personal memoirs-2-第38节

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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　refers。'



〃I　am　pleased　to　avail　myself　of　this　invitation　to　urgeearnestly

urgeurge　in　the　name　of　a　patriotic　people；　who　have　sacrificed

hundreds　of　thousands　of　loyal　lives　and　thousands　of　millions　of

treasure　to　preserve　the　integrity　and　union　of　this　countrythat

this　order　be　not　insisted　on。　　It　is　unmistakably　the　expressed　wish

of　the　country　that　General　Sheridan　should　not　be　removed　from　his

present　command。



〃This　is　a　republic　where　the　will　of　the　people　is　the　law　of　the

land。　　I　beg　that　their　voice　may　be　heard。



〃General　Sheridan　has　performed　his　civil　duties　faithfully　and

intelligently。　　His　removal　will　only　be　regarded　as　an　effort　to

defeat　the　laws　of　Congress。　　It　will　be　interpreted　by　the

unreconstructed　element　in　the　Souththose　who　did　all　they　could　to

break　up　this　Government　by　arms；　and　now　wish　to　be　the　only　element

consulted　as　to　the　method　of　restoring　orderas　a　triumph。　　It　will

embolden　them　to　r