personal memoirs-2-第42章

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of　the　State　the　immediate　relief　which　the　honest　disbursement　of

the　four　millions　（4；000；000）　would　give；　my　order　dissolving　both

boards　was　issued。



〃I　say　now；　unequivocally；　that　Governor　Wells　is　a　political

trickster　and　a　dishonest　man。　　I　have　seen　him　myself；　when　I　first

came　to　this　command；　turn　out　all　the　Union　men　who　had　supported

the　Government；　and　put　in　their　stead　rebel　soldiers　who　had　not　yet

doffed　their　gray　uniform。　　I　have　seen　him　again；　during　the　July

riot　of　1866；　skulk　away　where　I　could　not　find　him　to　give　him　a

guard；　instead　of　coming　out　as　a　manly　representative　of　the　State

and　joining　those　who　were　preserving　the　peace。　　I　have　watched　him

since；　and　his　conduct　has　been　as　sinuous　as　the　mark　left　in　the

dust　by　the　movement　of　a　snake。



〃I　say　again　that　he　is　dishonest；　and　that　dishonesty　is　more　than

must　be　expected　of　me。



〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃Major…General；　U。　S。　A。



〃Hon。　E。　M。　STANTON；

〃Secretary　of　War；　Washington；　D。　　C。〃





The　same　day　that　I　sent　my　report　to　the　Secretary　of　War　I　removed

from　office　Governor　Wells　himself；　being　determined　to　bear　no

longer　with　the　many　obstructions　he　had　placed　in　the　way　of

reorganizing　the　civil　affairs　of　the　State。　　I　was　also　satisfied

that　he　was　unfit　to　retain　the　place；　since　he　was　availing　himself

of　every　opportunity　to　work　political　ends　beneficial　to　himself。

In　this　instance　Wells　protested　to　me　against　his　removal；　and　also

appealed　to　the　President　for　an　opinion　of　the　Attorney…General　as

to　my　power　in　the　case；　and　doubtless　he　would　have　succeeded　in

retaining　his　office；　but　for　the　fact　that　the　President　had　been

informed　by　General　James　B。　Steadman　and　others　placed　to　watch　me

that　Wells　was　wholly　unworthy。





〃NEW　ORLEANS；　June　19；　1867。

〃ANDREW　JOHNSON；　President　United　States；

〃Washington　City：



〃Lewis　D。　　Campbell　leaves　New　Orleans　for　home　this　evening。　　Want

of　respect　for　Governor　Wells　personally；　alone　represses　the

expression　of　indignation　felt　by　all　honest　and　sensible　men　at　the

unwarranted　usurpation　of　General　Sheridan　in　removing　the　civil

officers　of　Louisiana。　　It　is　believed　here　that　you　will　reinstate

Wells。　　He　is　a　bad　man；　and　has　no　influence。



〃I　believe　Sheridan　made　the　removals　to　embarrass　you；　believing　the

feeling　at　the　North　would　sustain　him。　　My　conviction　is　that　on

account　of　the　bad　character　of　Wells　and　Monroe；　you　ought　not　to

reinstate　any　who　have　been　removed；　because　you　cannot　reinstate　any

without　reinstating　all；　but　you　ought　to　prohibit　the　exercise　of

this　power　in　the　future。



〃Respectfully　yours；



〃JAMES　B。　STEADMAN。〃





I　appointed　Mr。　Thomas　J。　Durant　as　Wells's　successor；　but　he

declining；　I　then　appointed　Mr。　Benjamin　F。　Flanders；　who；　after　I

had　sent　a　staff…officer　to　forcibly　eject　Wells　in　case　of

necessity；　took　possession　of　the　Governor's　office。　　Wells　having

vacated；　Governor　Flanders　began　immediately　the　exercise　of　his

duties　in　sympathy　with　the　views　of　Congress；　and　I　then　notified

General　Grant　that　I　thought　he　need　have　no　further　apprehension

about　the　condition　of　affairs　in　Louisiana；　as　my　appointee　was　a

man　of　such　integrity　and　ability　that　I　already　felt　relieved　of

half　my　labor。　　I　also　stated　in　the　same　despatch　that　nothing　would

answer　in　Louisiana　but　a　bold　and　firm　course；　and　that　in　taking

such　a　one　I　felt　that　I　was　strongly　supported；　a　statement　that　was

then　correct；　for　up　to　this　period　the　better　classes　were　disposed

to　accept　the　Congressional　plan　of　reconstruction。



During　the　controversy　over　the　Levee　Commissioners；　and　the

correspondence　regarding　the　removal　of　Governor　Wells；　registration

had　gone　on　under　the　rules　laid　down　for　the　boards。　　The　date　set

for　closing　the　books　was　the　3oth　of　June；　but　in　the　parish　of

Orleans　the　time　was　extended　till　the　15th　of　July。　　This　the

President　considered　too　short　a　period；　and　therefore　directed　the

registry　lists　not　to　be　closed　before　the　1st　of　August；　unless

there　was　some　good　reason　to　the　contrary。　　This　was　plainly

designed　to　keep　the　books　open　in　order　that　under　the　Attorney…

General's　interpretation　of　the　Reconstruction　laws；　published　June

20；　many　persons　who　had　been　excluded　by　the　registration　boards

could　yet　be　registered；　so　I　decided　to　close　the　registration；

unless　required　by　the　President　unconditionally；　and　in　specific

orders；　to　extend　the　time。　　My　motives　were　manifold；　but　the　main

reasons　were　that　as　two　and　a　half　months　had　been　given　already；

the　number　of　persons　who；　under　the　law；　were　qualified　for　registry

was　about　exhausted；　and　because　of　the　expense　I　did　not　feel

warranted　in　keeping　up　the　boards　longer；　as　I　said；　〃to　suit　new

issues　coming　in　at　the　eleventh　hour；〃　which　would　but　open　a　〃broad

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