personal memoirs-2-第36章

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the　building。



〃From　the　testimony　of　wounded　men；　and　others　who　were　inside　the

building；　the　policemen　opened　an　indiscriminate　fire　upon　the

audience　until　they　had　emptied　their　revolvers；　when　they　retired；

and　those　inside　barricaded　the　doors。　　The　door　was　broken　in；　and

the　firing　again　commenced；　when　many　of　the　colored　and　white　people

either　escaped　throughout　the　door　or　were　passed　out　by　the

policemen　inside；　but　as　they　came　out　the　policemen　who　formed　the

circle　nearest　the　building　fired　upon　them；　and　they　were　again

fired　upon　by　the　citizens　that　formed　the　outer　circle。　　Many　of

those　wounded　and　taken　prisoners；　and　others　who　were　prisoners　and

not　wounded；　were　fired　upon　by　their　captors　and　by　citizens。　　The

wounded　were　stabbed　while　lying　on　the　grgund；　and　their　heads

beaten　with　brickbats。　　In　the　yard　of　the　building；　whither　some　of

the　colored　men　had　escaped　and　partially　secreted　themselves；　they

were　fired　upon　and　killed　or　wounded　by　policemen。　　Some　were　killed

and　wounded　several　squares　from　the　scene。　　Members　of　the

convention　were　wounded　by　the　police　while　in　their　hands　as

prisoners；　some　of　them　mortally。



〃The　immediate　cause　of　this　terrible　affair　was　the　assemblage　of

this　Convention；　the　remote　cause　was　the　bitter　and　antagonistic

feeling　which　has　been　growing　in　this　community　since　the　advent　of

the　present　Mayor；　who；　in　the　organization　of　his　police　force；

selected　many　desperate　men；　and　some　of　them　known　murderers。

People　of　clear　views　were　overawed　by　want　of　confidence　in　the

Mayor；　and　fear　of　the　thugs；　many　of　which　he　had　selected　for　his

police　force。　　I　have　frequently　been　spoken　to　by　prominent　citizens

on　this　subject；　and　have　heard　them　express　fear；　and　want　of

confidence　in　Mayor　Monroe。　　Ever　since　the　intimation　of　this　last

convention　movement　I　must　condemn　the　course　of　several　of　the　city

papers　for　supporting；　by　their　articles；　the　bitter　feeling　of　bad

men。　　As　to　the　merciless　manner　in　which　the　convention　was　broken

up；　I　feel　obliged　to　confess　strong　repugnance。



〃It　is　useless　to　disguise　the　hostility　that　exists　on　the　part　of　a

great　many　here　toward　Northern　men；　and　this　unfortunate　affair　has

so　precipitated　matters　that　there　is　now　a　test　of　what　shall　be　the

status　of　Northern　menwhether　they　can　live　here　without　being　in

constant　dread　or　not；　whether　they　can　be　protected　in　life　and

property；　and　have　justice　in　the　courts。　　If　this　matter　is

permitted　to　pass　over　without　a　thorough　and　determined　prosecution

of　those　engaged　in　it；　we　may　look　out　for　frequent　scenes　of　the

same　kind；　not　only　here；　but　in　other　places。　　No　steps　have　as　yet

been　taken　by　the　civil　authorities　to　arrest　citizens　who　were

engaged　in　this　massacre；　or　policemen　who　perpetrated　such

cruelties。　　The　members　of　the　convention　have　been　indicted　by　the

grand　jury；　and　many　of　them　arrested　and　held　to　bail。　　As　to

whether　the　civil　authorities　can　mete　out　ample　justice　to　the

guilty　parties　on　both　sides；　I　must　say　it　is　my　opinion；

unequivocally；　that　they　cannot。　　Judge　Abell；　whose　course　I　have

closely　watched　for　nearly　a　year；　I　now　consider　one　of　the　most

dangerous　men　that　we　have　here　to　the　peace　and　quiet　of　the　city。

The　leading　men　of　the　conventionKing；　Cutler；　Hahn；　and　others

have　been　political　agitators；　and　are　bad　men。　　I　regret　to　say　that

the　course　of　Governor　Wells　has　been　vacillating；　and　that　during

the　late　trouble　he　has　shown　very　little　of　the　man。



〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃Major…General　Commanding。〃





Subsequently　a　military　commission　investigated　the　subject　of　the

riot；　taking　a　great　deal　of　testimony。　　The　commission　substantially

confirmed　the　conclusions　given　in　my　despatches；　and　still　later

there　was　an　investigation　by　a　select　committee　of　the　House　of

Representatives；　of　which　the　Honorables　Samuel　Shellabarger；　of

Ohio；　H。　L。　Elliot；　of　Massachusetts；　and　B。　M。　Boyer；　of

Pennsylvania；　were　the　members。　　The　majority　report　of　the　committee

also　corroborated；　in　all　essentials；　my　reports　of　the　distressing

occurrence。　　The　committee　likewise　called　attention　to　a　violent

speech　made　by　Mr。　Johnson　at　St。　Louis　in　September；　1866；　charging

the　origin　of　the　riot　to　Congress；　and　went　on　to　say　of　the　speech

that　〃it　was　an　unwarranted　and　unjust　expression　of　hostile　feeling；

without　pretext　or　foundation　in　fact。〃　　A　list　of　the　killed　and

wounded　was　embraced　in　the　committee's　report；　and　among　other

conclusions　reached　were　the　following：　〃That　the　meeting　of　July　30

was　a　meeting　of　quiet　citizens；　who　came　together　without　arms　and

with　intent　peaceably　to　discuss　questions　of　public　concern。。。。

There　has　been　no　occasion　during　our　National　history　when　a　riot

has　occurred　so　destitute　of　justifiable　cause；　resulting　in　a

massacre　so　inhuman　and　fiend…like；　as　that　which　took　place　at　New

Orleans　on　the　30th　of　July　last。　　This　riotous　attack　upon　the

convention；　with　its　terrible　results　of　massacre　and　murder；　was　not

an　accident。　　It　was　the　determined　purpose　of　the　mayor　of　the　city

of　New　Orleans　to　break　up　this　convention　by　armed　force。〃



The　statement　is　also　made；　that；　〃He　＇the　President＇　knew　that

'rebels'　and　'thugs'　and　disloyal　men　had　controlled　the　election　of

Mayor　Monroe；　and　that　such　men　composed　chiefly　his　police　force。〃



The　committee　held　that　no　legal　government　existed　in　Louisiana；　and

recommended　the　temporary　establishment　of　a　provisional　government

therein；　the　report　concluding　that　〃in　the　meantime　the　safety　of

all　Union　men　within　the　State　demands　that　such　government　be　formed

for　their　protection；　for　the　well　being　of　the　nation　and　the

permanent　peace　of　the　Republic。〃



The　New　Orleans　riot　agitated　the　whole　country；　and　the　official　and

other　reports　served　to　intensify　and　concentrate　the　opposition　to

President　Johnson's　policy　of　reconstruction；　a　policy　resting

exclusively　on　and　inspired　solely　by　the　executive　authorityfor　it

was　made　plain；　by　his　language　and　his　acts；　that　he　was　seeking　to

rehabilitate　the　seceded　States　under　conditions　differing　not　a　whit

from　those　existing　before　the　rebellion；　that　is　to　say；　without　the

slightest　constitutional　provision　regarding　the　status　of　the

emancipated　slaves；　and　with　no　assurances　of　protection　for　men　who

had　remained　loyal　in　the　war。



In　December；　1866；　Congress　took　hold　of　the　subject　with　such　vigor

as　to　promise　relief　from　all　these　perplexing　disorders；　and；　after

much　investigation　and　a　great　deal　of　debate；　there　resulted　the　so…

called　〃Reconstruction　Laws；〃　which；　for　a　clear　understanding　of　the

powers　conferred　on　the　military　commanders；　I　deem　best　to　append　in

full：



AN　ACT　to　provide　for　the　more　efficient　government　of　the　rebel

States。



WHEREAS；　no　legal　State　governments　or　adequate　protection　for　life

or　property　now　exist　in　the　rebel　States　of　Virginia；　North

Carolina；　South　Carolina；　Georgia；　Mississippi；　Alabama；　Louisiana；

Florida；　Texas；　and　Arkansas；　and　whereas；　it　is　necessary　that　peace

and　good　order　should　be　enforced　in　said　States　until　loyal　and

republican　State　governments　can　be　legally　established；　therefore；



BE　IT　ENACTED　by　the　Senate　and　House　of　Representatives　of　the

United　States　of　America　in　Congress　assembled；　That　said　rebel

States　shall　be　divided　into　military　districts　and　made　subject　to

the　military　authority　of　the　United　States　as　hereinafter

prescribed；　and　for　that　purpose　Virginia　shall　constitute　the　first

district；　North　Carolina　and　South　Carolina；　the　second　district；

Georgia；　Alabama；　and　Florida；　the　third　district；　Mississippi　and

Arkansas；　the　fourth　district；　and　Louisiana　and　Texas；　the　fifth

district。



SEC。　2。　　And　be　it　further　enacted；　That　it　shall　be　the　duty　of　the

President　to　assign　to　the　command　of　each　of