personal memoirs-2-第28章

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on　that　question　shall　be　for　a　convention；　then　such　convention

shall　be　held　as　hereinafter　provided；　but　if　a　majority　of　said

votes　shall；　be　against　a　convention；　then　no　such　convention　shall

be　held　under　this　act：　Provided；　That　such　convention　shall　not　be

held　unless　a　majority　of　all　such　registered　voters　shall　have　voted

on　the　question　of　holding　such　convention。



SEC。　　4。　　And　be　it　further　enacted；　That　the　commanding　general　of

each　district　shall　appoint　as　many　boards　of　registration　as　may　be

necessary；　consisting　of　three　loyal　officers　or　persons；　to　make　and

complete　the　registration；　superintend　the　election；　and　make　return

to　him　of　the　votes；　list　of　voters；　and　of　the　persons　elected　as

delegates　by　a　plurality　of　the　votes　cast　at　said　election；　and　upon

receiving　said　returns　he　shall　open　the　same；　ascertain　the　persons

elected　as　delegates；　according　to　the　returns　of　the　officers　who

conducted　said　election；　and　make　proclamation　thereof；　and　if　a

majority　of　the　votes　given　on　that　question　shall　be　for　a

convention；　the　commanding　general；　within　sixty　days　from　the　date

of　election；　shall　notify　the　delegates　to　assemble　in　convention；　at

a　time　and　place　to　be　mentioned　in　the　notification；　and　said

convention；　when　organized；　shall　proceed　to　frame　a　constitution　and

civil　government　according　to　the　provisions　of　this　act；　and　the　act

to　which　it　is　supplementary；　and　when　the　same　shall　have　been　so

framed；　said　constitution　shall　be　submitted　by　the　convention　for

ratification　to　the　persons　registered　under　the　provisions　of　this

act　at　an　election　to　be　conducted　by　the　officers　or　persons

appointed　or　to　be　appointed　by　the　commanding　general；　as

hereinbefore　provided；　and　to　be　held　after　the　expiration　of　thirty

days　from　the　date　of　notice　thereof；　to　be　given　by　said　convention；

and　the　returns　thereof　shall　be　made　to　the　commanding　general　of

the　district。



SEC。　　5。　　And　be　it　further　enacted；　That　if；　according　to　said

returns；　the　constitution　shall　be　ratified　by　a　majority　of　the

votes　of　the　registered　electors　qualified　as　herein　specified；　cast

at　said　election；　at　least　one…half　of　all　the　registered　voters

voting　upon　the　question　of　such　ratification；　the　president　of　the

convention　shall　transmit　a　copy　of　the　same；　duly　certified；　to　the

President　of　the　United　States；　who　shall　forthwith　transmit　the　same

to　Congress；　if　then　in　session；　and　if　not　in　session；　then

immediately　upon　its　next　assembling；　and　if　it　shall　moreover　appear

to　Congress　that　the　election　was　one　at　which　all　the　registered　and

qualified　electors　in　the　State　had　an　opportunity　to　vote　freely；

and　without　restraint；　fear；　or　the　influence　of　fraud；　and　if　the

Congress　shall　be　satisfied　that　such　constitution　meets　the　approval

of　a　majority　of　all　the　qualified　electors　in　the　State；　and　if　the

said　constitution　shall　be　declared　by　Congress　to　be　in　conformity

with　the　provisions　of　the　act　to　which　this　is　supplementary；　and

the　other　provisions　of　said　act　shall　have　been　complied　with；　and

the　said　constitution　shall　be　approved　by　Congress；　the　State　shall

be　declared　entitled　to　representation；　and　senators　and

representatives　shall　be　admitted　therefrom　as　therein　provided。



SEC。　　6。　　And　be　it　further　enacted；　That　all　elections　in　the　States

mentioned　in　the　said　〃Act　to　provide　for　the　more　efficient

government　of　the　rebel　States〃　shall；　during　the　operation　of　said

act；　be　by　ballot；　and　all　officers　making　the　said　registration　of

voters　and　conducting　said　elections；　shall；　before　entering　upon　the

discharge　of　their　duties；　take　and　subscribe　the　oath　prescribed　by

the　act　approved　July　second；　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…two；

entitled　〃An　act　to　prescribe　an　oath　of　office〃：　Provided；　That　if

any　person　shall　knowingly　and　falsely　take　and　subscribe　any　oath　in

this　act　prescribed；　such　person　so　offending　and　being　thereof　duly

convicted；　shall　be　subject　to　the　pains；　penalties；　and　disabilities

which　by　law　are　provided　for　the　punishment　of　the　crime　of　wilful

and　corrupt　perjury。



SEC。　7。　And　be　if　further　enacted；　That　all　expenses　incurred　by　the

several　commanding　generals；　or　by　virtue　of　any　orders　issued；　or

appointments　made；　by　them；　under　or　by　virtue　of　this　act；　shall　be

paid　out　of　any　moneys　in　the　treasury　not　otherwise　appropriated。



SEC。　8。　And　be　it　further　enacted；　That　the　convention　for　each　State

shall　prescribe　the　fees；　salary；　and　compensation　to　be　paid　to　all

delegates　and　other　officers　and　agents　herein　authorized　or

necessary　to　carry　into　effect　the　purposes　of　this　act　not　herein

otherwise　provided　for；　and　shall　provide　for　the　levy　and　collection

of　such　taxes　on　the　property　in　such　State　as　may　be　necessary　to

pay　the　same。



SEC。　9。　And　be　it　further　enacted；　That　the　word　〃article；〃　in　the

sixth　section　of　the　act　to　which　this　is　supplementary；　shall　be

construed　to　mean；　〃section。〃



SCHUYLER　COLFAX；

Speaker　of　the　House　of　Representatives。



B。　F。　WADE；

President　of　the　Senate　pro　tempore。









CHAPTER　X1。



PASSAGE　OF　THE　RECONSTRUCTION　ACT　OVER　THE　PRESIDENT'S　VETOPLACED

IN　COMMAND　OF　THE　FIFTH　MILITARY　DISTRICTREMOVING　OFFICERSMY

REASONS　FOR　SUCH　ACTIONAFFAIRS　IN　LOUISIANA　AND　TEXASREMOVAL　OF

GOVERNOR　WELLSREVISION　OF　THE　JURY　LISTSRELIEVED　FROM　THE　COMMAND

OF　THE　FIFTH　MILITARY　DISTRICT。



The　first　of　the　Reconstruction　laws　was　passed　March　2；　1867；　and

though　vetoed　by　the　President；　such　was　the　unanimity　of　loyal

sentiment　and　the　urgency　demanding　the　measure；　that　the　bill　became

a　law　over　the　veto　the　day　the　President　returned　it　to　Congress。

March　the　11th　this　law　was　published　in　General　Orders　No　。　10；　from

the　Headquarters　of　the　Army；　the　same　order　assigning　certain

officers　to　take　charge　of　the　five　military　districts　into　which　the

States　lately　in　rebellion　were　subdivided；　I　being　announced　as　the

commander　of　the　Fifth　Military　District；　which　embraced　Louisiana

and　Texas；　a　territory　that　had　formed　the　main　portion　of　my　command

since　the　close　of　the　war。



Between　the　date　of　the　Act　and　that　of　my　assignment；　the　Louisiana

Legislature；　then　in　special　session；　had　rejected　a　proposed　repeal

of　an　Act　it　had　previously　passed　providing　for　an　election　of

certain　municipal　officers　in　New　Orleans。　　This　election　was　set　for

March　11；　but　the　mayor　and　the　chief　of　police；　together　with

General　Mower；　commanding　the　troops　in　the　city；　having　expressed　to

me　personally　their　fears　that　the　public　peace　would　be　disturbed　by

the　election；　I；　in　this　emergency；　though　not　yet　assigned　to　the

district；　assuming　the　authority　which　the　Act　conferred　on　district

commanders；　declared　that　the　election　should　not　take　place；　that　no

polls　should　be　opened　on　the　day　fixed；　and　that　the　whole　matter

would　stand　postponed　till　the　district　commander　should　be

appointed；　or　special　instructions　be　had。　　This；　my　first　official

act　under　the　Reconstruction　laws；　was　rendered　necessary　by　the

course　of　a　body　of　obstructionists；　who　had　already　begun　to　give

unequivocal　indications　of　their　intention　to　ignore　the　laws　of

Congress。



A　copy　of　the　order　embodying　the　Reconstruction　law；　together　with

my　assignment；　having　reached　me　a　few　days　after；　I　regularly

assumed　control　of　the　Fifth　Military　District　on　March　19；　by　an

order　wherein　I　declared　the　State　and　municipal　governments　of　the

district　to　be　provisional　only；　and；　under　the　provisions　of　the

sixth　section　of　the　Act；　subject　to　be　controlled；　modified；

superseded；　or　abolished。　　I　also　announced　that　no　removals　from

office　would　be　made　unless　the　incumbents　failed　to　carry　out　the

provisions　of　the　law　or　impeded　reorganization；　or　unless　willful

delays　should　necessitate　a　change；　and　added：　〃Pending　the

reorganization；　it　is；　desirable　and　intended　to　create　as　little

disturbance　in　the　machinery　of　the　various　branches　of　the

provisional　governments　as　possible；　consistent　with　the　law　of

Congress　and　its　successful　execution；　but　this　condition　is

dependent　upon　the　disposition　shown　by　the　people；　and　upon　the

length　of　time　required　for　reorganization。〃



Under　these　limitations　Louisiana　and　Texas　retained　their　former

designations　as　military　districts；　the　officers　in　command

exercising　their　military　powers　as　heretofore。　　In　addition；　these

officers　were　to　carry　out　in　their　respective　commands　all

provisions　of　the　law　except　those　specially　requiring　the　action　of

the　district　commander；　and　in　cases　of　removals　from　and　appointment

to　office。



In　the　course　of　legislation　the　first　Reconstruction　act；　as　I　have

heretofore　noted；　had　been　vetoed。　　On　the　very　day　of　the　veto；

however；　despite　the　President's　adverse　action；　it　passed　each　House

of　Congress　by　such　an　overwhelming　majority　as　not　only　to　give　it

the　effect　of　law；　but　to　prove　clearly　that　the　plan　of

reconstruction　presented　was；　beyond　question；　the　policy　endorsed　by

the　people　of　the　country。　　It　was；　therefore；　my　determination　to

see　to　the　law's　zealous　execution　in　my　district；　though　I　felt

certain　that　the　President　would　endeavor　to　embarrass　me　by　every

means　in　his　power；　not　only　on　account　of　his　pronounced　personal

hostility；　but　also　because　of　his　determination　not　to　execute　but

to　obstruct　the　measures　enacted　by　Congress。



Having　come　to　this　conclusion；　I　laid　down；　as　a　rule　for　my

guidance；　the　principle　of　non…interference　with　the　provisional

State　governments；　and　though　many　appeals　were　made　to　have　me

rescind　rulings　of　the　courts；　or　interpose　to　forestall　some

presupposed　action　to　be　taken　by　them；　my　invariable　reply　was　that

I　would　not　take　cognizance　of　such　matters；　except　in　cases　of

absolute　necessity。　　The　same　policy　was　announced　also　in　reference

to　municipal　affairs　throughout　the　district；　so　long　as　the　action

of　the　local　officers　did　not　conflict　with　the　law。



In　a　very　short　time；　however；　I　was　obliged　to　interfere　in

municipal　matters　in　New　Orleans；　for　it　had　become　clearly　apparent

that　several　of　the　officials　were；　both　by　acts　of　omission　and

commission；　ignoring　the　law；　so　on　the　27th　of　March　I　removed　from

office　the　Mayor；　John　T。　　Monroe；　the　Judge　of　the　First　District

Court；　E。　Abell；　and　the　Attorney…General　of　the　State；　Andrew　S。

Herron；　at　the　same　time　appointing　to　the　respective　offices　thus

vacated　Edward　Heath；　W。　W。　Howe；　and　B。　L。　Lynch。　　The　officials

thus　removed　had　taken　upon　themselves　from　the　start　to　pronounce

the　Reconstruction　acts　unconstitutional；　and　to　advise　such　a　course

of　obstruction　that　I　found　it　necessary　at　an　early　dav　to　replace

them　by　men　in　sympathy　with　the　law；　in　order　to　make　plain　my

determination　to　have　its　provisions　e