personal memoirs-2-第29章

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

determination　to　have　its　provisions　enforced。　　The　President　at　once

made　inquiry；　through　General　Grant；　for　the　cause　of　the　removal；

and　I　replied　：



〃HEADQUARTERS　FIFTH　MILITARY　DISTRICT；

〃New　Orleans；　La。；　April　19；　1867。



〃GENERAL：　On　the　27th　day　of　March　last　I　removed　from　office　Judge

E。　Abell；　of　the　Criminal　Court　of　New　Orleans；　Andrew　S。　Herron；

Attorney…General　of　the　State　of　Louisiana；　and　John　T。　Monroe；　Mayor

of　the　City　of　New　Orleans。　　These　removals　were　made　under　the

powers　granted　me　in　what　is　usually　termed　the　'military　bill；'

passed　March　2；　1867；　by　the　Congress　of　the　United　States。



〃I　did　not　deem　it　necessary　to　give　any　reason　for　the　removal　of

these　men；　especially　after　the　investigations　made　by　the　military

board　on　the　massacre　Of　July　30；　1866；　and　the　report　of　the

congressional　committee　on　the　same　massacre；　but　as　some　inquiry　has

been　made　for　the　cause　of　removal；　I　would　respectfully　state　as

follows　：



〃The　court　over　which　judge　Abell　presided　is　the　only　criminal　court

in　the　city　of　New　Orleans；　and　for　a　period　of　at　least　nine　months

previous　to　the　riot　Of　July　30　he　had　been　educating　a　large　portion

of　the　community　to　the　perpetration　of　this　outrage；　by　almost

promising　no　prosecution　in　his　court　against　the　offenders；　in　case

such　an　event　occurred。　　The　records　of　his　court　will　show　that　he

fulfilled　his　promise；　as　not　one　of　the　guilty　has　been　prosecuted。



〃In　reference　to　Andrew　J。　Herron；　Attorney…General　of　the　State　of

Louisiana；　I　considered　it　his　duty　to　indict　these　men　before　this

criminal　court。　　This　he　failed　to　do；　but　went　so　far　as　to　attempt

to　impose　on　the　good　sense　of　the　whole　nation　by　indicting　the

victims　of　the　riot　instead　of　the　rioters；　in　other　words；　making

the　innocent　guilty　and　the　guilty　innocent。　　He　was　therefore；　in　my

belief；　an　able　coadjutor　with　judge　Abell　in　bringing　on　the

massacre　of　July　30。



〃Mayor　Monroe　controlled　the　element　engaged　in　this　riot；　and　when

backed　by　an　attorney…general　who　would　not　prosecute　the　guilty；　and

a　judge　who　advised　the　grand　jury　to　find　the　innocent　guilty　and

let　the　murderers　go　free；　felt　secure　in　engaging　his　police　force

in　the　riot　and　massacre。



〃With　these　three　men　exercising　a　large　influence　over　the　worst

elements　of　the　population　of　this　city；　giving　to　those　elements　an

immunity　for　riot　and　bloodshed；　the　general…in…chief　will　see　how

insecurely　I　felt　in　letting　them　occupy　their　respective　positions

in　the　troubles　which　might　occur　in　registration　and　voting　in　the

reorganization　of　this　State。



〃I　am；　General；　very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；



〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃Major…General　U。　S。　A。





〃GENERAL　U。　S。　GRANT；



〃Commanding　Armies　of　the　United　States；

〃Washington；　D。　　C。〃





To　General　Grant　my　reasons　were　satisfactory；　but　not　so　to　the

President；　who　took　no　steps；　however；　to　rescind　my　action；　for　he

knew　that　the　removals　were　commended　by　well…nigh　the　entire

community　in　the　city；　for　it　will　be　understood　that　Mr。　Johnson

was；　through　his　friends　and　adherents　in　Louisiana　and　Texas；　kept

constantly　advised　of　every　step　taken　by　me。　　Many　of　these　persons

were　active　and　open　opponents　of　mine；　while　others　were　spies；

doing　their　work　so　secretly　and　quickly　that　sometimes　Mr。　Johnson

knew　of　my　official　acts　before　I　could　report　them　to　General　Grant。



The　supplemental　Reconstruction　act　which　defined　the　method　of

reconstruction　became　a　law　despite　the　President's　veto　on　March　23。

This　was　a　curative　act；　authorizing　elections　and　prescribing

methods　of　registration。　　When　it　reached　me　officially　I　began

measures　for　carrying　out　its　provisions；　and　on　the　28th　of　March

issued　an　order　to　the　effect　that　no　elections　for　the　State；

parish；　or　municipal　officers　would　be　held　in　Louisiana　until　the

provisions　of　the　laws　of　Congress　entitled　〃An　act　to　provide　for

the　more　efficient　government　of　the　rebel　States；〃　and　of　the　act

supplemental　thereto；　should　have　been　complied　with。　　I　also

announced　that　until　elections　were　held　in　accordance　with　these

acts；　the　law　of　the　Legislature　of　the　State　providing　for　the

holding　over　of　those　persons　whose　terms　of　office　otherwise　would

have　expired；　would　govern　in　all　cases　excepting　only　those　special

ones　in　which　I　myself　might　take　action。　　There　was　one　parish；

Livingston；　which　this　order　did　no　reach　in　time　to　prevent　the

election　previously　ordered　there；　and　which　therefore　took　place；

but　by　a　supplemental　order　this　election　was　declare　null　and　void。



In　April。　　I　began　the　work　of　administering　th　Supplemental　Law；

which；　under　　certain　condition　of　eligibility；　required　a

registration　of　the　voter　of　the　State；　for　the　purpose　of　electing

delegate　to　a　Constitutional　convention。　　It　therefore　became

necessary　to　appoint　Boards　of　Registration　throughout　the　election

districts；　and　on　April　10　the　boards　for　the　Parish　of　Orleans　were

given　out；　those　for　the　other　parishes　being　appointed　ten　days

later。　　Before　announcing　these　boards；　I　had　asked　to　be　advised

definitely　as　to　what　persons　were　disfranchised　by　the　law；　and　was

directed　by　General　Grant　to　act　upon　my　own　interpretation　of　it；

pending　an　opinion　expected　shortly　from　the　Attorney…GeneralMr。

Henry　Stanberyso；　for　the　guidance　of　the　boards；　I　gave　the

following　instructions：



〃HEADQUARTERS　FIFTH　MILITARY　DISTRICT。

〃New　Orleans；　La。；　April　io；　1867。



〃Special　Orders；　No。　　15。



〃。。。。In　obedience　to　the　directions　contained　in　the　first　section　of

the　Law　of　Congress　entitled　〃An　Act　supplemental　to　an　Act　entitled

'An　Act　to　provide　for　the　more　efficient　government　of　the　rebel

States'〃　the　registration　of　the　legal　voters；　according　to　that　law

in　the　Parish　of　Orleans；　will　be　commenced　on　the　15th　instant；　and

must　be　completed　by　the　15th　of　May。



〃The　four　municipal　districts　of　the　City　of　New　Orleans　and　the

Parish　of　Orleans；　right　bank　（Algiers）；　will　each　constitute　a

Registration　district。　　Election　precincts　will　remain　as　at　present

constituted。



〃。。。。Each　member　of　the　Board　of　Registers；　before　commencing　his

duties；　will　file　in　the　office　of　the　Assistant…Inspector…General　at

these　headquarters；　the　oath　required　in　the　sixth　section　of　the　Act

referred　to；　and　be　governed　in　the　execution　of　his　duty　by　the

provisions　of　the　first　section　of　that　Act；　faithfully　administering

the　oath　therein　prescribed　to　each　person　registered。



〃Boards　of　Registers　will　immediately　select　suitable　offices　within

their　respective　districts；　having　reference　to　convenience　and

facility　of　registration；　and　will　enter　upon　their　duties　on　the　day

designated。　　Each　Board　will　be　entitled　to　two　clerks。　　Office…hours

for　registration　will　be　from　8　o'clock　till　12　A。　　M。；　and　from　4

till　7　P。　　m。



〃When　elections　are　ordered；　the　Board　of　Registers　for　each　district

will　designate　the　number　of　polls　and　the　places　where　they　shall　be

opened　in　the　election　precincts　within　its　district；　appoint　the

commissioners　and　other　officers　necessary　for　properly　conducting

the　elections；　and　will　superintend　the　same。



〃They　will　also　receive　from　the　commissioners　of　elections　of　the

different　precincts　the　result　of　the　vote；　consolidate　the　same；　and

forward　it　to　the　commanding　general。



〃Registers　and　all　officers　connected　with　elections　will　be　held　to

a　rigid　accountability　and　will　be　subject　to　trial　by　military

commission　for　fraud；　or　unlawful　or　improper　conduct　in　the

performance　of　their　duties。　　Their　rate　of　compensation　and　manner

of　payment　will　be　in　accordance　with　the　provisions　of　sections　six

and　seven　of　the　supplemental　act。



〃。。。。Every　male　citizen　of　the　United　States；　twenty…one　years　old

and　upward；　of　whatever　race；　color；　or　previous　condition；　who　has

been　resident　in　the　State　of　Louisiana　for　one　year　and　Parish　of

Orleans　for　three　months　previous　to　the　date　at　which　he　presents

himself　for　registration；　and　who　has　not　been　disfranchised　by　act

of　Congress　or　for　felony　at　common　law；　shall；　after　having　taken

and　subscribed　the　oath　prescribed　in　the　first　section　of　the　act

herein　referred　to；　be　entitled　to　be；　and　shall　be；　registered　as　a

legal　voter　in　the　Parish　of　Orleans　and　State　of　Louisiana。



〃Pending　the　decision　of　the　Attorney…General　of　the　United　States　on

the　question　as　to　who　are　disfranchised　by　law；　registers　will　give

the　most　rigid　interpretation　to　the　law；　and　exclude　from

registration　every　person　about　whose　right　to　vote　there　may　be　a

doubt。　　Any　person　so　excluded　who　may；　under　the　decision　of　the

Attorney…General；　be　entitled　to　vote；　shall　be　permitted　to　register

after　that　decision　is　received；　due　notice　of　which　will　be　given。



〃By　command　of　Major…General　P。　H。　SHERIDAN；



〃GEO。　L。　HARTSUFF；

〃Assistant　Adjutant…General。〃





The　parish　Boards　of　Registration　were　composed　of　three　members

each。　　Ability　to　take　what　was　known　as　the　〃ironclad　oath〃　was　the

qualification　exacted　of　the　members；　and　they　were　prohibited　from

becoming　candidates　for　office。　　In　the　execution　of　their　duties

they　were　to　be　governed　by　the　provisions　of　the　supplemental　act。

It　was　also　made　one　of　their　functions　to　designate　the　number　and

location　of　the　polling…places　in　the　several　districts；　to　appoint

commissioners　for　receiving　the　votes　and　in　general　to　attend　to

such　other　matters　as　were　necessary；　in　order　properly　to　conduct

the　voting；　and　afterward　to　receive　from　the　commissioners　the

result　of　the　vote　and　forward　it　to　my　headquarters。　　These

registers；　and　all　other　officers　having　to　do　with　elections；　were

to　be　held　to　a　rigid　accountability；　and　be　subject　to　trial　by

military　commission　for　fraud　or　unlawful　or　improper　conduct　in　the

performance　of　their　duties；　and　in　order　to　be　certain　that　the

Registration　Boards　performed　their　work　faithfully　and

intelligently；　officers　of　the　army　were　appointed　as　supervisors。

To　this　end　the　parishes　were　grouped　together　conveniently　in

temporary　districts；　each　officer　having　from　three　to　five　parishes

to　supervise。　　The　programme　thus　mapped　out　for　carrying　out　the　law

in　Louisiana　was　likewise　adhered　to　in　Texas；　and　indeed　was

followed　as　a　model　in　some　of　the　other　military　districts。



Although　Military　Commissions　were　fully　authorized　by　the

Reconstruction　acts；　yet　I　did　not　favor　their　use　in　governing　the

district；　and　probably　would　never　have　convened　one　had　these　acts

been　observed　in　good　faith。　　I　much　preferred　that　the　civil　courts；

and　the　State　and　municipal　authorities　already　in　existence；　should

perform　their　functio