personal memoirs-2-第41章

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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　restriction；　and　restored　the　two　years'　qualification；

thus　enabling　Mayor　Heath；　who　by　my　appointment　had　succeeded

Monroe；　to　organize　the　force　anew；　and　take　about　one…half　of　its

members　from　ex…Union　soldiers　who　when　discharged　had　settled　in　New

Orleans。　　This　action　put　an　end　to　intimidation　in　the　parish　of

Orleans；　and　now　were　put　in　operation　in　all　sections　the　processes

provided　by　the　supplemental　Reconstruction　law　for　the　summoning　of

a　convention　to　form　a　Constitution　preparatory　to　the　readmission　of

the　State；　and　I　was　full　of　hope　that　there　would　now　be　much　less

difficulty　in　administering　the　trust　imposed　by　Congress。



During　the　two　years　previous　great　damage　had　been　done　the

agricultural　interests　of　Louisiana　by　the　overflow　of　the

Mississippi；　the　levees　being　so　badly　broken　as　to　require　extensive

repairs；　and　the　Legislature　of　1866　had　appropriated　for　the　purpose

4；000；000；　to　be　raised　by　an　issue　of　bonds。　　This　money　was　to　be

disbursed　by　a　Board　of　Levee　Commissioners　then　in　existence；　but

the　term　of　service　of　these　commissioners；　and　the　law　creating　the

board；　would　expire　in　the　spring　of　1867。　　In　order　to　overcome　this

difficulty　the　Legislature　passed　a　bill　continuing　the　commissioners

in　office　but　as　the　act　was　passed　inside　of　ten　days　before　the

adjournment　of　the　Legislature；　Governor　Wells　pocketed　the　bill；　and

it　failed　to　become　a　law。　　The　Governor　then　appointed　a　board　of

his　own；　without　any　warrant　of　law　whatever。　　The　old　commissioners

refused　to　recognize　this　new　board；　and　of　course　a　conflict　of

authority　ensued；　which；　it　was　clear；　would　lead　to　vicious　results

if　allowed　to　continue；　so；　as　the　people　of　the　State　had　no

confidence　in　either　of　the　boards；　I　decided　to　end　the　contention

summarily　by　appointing　an　entirely　new　commission；　which　would

disburse　the　money　honestly；　and　further　the　real　purpose　for　which

it　had　been　appropriated。　　When　I　took　this　course　the　legislative

board　acquiesced；　but　Governor　Wells　immediately　requested　the

President　to　revoke　my　order；　which；　however；　was　not　done；　but

meanwhile　the　Secretary　of　War　directed　me　to　suspend　all　proceedings

in　the　matter；　and　make　a　report　of　the　facts。　　I　complied　in　the

following　telegram：



〃HEADQUARTERS　FIFTH　MILITARY　DISTRICT；

〃NEW　ORLEANS；　La。；　June　3；　1867。



〃SIR：　I　have　the　honor　to　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　your　telegram　of

this　date　in　reference　to　the　Levee　Commissioners　in　this　State。



〃The　following　were　my　reasons　for　abolishing　the　two　former　boards；

although　I　intended　that　my　order　should　be　sufficiently　explanatory：



〃Previous　to　the　adjournment　of　the　Legislature　last　winter　it　passed

an　act　continuing　the　old　Levee　board　in　office；　so　that　the　four

millions　of　dollars　（4；000；000）　in　bonds　appropriated　by　the

Legislature　might　be　disbursed　by　a　board　of　rebellious　antecedents。



〃After　its　adjournment　the　Governor　of　the　State　appointed　a　board　of

his　own；　in　violation　of　this　act；　and　made　the　acknowledgment　to　me

in　person　that　his　object　was　to　disburse　the　money　in　the　interest

of　his　own　party　by　securing　for　it　the　vote　of　the　employees　at　the

time　of　election。



〃The　board　continued　in　office　by　the　Legislature　refused　to　turn

over　to　the　Governor's　board；　and　each　side　appealed　to　me　to　sustain

it；　which　I　would　not　do。　　The　question　must　then　have　gone　to　the

courts；　which；　according　to　the　Governor's　judgment　when　he　was

appealing　to　me　to　be　sustained；　would　require　one　year　for　decision。

Meantime　the　State　was　overflowed；　the　Levee　boards　tied　up　by

political　chicanery；　and　nothing　done　to　relieve　the　poor　people；　now

fed　by　the　charity　of　the　Government　and　charitable　associations　of

the　North。



〃To　obviate　this　trouble；　and　to　secure　to　the　overflowed　districts

of　the　State　the　immediate　relief　which　the　honest　disbursement