Plot Politically Motivated?

“The Austin Intelligencer [newspaper] and some other papers of that class, are quite busy in attempting to establish the idea that the reports of the burning of towns and other outrages in Northern and Eastern Texas, were started, “just previous to the election” in order to influence the election. The attempt is a significant one, and one worthy the attention of the public. Judge Paschal, the former editor of the Intelligencer, and who is responsible for its leading ideas, in a speech at Austin, a short time since, attempted to disprove the burnings, and to show there was no cause whatever for alarm. The Intelligencer even yet omits no opportunity to throw discredit on the reports. Other papers are doing the same thing. We now ask: ARE THESE MEN SOUND ON THE SLAVERY QUESTION?

We do not ask whether they own slaves, or whether they are identified enough with us to constitute a security for their good conduct. What we ask is, whether they have not for three years past, and are not yet pursuing a course calculated to weaken the institution in the South, calculated, in fact, to invite just such an inroad into the State as we have had for the past two months, and calculated to keep the wicked men engaged in that inroad, upon their work?”¹