described as an im- 

 mense country with vast resources of all 

 sorts, and with very few inhabitants to render 

 them available. The amount of her live-stock, 

 especially of horned cattle, has become prover- 

 bial, it being almost countless ; although the 

 Indians and the Mexicans, separately or joint- 

 ly, make their efforts to diminish it by stealing 

 as much, and as frequently, as they dare. 



Among the products raised upon its soil, 

 including wheat and other cereals, cotton 

 seems the principal. A correspondent, not a 

 Texan, of the New York Sun, in a letter dated 

 Houston, August 25, 1869, says: "Lands can 

 be bought in Texas to-day at from $3 to $5 per 

 acre, upon which can be annually raised a 500- 

 pound bale of cotton per acre. The cotton 

 crop last year brought about $20,000,000 ; the 

 beeves and hides about $10,000,000 ; and the 

 wool grown and exported amounted to about 

 $5,000,000. It is thought by some that the 

 cotton crop this year will amount to 300,000 

 bales, of 500 pounds each, which at to-day's 



price would bring $52,500,000. This, how- 

 ever, may be rather a large estimate." The 

 cotton crop set down by its correspondent at 

 $20,000,000, actually amounted to more than 

 $30,000,000. 



Railway communication is now much at- 

 tended to, a large portion of the surplus money 

 being generally invested in that interest. Sev- 

 eral important lines are at present under con- 

 struction within the State, which will be a 

 great addition to those in actual operation. 

 " The Houston and Texas Central Railroad will 

 be running from Houston to Calvert on the 

 1st of September, 1869. This will extend com- 

 munication by rail one hundred and eighty 

 miles from the coast into the interior. The 

 Memphis, El Paso, and Pacific, and the Vicks- 

 burg, Shreveport, and El Paso Railroads, as 

 well as the Texas and New Orleans, and the 

 Mexican Gulf and San Antonio Railroads, are 

 now in process of construction; while there 

 are three lines of steamships in successful 

 operation between New York and Galveston, 

 besides a number of sail- vessels." A branch 

 of the Central Railroad is now being laid from 

 Brenham to Austin, and the work is vigorously 

 prosecuted, some four hundred and fifty hands 

 being employed on it, over two hundred con- 

 victs among the number. 



A great calamity befell portions of Texas 

 in July, caused by the freshet in consequence 

 of extraordinary rains of .three days' continu- 

 ance. The Guadalupe, Comal, Nevada, San 

 Marcos, and Colorado Rivers, and Peach Creek, 

 rose higher above their usual level than ever 

 known before even to the height of forty- 

 seven feet eight inches. The adjacent lands 

 on each side, to the distance of ten miles and 

 more, were completely submerged, the crops 

 and stores destroyed, and not only all the 

 bridges and mills on the banks were swept 

 away, but the cabins of the negroes and farm- 

 houses, situated far inland, "were overtopped 

 and carried off by the flood. In the city of 

 San Antonio itself, both of its bridges lay deep 

 under water, and a large portion of the houses 

 forming the town of La Grange, not to men- 

 tion other places, when the waters had retired, 

 was seen no more. Not a few human lives 

 were lost by drowning. With regard to prop- 

 erty of all kinds, the loss was incalculable. A 

 few days after the high flood, when the waters 

 subsided, the damage on the Colorado alone 

 was estimated at three million dollars. A 

 large number of farmers and workmen were 

 thus reduced to absolute destitution. 



On the general condition of Texas," a sum- 

 mary of General Reynolds' s report for the year 

 ending September 30, 1869, has been published, 

 as follows : 



The length of frontier line in this district to be 

 protected against Indian incursions extends from 

 the Eed Eiver to the Eio Grande, about 490. miles, 

 and along the Eio Grande for about 816 miles a 

 total of 1,306 miles. 



Indian raids during the year have been unusually 

 bold, and, it is believed, commanded in most in- 



