personal memoirs-2-第35节

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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　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