2 4 , ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁ ▁Post ▁war ▁Following ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁Davis ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁Texas ▁Constitution al ▁Convention . ▁He ▁supported ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁fre ed ▁slaves ▁and ▁ur ged ▁the ▁division ▁of ▁Texas ▁into ▁several ▁Republican - control led ▁states . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁he ▁was ▁narrow ly ▁elected ▁governor ▁against ▁Andrew ▁Jackson ▁Hamilton , ▁a ▁Union ist ▁Dem ocrat . ▁Document ed ▁cases ▁of ▁serious ▁fra ud , ▁presented ▁to ▁Congress ▁and ▁the ▁President , ▁were ▁ignored . ▁As ▁a ▁Rad ical ▁Republican ▁during ▁Re const ruction , ▁his ▁term ▁in ▁office ▁was ▁controvers ial . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁the ▁Texas ▁State ▁Police ▁came ▁into ▁being ▁by ▁Rad ical ▁b ills , ▁which ▁passed ▁the ▁House ▁easily ▁but ▁st alled ▁in ▁the ▁Senate ▁until ▁the ▁th ir teen ▁opposition ▁party ▁sen ators ▁were ▁arrested ▁and ▁det ained ▁by ▁Davis ▁police , ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁the ▁entire ▁package ▁of ▁Rad ical ▁legisl ation ▁was ▁r ushed ▁through . ▁The ▁State ▁Police ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁extraordinary ▁powers , ▁including ▁an ▁un const itution al ▁privile ge ▁of ▁taking ▁off enders ▁from ▁one ▁county ▁to ▁another ▁for ▁trial , ▁and ▁of ▁operating ▁under cover , ▁as ▁secret ▁agents . ▁ ▁It ▁worked ▁against ▁ra cially ▁based ▁cr imes , ▁and ▁included ▁black ▁police ▁officers , ▁which ▁caused ▁protest ▁from ▁former ▁slave own ers