personal memoirs-2-第36节

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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　functions　without　military　control　or　interference；　but

occasionally；　because　the　civil　authorities　neglected　their　duty；　I

was　obliged　to　resort　to　this　means　to　ensure　the　punishment　Of

offenders。　　At　this　time　the　condition　of　the　negroes　in　Texas　and

Louisiana　was　lamentable；　though；　in　fact；　not　worse　than　that　of　the

few　white　loyalists　who　had　been　true　to　the　Union　during　the　war。

These　last　were　singled　out　as　special　objects　of　attack；　and　were；

therefore；　obliged　at　all　times　to　be　on　the　alert　for　the　protection

of　their　lives　and　property。　　This　was　the　natural　outcome　of　Mr。

Johnson's　defiance　of　Congress；　coupled　with　the　sudden　conversion　to

his　cause　of　persons　in　the　Northwho　but　a　short　time　before　had

been　his　bitterest　enemies；　for　all　this　had　aroused　among　the

disaffected　element　new　hopes　of　power　and　place；　hopes　of　being　at

once　put　in　political　control　again；　with　a　resumption　of　their

functions　in　State　and　National　matters　without　any　preliminary

authorization　by　Congress。　　In　fact；　it　was　not　only　hoped；　but

expected；　that　things　were　presently　to　go　on　just　as　if　there　had

been　no　war。



In　the　State　of　Texas　there　were　in　1865　about　200；000　of　the　colored

race…roughly；　a　third　of　the　entire　populationwhile　in　Louisiana

there　were　not　less　than　350；000；　or　more　than　one…half　of　all　the

people　in　the　State。　　Until　the　enactment　of　the　Reconstruction　laws

these　negroes　were　without　rights；　and　though　they　had　been　liberated

by　the　war；　Mr。　Johnson's　policy　now　proposed　that　they　should　have

no　political　status　at　all；　and　consequently　be　at　the　mercy　of　a

people　who；　recently　their　masters；　now　seemed　to　look　upon　them　as

the　authors　of　all　the　misfortunes　that　had　come　upon　the　land。

Under　these　circumstances　the　blacks　naturally　turned　for　protection

to　those　who　had　been　the　means　of　their　liberation；　and　it　would

have　been　little　less　than　inhuman　to　deny　them　sympathy。　　Their

freedom　had　been　given　them；　and　it　was　the　plain　duty　of　those　in

authority　to　make　it　secure；　and　screen　them　from　the　bitter

political　resentment　that　beset　them；　and　to　see　that　they　had　a　fair

chance　in　the　battle　of　life。　　Therefore；　when　outrages　and　murders

grew　frequent；　and　the　aid　of　the　military　power　was　an　absolute

necessity　for　the　protection　of　life；　I　employed　it　unhesitatingly

the　guilty　parties　being　brought　to　trial　before　military

commissionsand　for　a　time；　at　least；　there　occurred　a　halt　in　the

march　of　terrorism　inaugurated　by　the　people　whom　Mr。　Johnson　had

deluded。



The　first；　Military　Commission　was　convened　to　try　the　case　of　John

W。　Walker；　charged　with　shooting　a　negro　in　the　parish　of　St。　John。

The　proper　civil　authorities　had　made　no　effort　to　arrest　Walker；　and

even　connived　at　his　escape；　so　I　had　him　taken　into　custody　in　New

Orleans；　and　ordered　him　tried；　the　commission　finding　him　guilty；

and　sentencing　him　to　confinement　in　the　penitentiary　for　six　months。

This　shooting　was　the　third　occurrence　of　the　kind　that　had　taken

place　in　St。　　John's　parish；　a　negro　being　wounded　in　each　case；　and

it　was　plain　that　the　intention　was　to　institute　there　a　practice　of

intimidation　which　should　be　effective　to　subject　the　freedmen　to　the

will　of　their　late　masters；　whether　in　making　labor　contracts；　or　in

case　these　newly　enfranchised　negroes　should　evince　a　disposition　to

avail　themselves　of　the　privilege　to　vote。



The　trial　and　conviction　of　Walker；　and　of　one　or　two　others　for

similiar　outrages；　soon　put　a　stop　to　every　kind　of　〃bull…dozing　〃　in

the　country　parishes；　but　about　this　time　I　discovered　that　many

members　of　the　police　force　in　New　Orleans　were　covertly　intimidating

the　freedmen　there；　and　preventing　their　appearance　at　the

registration　offices；　using　milder　methods　than　had　obtained　in　the

country；　it　is　true；　but　none　the　less　effective。



Early　in　1866　the　Legislature　had　passed　an　act　which　created　for　the

police　of　New　Orleans　a　residence　qualification；　the　object　of　which

was　to　discharge　and　exclude　from　the　force　ex…Union　soldiers。　　This

of　course　would　make　room　for　the　appointment　of　ex…Confederates；　and

Mayor　Monroe　had　not　been　slow　in　enforcing　the　provisions　of　the

law。　　It　was；　in　fact；　a　result　of　this　enactment　that　the　police　was

so　reorganized　as　to　become　the　willing　and　efficient　tool　which　it

proved　to　be　in　the　riot　of　1866；　and　having　still　the　same

personnel；　it　was　now　in　shape　to　prevent　registration　by　threats；

unwarranted　arrests；　and　by　various　other　influences；　all　operating

to　keep　the　timid　blacks　away　from　the　registration　places。



That　the　police　were　taking　a　hand　in　this　practice　of　repression；　I

first　discovered　by　the　conduct　of　the　assistant　to　the　chief　of　the

body；　and　at　once　removed　the　offender；　but　finding　this　ineffectual

I　annulled　that　part　of　the　State　law　fixing　the　five　years'

residence　restri