Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 24.djvu/63

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ployers in order to travel on the public highways a regulation never Mrictlv enforced by slave owners before slavery was abolished. In tin- light of other occurrences about that time the order requiring them to carry a pass, the essential badge of slavery, was indeed anomalous. For example, a public negro ball was given by permis- sion of the military authorities at Galveston, and no permit was obtained from the municipal authorities, which was a breach of the city ordinances. The manager was fined by the recorder, ]. P. Cole, and committed to jail in default of payment. The Galveston News thus described what followed: " On the ^d instant, while the council was in session with Mayor Leonard presiding, a Federal officer with armed guard entered the city hall and arrested the mayor, taking him from his seat and putting him in jail." It further stated that he was "permitted to resume the functions of his office, with instruc- tions, however, that military orders at present are the supreme law of the land."

In this manner was the enforcement of the law by local authorities resented where it conflicted with the will of the Federal officers.

THE SUMMER OF 1865.

United States troops leisurely took possession of and established posts at the principal points in the State, but the force was wholly insufficient to afford even a small garrison in every county, so there were many sections of hundreds of square miles where P'ederal sol- diers were not seen for many months.

Meanwhile Texas was without a government of any kind. The executive department and the courts were closed, and were only re- opened upon the temporary organization effected later on by the provisional governor, A. }. Hamilton.

Bands of lawless men, "jay hawkers" as they were called, ter- rorized some sections of the country, and, while General Granger denounced them in his orders as " enemies to the human race, who would be dealt with as such," his soldiers exterminated but few if any of them.

Meanwhile a more hopeful feeling gained ground among the peo- ple as to the future. The tone of the Northern press and of the Northern speakers became more moderate. President Johnson had issued a proclamation of limited amnesty, and had expressed himself as inclined to adopt a " merciful " policy toward the South.

In June, Gerrit Smith, a leading abolitionist, delivered an address