personal memoirs-2-第25章

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representations　were　without　availrefused　probably　because　little

mercy　had　been　shown　certain　Liberal　leaders　unfortunate　enough　to

fall　into　Maximilian's　hands　during　the　prosperous　days　of　his

Empire。



At　the　close　of　our　war　there　was　little　hope　for　the　Republic　of

Mexico。　　Indeed；　till　our　troops　were　concentrated　on　the　Rio　Grande

there　was　none。　　Our　appearance　in　such　force　along　the　border

permitted　the　Liberal　leaders；　refugees　from　their　homes；　to

establish　rendezvous　whence　they　could　promulgate　their　plans　in

safety；　while　the　countenance　thus　given　the　cause；　when　hope　was

well…nigh　gone；　incited　the　Mexican　people　to　renewed　resistance。

Beginning　again　with　very　scant　means；　for　they　had　lost　about　all；

the　Liberals　saw　their　cause；　under　the　influence　of　such　significant

and　powerful　backing；　progress　and　steadily　grow　so　strong　that

within　two　years　Imperialism　had　received　its　death…blow。　　I　doubt

very　much　whether　such；　results　could　have　been　achieved　without　the

presence　of　an　American　army　on　the　Rio　Grande；　which；　be　it

remembered；　was　sent　there　because；　in　General　Grant's　words；　the

French　invasion　of　Mexico　was　so　closely　related　to　the　rebellion　as

to　be　essentially　a　part　of　it。









CHAPTER　X。



A。　J。　HAMILTON　APPOINTED　PROVISIONAL　GOVERNOR　OF　TEXASASSEMBLES　A

CONSTITUTIONAL　CONVENTIONTHE　TEXANS　DISSATISFIEDLAWLESSNESS

OPPRESSIVE　LEGISLATIONEX…CONFEDERATES　CONTROLLING　LOUISIANAA

CONSTITUTIONAL　CONVENTIONTHE　MEETING　SUPPRESSEDA　BLOODY　RIOTMY

REPORTS　OF　THE　MASSACREPORTIONS　SUPPRESSED　BY　PRESIDENT　JOHNSON

SUSTAINED　BY　A　CONGRESSIONAL　COMMITTEETHE　RECONSTRUCTION　LAWS。



Although　in　1865…66　much　of　my　attention　was　directed　to

international　matters　along　the　Rio　Grande；　the　civil　affairs　of

Texas　and　Louisiana　required　a　certain　amount　of　military　supervision

also　in　the　absence　of　regularly　established　civil　authority。　　At　the

time　of　Kirby　Smith's　surrender　the　National　Government　had

formulated　no　plan　with　regard　to　these　or　the　other　States　lately　in

rebellion；　though　a　provisional　Government　had　been　set　up　in

Louisiana　as　early　as　1864。　　In　consequence　of　this　lack　of　system；

Governor　Pendleton　Murray；　of　Texas；　who　was　elected　under

Confederate　rule；　continued　to　discharge　the　duties　of　Governor　till

President　Johnson；　on　June　17；　in　harmony　with　his　amnesty

proclamation　of　May　29；　1865；　appointed　A。　J。　Hamilton　provisional

Governor。　　Hamilton　was　empowered　by　the　President　to　call　a

Constitutional　convention；　the　delegates　to　which　were　to　be　elected；

under　certain　prescribed　qualifications；　for　the　purpose　of

organizing　the　political　affairs　of　the　State；　the　Governor　to　be

guided　by　instructions　similar　to　those　given　the　provisional

Governor　of　North　Carolina　（W。　W。　Holden）；　when　appointed　in　May。



The　convening　of　this　body　gave　rise　to　much　dissatisfaction　among

the　people　of　Texas。　　They　had　assumed　that　affairs　were　to　go　on　as

of　old；　and　that　the　reintegration　of　the　State　was　to　take　place

under　the　administration　of　Governor　Murray；　who；　meanwhile；　had

taken　it　upon　himself；　together　with　the　Legislature；　to　authorize

the　election　of　delegates　to　a　State　Convention；　without　restriction

as　to　who　should　be　entitled　to　vote。　　Thus　encouraged；　the　element

but　lately　in　armed　rebellion　was　now　fully　bent　on　restoring　the

State　to　the　Union　without　any　intervention　whatever　of　the　Federal

Government；　but　the　advent　of　Hamilton　put　an　end　to　such　illusions；

since　his　proclamation　promptly　disfranchised　the　element　in

question；　whose　consequent　disappointment　and　chagrin　were　so　great

as　to　render　this　factor　of　the　community　almost　uncontrollable。　　The

provisional　Governor　at　once　rescinded　the　edict　of　Governor　Murray；

prohibited　the　assembling　of　his　convention；　and　shortly　after

called；　one　himself；　the　delegates　to　which　were　to　b　chosen　by

voters　who　could　take　the　amnesty…oath。　　The　proclamation　convening

this　assemblage　also　announced　the　policy　that　would　be　pursued　in

governing　the　State　until　its　affairs　were　satisfactorily

reorganized；　defined　in　brief　the　course　to　be　followed　by　the

Judiciary；　and　provided　for　the　appointment；　by　the　Governor；　of

county　officials　to　succeed　those　known　to　be　disloyal。　　As　this

action　of　Hamilton's　disfranchised　all　who　could　not　take　the　amnesty

oath；　and　of　course　deprived　them　of　the　offices；　it　met　at　once　with

pronounced　and　serious　opposition；　and　he　quickly　realized　that　he

had　on　his　hands　an　arduous　task　to　protect　the　colored　people；

particularly　as　in　the　transition　state　of　society　just　after　the

close　of　the　war　there　prevailed　much　lawlessness；　which　vented

itself　chiefly　on　the　freedmen。　　It　was　greatly　feared　that　political

rights　were　to　be　given　those　so　recently　in　servitude；　and　as　it　was

generally　believed　that　such　enfranchisement　would　precipitate　a　race

war　unless　the　freedmen　were　overawed　and　kept　in　a　state　of

subjection；　acts　of　intimidation　were　soon　reported　from　all　parts　of

the　State。



Hamilton；　an　able；　determined；　and　fearless　man；　tried　hard　to　curb

this　terrorism；　but　public　opinion　being　strong　against　him；　he　could

accomplish　little　without　military　aid。　　As　department　commander；　I

was　required；　whenever　called　upon；　to　assist　his　government；　and　as

these　requisitions　for　help　became　necessarily　very　frequent；　the

result　was　that　shortly　after　he　assumed　his　duties；　detachments　of

troops　were　stationed　in　nearly　every　county　of　the　State。　　By　such

disposition　of　my　forces　fairly　good　order　was　maintained　under　the

administration　of　Hamilton；　and　all　went　well　till　the　inauguration

of　J。　W。　Throckmorton；　who；　elected　Governor　in　pursuance　of　an

authorization　granted　by　the　convention　which　Hamilton　had　called

together；　assumed　the　duties　of　the　office　August　9；　1866。



One　of　Governor　Throckmorton's　first　acts　was　to　ask　the　withdrawal

or　non…interference　of　the　military。　　This　was　not　all　granted；　but

under　his　ingenious　persuasion　President　Johnson；　on　the　13th　of

August；　1866；　directed　that　the　new　State　officials　be　entrusted　with

the　unhampered　control　of　civil　affairs；　and　this　was　more　than

enough　to　revive　the　bulldozing　methods　that　had　characterized　the

beginning　of　Hamilton's　administration。　　Oppressive　legislation　in

the　shape　of　certain　apprentice　and　vagrant　laws　quickly　followed；

developing　a　policy　of　gross　injustice　toward　the　colored　people　on

the　part　of　the　courts；　and　a　reign　of　lawlessness　and　disorder

ensued　which；　throughout　the　remote　districts　of　the　State　at　least；

continued　till　Congress；　by　what　are　known　as　the　Reconstruction

Acts；　took　into　its　own　hands　the　rehabilitation　of　the　seceded

States。



In　the　State　of　Louisiana　a　provisional　government；　chosen　by　the

loyal　element；　had　been　put　in　operation；　as　already　mentioned；　as

early　as　1864。　　This　was　effected　under　encouragement　given　by

President　Lincoln；　through　the　medium　of　a　Constitutional　convention；

which　met　at　New　Orleans　in　April；　1864；　and　adjourned　in　July。　　The

constitution　then　agreed　upon　was　submitted　to　the　people；　and　in

September；　1864；　was　ratified　by　a　vote　of　the　few　loyal　residents　of

the　State。



The　government　provided　under　this　constitution　being　looked　upon　as

provisional　merely；　was　never　recognized　by　Congress；　and　in　1865　the

returned　Confederates；　restored　to　citizenship　by　the　President's

amnesty　proclamation；　soon　got　control　of　almost　all　the　State。　　The

Legislature　was　in　their　hands；　as　well　as　most　of　the　State　and

municipal　offices；　so；　when　the　President；　on　the　20th　of　August；

1866；　by　proclamation；　extended　his　previous　instructions　regarding

civil　affairs　in　Texas　so　as　to　have　them　apply　to　all　the　seceded

States；　there　at　once　began　in　Louisiana　a　system　of　discriminative

legislation　directed　against　the　freedmen；　that　led　to　flagrant

wrongs　in　the　enforcement　of　labor　contracts；　and　in　the　remote

parishes　to　numbers　of　outrages　and　murders。



To　remedy　this　deplorable　condition　of　things；　it　was　proposed；　by

those　who　had　established　the　government　of　1864；　to　remodel　the

constitution　of　the　State；　and　they　sought　to　do　this　by　reassembling

the　convention；　that　body　before　its　adjournment　having　provided　for

reconvening　under　certain　conditions；　in　obedience　to　the　call　of　its

president。　　Therefore；　early　in　the　summer　of　1866；　many　members　of

this　convention　met　in　conference　at　New　Orleans；　and　decided　that　a

necessity　existed　for　reconvening　the　delegates；　and　a　proclamation

was　issued　accordingly　by　B。　K。　Howell；　President…pro…tempore。



Mayor　John　T。　　Monroe　and　the　other　officials　of　New　Orleans　looked

upon　this　proposed　action　as　revolutionary；　and　by　the　time　the

convention　assembled　（July　30）；　such　bitterness　of　feeling　prevailed

that　efforts　were　made　by　the　mayor　and　city　police　to　suppress　the

meeting。　　A　bloody　riot　followed；　resulting；　in　the　killing　and

wounding　of　about　a　hundred　and　sixty　persons。



I　happened　to　be　absent　from　the　city　at　the　time；　returning　from

Texas；　where　I　had　been　called　by　affairs　on　the　Rio　Grande。　　On　my

way　up　from　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi　I　was　met　on　the　night　of

July　30　by　one　of　my　staff；　who　reported　what　had　occurred；　giving

the　details　of　the　massacreno　milder　term　is　fittingand　informing

me　that；　to　prevent　further　slaughter；　General　Baird；　the　senior

military　officer　present；　had　assumed　control　of　the　municipal

government。　　On　reaching　the　city　I　made　an　investigation；　and　that

night　sent　the　following　report　of　the　affair：



〃HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　GULF；

〃NEW　ORLEANS；　LA。；　Aug。　　1；　1866。



〃GENERAL　U。　S。　GRANT：



〃You　are　doubtless　aware　of　the　serious　riot　which　occurred　in　this

city　on　the　30th。　　A　political　body；　styling　themselves　the

Convention　of　1864；　met　on　the　30th；　for；　as　it　is　alleged；　the

purpose　of　remodeling　the　present　constitution　of　the　State。　　The

leaders　were　political　agitators　and　revolutionary　men；　and　the

action　of　the　convention　was　liable　to　produce　breaches　of　the　public

peace。　　I　had　made　up　my　mind　to　arrest　the　head　men；　if　the

proceedings　of　the　convention　were　calculated　to　disturb　the

tranquility　of　the　Department；　but　I　had　no　cause　for　action　until

they　committed　the　overt　act。　　In　the　meantime　official　duty　called

me　to　Texas；　and　the　mayor　of　the　city；　during　my　absence　suppressed

the　convention　by　the　use　of　the　police　force；　and　in　so　doing

attacked　the　members　of　the　convention；　and　a　party　of　two　hundred

negroes；　with　fire…arms；　clubs；　and　knives；　in　a　manner　so

unnecessary　and　atrocious　as　to　compel　me　to　say　that　it　was　murder。

About　forty　whites　and　blacks　were　thus　killed；　and　about　one　hundred

and　sixty　wounded。　　Everything　is　now　quiet；　but　I　deem　it　best　to

maintain　a　military　supremacy　in　the　city　for　a　few　days；　until　the

affair　is