CITIZENS' MEETING AT HOCKLEY.
A meeting of the citizens of Hockley was held on the 14th. The proceedings have been forwarded for publication, from which we are obliged to condense.
Rev. E. D. Johnson acted as Chairman of the meeting, and J. Y. Rankin as Secretary.
Messrs. J. Y. Rankin, F. L. Dukes and F. L. Viven, were appointed to draft resolutions. They reported resolutions, 1st, declaring the necessity of vigilance and sympathising with the citizens of the northern counties in their distress; 2d, agreeing to cooperate with like committees in other counties and places, and to stand as a body, as minute men, ready to render any assistance in their power; 3d, requesting all persons friendly to the object of the meeting to sign their names, thereby pledging themselves to aid in any measure requisite to protect their lives and property against abolitionism; 4th, providing for the selection of an efficient day and night watch; 5th providing for a committee of vigilance to take cognizance of all suspicious characters; and 6th, endorsing the proceedings at the town of Occaqua, (sic: Occoquan) Va.
The following persons were appointed as the police; S. Laughy, F. F. V. Johnson; C. Campbell, F. L. Dukes, R. Roques, J. A. Haenkne, J. Forster, Jno. Warren, Jos. Lawler, C. Abbott, C. Christopher and J. Kew.
The following were made the committee of Vigillance, viz: J. Y. Rankin, F. L Viven, F. L. Dukes, John Warren, L. Forster and Chas. Campbell.
The following names were signed to the proceedings:
F. L. Viven, F. S. Duke, John Warren, E. C. Abbott, S. Laughy, T. F. V. Johnson, A. C. Christopher, J. R. Kerr, C. Byram, Jos. Lawler, R. J. Abbott, J. A. Hienline, R. J. Roco, C. Helwig, J. Alexander, R. Rogers, H. C. Walker, Jas, Rogers, S. Forster, Geo. Lynch, H. C. Beauchamps, C. Campbell, Wm. Walker, J. J. Long, Thompson Walker.
E. D. JOHNSON, Ch'n.
John Y. Rankin, Secy.
Abraham Lincoln began campaigning for the presidency in 1859 with the abolitionist Hannibal Hamlin as his vice president. Hamlin had belonged to the Democrat party but his strong abolitionist views conflicted with that party and he joined the newly formed Republican party in 1856.
On Independence Day, 1860, some citizens of Occoquan, Virginia erected a flag pole and put a flag on it with the names of Lincoln and Hamlin. This didn't go over very well in the Democrat state of Virginia and a confrontation ensued and the pole was cut down and the flag confiscated. See the Richmond Times-Dispatch of July 30, 1860 for details.
George signed the resolution, as a resident of Hockley, condemning the abolitionist Lincoln-Hamlin flag event at Occoquan – he supported Texas & the sentiment against Lincoln's proposal to prohibit slavery.
"Citizens' Meeting At Hockley.", The Weekly Telegraph, (Houston, Tex.), Tuesday, August 21, 1860, p. 3, col. 1.
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