personal memoirs-2-第40章

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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　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　prelimin