personal memoirs-2-第39章

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polls　should　be　opened　on　the　day　fixed；　and　that　the　whole　matter

would　stand　postponed　till　the　district　commander　should　be

appointed；　or　special　instructions　be　had。　　This；　my　first　official

act　under　the　Reconstruction　laws；　was　rendered　necessary　by　the

course　of　a　body　of　obstructionists；　who　had　already　begun　to　give

unequivocal　indications　of　their　intention　to　ignore　the　laws　of

Congress。



A　copy　of　the　order　embodying　the　Reconstruction　law；　together　with

my　assignment；　having　reached　me　a　few　days　after；　I　regularly

assumed　control　of　the　Fifth　Military　District　on　March　19；　by　an

order　wherein　I　declared　the　State　and　municipal　governments　of　the

district　to　be　provisional　only；　and；　under　the　provisions　of　the

sixth　section　of　the　Act；　subject　to　be　controlled；　modified；

superseded；　or　abolished。　　I　also　announced　that　no　removals　from

office　would　be　made　unless　the　incumbents　failed　to　carry　out　the

provisions　of　the　law　or　impeded　reorganization；　or　unless　willful

delays　should　necessitate　a　change；　and　added：　〃Pending　the

reorganization；　it　is；　desirable　and　intended　to　create　as　little

disturbance　in　the　machinery　of　the　various　branches　of　the

provisional　governments　as　possible；　consistent　with　the　law　of

Congress　and　its　successful　execution；　but　this　condition　is

dependent　upon　the　disposition　shown　by　the　people；　and　upon　the

length　of　time　required　for　reorganization。〃



Under　these　limitations　Louisiana　and　Texas　retained　their　former

designations　as　military　districts；　the　officers　in　command

exercising　their　military　powers　as　heretofore。　　In　addition；　these

officers　were　to　carry　out　in　their　respective　commands　all

provisions　of　the　law　except　those　specially　requiring　the　action　of

the　district　commander；　and　in　cases　of　removals　from　and　appointment

to　office。



In　the　course　of　legislation　the　first　Reconstruction　act；　as　I　have

heretofore　noted；　had　been　vetoed。　　On　the　very　day　of　the　veto；

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