personal memoirs-2-第31章

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of　respect　for　Governor　Wells　personally；　alone　represses　the

expression　of　indignation　felt　by　all　honest　and　sensible　men　at　the

unwarranted　usurpation　of　General　Sheridan　in　removing　the　civil

officers　of　Louisiana。　　It　is　believed　here　that　you　will　reinstate

Wells。　　He　is　a　bad　man；　and　has　no　influence。



〃I　believe　Sheridan　made　the　removals　to　embarrass　you；　believing　the

feeling　at　the　North　would　sustain　him。　　My　conviction　is　that　on

account　of　the　bad　character　of　Wells　and　Monroe；　you　ought　not　to

reinstate　any　who　have　been　removed；　because　you　cannot　reinstate　any

without　reinstating　all；　but　you　ought　to　prohibit　the　exercise　of

this　power　in　the　future。



〃Respectfully　yours；



〃JAMES　B。　STEADMAN。〃





I　appointed　Mr。　Thomas　J。　Durant　as　Wells's　successor；　but　he

declining；　I　then　appointed　Mr。　Benjamin　F。　Flanders；　who；　after　I

had　sent　a　staff…officer　to　forcibly　eject　Wells　in　case　of

necessity；　took　possession　of　the　Governor's　office。　　Wells　having

vacated；　Governor　Flanders　began　immediately　the　exercise　of　his

duties　in　sympathy　with　the　views　of　Congress；　and　I　then　notified

General　Grant　that　I　thought　he　need　have　no　further　apprehension

about　the　condition　of　affairs　in　Louisiana；　as　my　appointee　was　a

man　of　such　integrity　and　ability　that　I　already　felt　relieved　of

half　my　labor。　　I　also　stated　in　the　same　despatch　that　nothing　would

answer　in　Louisiana　but　a　bold　and　firm　course；　and　that　in　taking

such　a　one　I　felt　that　I　was　strongly　supported；　a　statement　that　was

then　correct；　for　up　to　this　period　the　better　classes　were　disposed

to　accept　the　Congressional　plan　of　reconstruction。



During　the　controversy　over　the　Levee　Commissioners；　and　the

correspondence　regarding　the　removal　of　Governor　Wells；　registration

had　gone　on　under　the　rules　laid　down　for　the　boards。　　The　date　set

for　closing　the　books　was　the　3oth　of　June；　but　in　the　parish　of

Orleans　the　time　was　extended　till　the　15th　of　July。　　This　the

President　considered　too　short　a　period；　and　therefore　directed　the

registry　lists　not　to　be　closed　before　the　1st　of　August；　unless

there　was　some　good　reason　to　the　contrary。　　This　was　plainly

designed　to　keep　the　books　open　in　order　that　under　the　Attorney…

General's　interpretation　of　the　Reconstruction　laws；　published　June

20；　many　persons　who　had　been　excluded　by　the　registration　boards

could　yet　be　registered；　so　I　decided　to　close　the　registration；

unless　required　by　the　President　unconditionally；　and　in　specific

orders；　to　extend　the　time。　　My　motives　were　manifold；　but　the　main

reasons　were　that　as　two　and　a　half　months　had　been　given　already；

the　number　of　persons　who；　under　the　law；　were　qualified　for　registry

was　about　exhausted；　and　because　of　the　expense　I　did　not　feel

warranted　in　keeping　up　the　boards　longer；　as　I　said；　〃to　suit　new

issues　coming　in　at　the　eleventh　hour；〃　which　would　but　open　a　〃broad

macadamized　road　for　perjury　and　fraud。〃



When　I　thus　stated　what　I　intended　to　do；　the　opinion　of　the

Attorney…General　had　not　yet　been　received。　　When　it　did　reach　me　it

was　merely　in　the　form　of　a　circular　signed　by　Adjutant…General

Townsend；　and　had　no　force　of　law。　　It　was　not　even　sent　as　an　order；

nor　was　it　accompanied　by　any　instructions；　or　by　anything　except　the

statement　that　it　was　transmitted　to　the　11　respective　military

commanders　for　their　information；　in　order　that　there　might　be

uniformity　in　the　execution　　of　the　Reconstruction　acts。　　To　adopt

Mr。　Stanbery's　interpretation　of　the　law　and　reopen　registration

accordingly；　would　defeat　the　purpose　of　Congress；　as　well　as　add　to

my　perplexities。　　Such　a　course　would　also　require　that　the　officers

appointed　by　me　for　the　performance　of　specified　duties；　under　laws

which　I　was　empowered　to　interpret　and　enforce；　should　receive　their

guidance　and　instructions　from　an　unauthorized　source；　so　on

communicating　with　General　Grant　as　to　how　I　should　act；　he　directed

me　to　enforce　my　own　construction　of　the　military　bill　until　ordered

to　do　otherwise。



Therefore　the　registration　continued　as　I　had　originally　directed；

and　nothing　having　been　definitely　settled　at　Washington　in　relation

to　my　extending　the　time；　on　the　10th　of　July　I　ordered　all　the

registration　boards　to　select；　immediately；　suitable　persons　to　act

as　commissioners　of　election；　and　at　the　same　time　specified　the

number　of　each　set　of　commissioners；　designated　the　polling…places；

gave　notice　that　two　days　would　be　allowed　for　voting；　and　followed

this　with　an　order　discontinuing　registration　the　31st　of　July；　and

then　another　appointing　the　27th　and　28th　of　September　as　the　time

for　the　election　of　delegates　to　the　State　convention。



In　accomplishing　the　registration　there　had　been　little　opposition

from　the　mass　of　the　people；　but　the　press　of　New　Orleans；　and　the

office…holders　and　office…seekers　in　the　State　generally；　antagonized

the　work　bitterly　and　violently；　particularly　after　the　promulgation

of　the　opinion　of　the　Attorney…General。　　These　agitators　condemned

everybody　and　everything　connected　with　the　Congressional　plan　of

reconstruction；　and　the　pernicious　influence　thus　exerted　was

manifested　in　various　ways；　but　most　notably　in　the　selection　of

persons　to　compose　the　jury　lists　in　the　country　parishes　it　also

tempted　certain　municipal　officers　in　New　Orleans　to　perform　illegal

acts　that　would　seriously　have　affected　the　credit　of　the　city　had

matters　not　been　promptly　corrected　by　the　summary　removal　from

office　of　the　comptroller　and　the　treasurer；　who　had　already　issued　a

quarter　of　a　million　dollars　in　illegal　certificates。　　On　learning　of

this　unwarranted　and　unlawful　proceeding；　Mayor　Heath　demanded　an

investigation　by　the　Common　Council；　but　this　body；　taking　its　cue

from　the　evident　intention　of　the　President　to　render　abortive　the

Reconstruction　acts；　refused　the　mayor's　demand。　　Then　he　tried　to

have　the　treasurer　and　comptroller　restrained　by　injunction；　but　the

city　attorney；　under　the　same　inspiration　as　the　council；　declined　to

sue　out　a　writ；　and　the　attorney　being　supported　in　this　course　by

nearly　all　the　other　officials；　the　mayor　was　left　helpless　in　his

endeavors　to　preserve　the　city's　credit。　　Under　such　circumstances　he

took　the　only　step　left　himrecourse　to　the　military　commander；　and

after　looking　into　the　matter　carefully　I　decided；　in　the　early　part

of　August；　to　give　the　mayor　officials　who　would　not　refuse　to　make

an　investigation　of　the　illegal　issue　of　certificates；　and　to　this

end　I　removed　the　treasurer；　surveyor；　comptroller；　city　attorney；

and　twenty…two　of　the　aldermen；　these　officials；　and　all　of　their

assistants；　having　reduced　the　financial　credit　of　New　Orleans　to　a

disordered　condition；　and　also　having　made　effortsand　being　then

engaged　in　suchto　hamper　the　execution　of　the　Reconstruction　laws。



This　action　settled　matters　in　the　city；　but　subsequently　I　had　to

remove　some　officials　in　the　parishesamong　them　a　justice　of　the

peace　and　a　sheriff　in　the　parish　of　Rapides；　the　justice　for

refusing　to　permit　negro　witnesses　to　testify　in　a　certain　murder

case；　and　for　allowing　the　murderer；　who　had　foully　killed　a　colored

man；　to　walk　out　of　his　court　on　bail　in　the　insignificant　sum　of

five　hundred　dollars；　and　the　sheriff；　for　conniving　at　the　escape

from　jail　of　another　alleged　murderer。　　Finding；　however；　even　after

these　removals；　that　in　the　country　districts　murderers　and　other

criminals　went　unpunished；　provided　the　offenses　were　against　negroes

merely　（since　the　jurors　were　selected　exclusively　from　the　whites；

and　often　embraced　those　excluded　from　the　exercise　of　the　election

franchise）　I；　having　full　authority　under　the　Reconstruction　laws；

directed　such　a　revision　of　the　jury　lists　as　would　reject　from　them

every　man　not　eligible　for　registration　as　a　voter。　　This　order　was

issued　August　24；　and　on　its　promulgation　the　President　relieved　me

from　duty　and　assigned　General　Hancock　as　my　successor。





〃HEADQUARTERS　FIFTH　MILITARY　DISTRICT；

〃NEW　ORLEANS；　LA。；　August　24；　1867。



〃SPECIAL　ORDERS；　No。　　125。



〃The　registration　of　voters　of　the　State　of　Louisiana；　according　to

the　law　of　Congress；　being　complete；　it　is　hereby　ordered　that　no

person　who　is　not　registered　in　accordance　with　said　law　shall　be

considered　as；　a　duly　qualified　voter　of　the　State　of　Louisiana。　　All

persons　duly　registered　as　above；　and　no　others；　are　consequently

eligible；　under　the　laws　of　the　State　of　Louisiana；　to　serve　as

jurors　in　any　of　the　courts　of　the　State。



〃The　necessary　revision　of　the　jury　lists　will　immediately　be　made　by

the　proper　officers。



〃All　the　laws　of　the　State　respecting　exemptions；　etc。；　from　jury

duty　will　remain　in　force。



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



〃GEO。　L。　HARTNUFF；　Asst。　Adj't…General。〃





Pending　the　arrival　of　General　Hancock；　I　turned　over　the　command　of

the　district　September　1　to　General　Charles　Griffin；　but　he　dying　of

yellow　fever；　General　J。　A。　Mower　succeeded　him；　and　retained　command

till　November　29；　on　which　date　General　Hancock　assumed　control。

Immediately　after　Hancock　took　charge；　he　revoked　my　order　of　August

24　providing　for　a　revision　of　the　jury　lists；　and；　in　short；

President　Johnson's　policy　now　became　supreme；　till　Hancock　himself

was　relieved　in　March；　1868。



My　official　connection　with　the　reconstruction　of　Louisiana　and　Texas

practically　closed　with　this　order　concerning　the　jury　lists。　　In　my

judgment　this　had　become　a　necessity；　for　the　disaffected　element；

sustained　as　it　was　by　the　open　sympathy　of　the　President；　had　grown

so　determined　in　its　opposition　to　the　execution　of　the

Reconstruction　acts　that　I　resolved　to　remove　from　place　and　power

all　obstacles；　for　the　summer's　experience　had　convinced　me　that　in

no　other　way　could　the　law　be　faithfully　administered。



The　President　had　long　been　dissatisfied　with　my　course；　indeed；　he

had　harbored　personal　enmity　against　me　ever　since　he　perceived　that

he　could　not　bend　me　to　an　acceptance　of　the　false　position　in　which

he　had　tried　to　place　me　by　garbling　my　report　of　the　riot　of　1866。

When　Mr。　Johnson　decided　to　remove　me；　General　Grant　protested　in

these　terms；　but　to　no　purpose：



〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES；

〃WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；　August　17；　1867



〃SIR：　I　am　in　receipt　of　your　order　of　this　date　directing　the

assignment　of　General　G。　H。　Thomas　to　the　command　of　the　Fifth

Military　District；　General　Sheridan　to　the　Department　of　the

Missouri；　and　General　Hancock　to　the　Department　of　the　Cumberland；

also　your　note　of　this　date　（enclosing　these　instructions）；　saying：

'Before　you　issue　instructions　to　carry　into　effect　the　enclosed

order；　I　would　be　pleased　to　hear　any　suggestions　you　may　deem

necessary　respecting　the　assignments　to　which　the　order　refer