the sequel of appomattox-第21章

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Lincoln　governments　in　those　States　were　declared　to　have　no　legal　status　and　to　be　subject　wholly　to　the　authority　of　the　United　States　to　modify　or　abolish。　The　ten　states　were　divided　into　five　military　districts；　over　each　of　which　a　general　officer　was　to　be　placed　in　command。　Military　tribunals　were　to　supersede　the　civil　courts　where　necessary。　Stevens　was　willing　to　rest　here；　though　some　of　his　less　radical　followers；　disliking　military　rule　but　desiring　to　force　Negro　suffrage；　inserted　a　provision　in　the　law　that　a　State　might　be　readmitted　to　representation　upon　the　following　conditions：　a　constitutional　convention　must　be　held；　the　members　of　which　were　elected　by　males　of　voting　age　without　regard　to　color；　excluding　whites　who　would　be　disfranchised　by　the　proposed　Fourteenth　Amendment；　a　constitution　including　the　same　rule　of　suffrage　must　be　framed；　ratified　by　the　same　electorate；　and　approved　by　Congress；　and　lastly；　the　legislatures　elected　under　this　constitution　must　ratify　the　proposed　Fourteenth　Amendment；　after　which；　if　the　Fourteenth　Amendment　should　have　become　a　part　of　the　Federal　Constitution；　the　State　should　be　readmitted　to　representation。

In　order　that　the　administration　of　this　radical　legislation　might　be　supervised　by　its　friends；　the　Thirty…ninth　Congress　had　passed　a　law　requiring　the　Fortieth　Congress　to　meet　on　the　4th　of　March　instead　of　in　December　as　was　customary。　According　to　the　Reconstruction　Act　of　the　2nd　of　March；　it　was　left　to　the　state　government　or　to　the　people　of　a　state　to　make　the　first　move　towards　reconstruction。　If　they　preferred；　they　might　remain　under　military　rule。　Either　by　design　or　by　carelessness　no　machinery　of　administration　was　provided　for　the　execution　of　the　act。　When　it　became　evident　that　the　Southerners　preferred　military　rule；　the　new　Congress　passed　a　Supplementary　Reconstruction　Act　on　the　23d　of　March　designed　to　force　the　earlier　act　into　operation。　The　five　commanding　generals　were　directed　to　register　the　blacks　of　voting　age　and　the　whites　who　were　not　disfranchised；　to　hold　elections　for　conventions；　to　call　the　conventions；　to　hold　elections　to　ratify　or　reject　the　constitutions；　and　to　forward　the　constitutions；　if　ratified；　to　the　President　for　transmission　to　Congress。

In　these　reconstruction　acts　the　whole　doctrine　of　radicalism　was　put　on　the　way　to　accomplishment。　Its　spread　had　been　rapid。　In　December　1865；　the　majority　of　Congress　would　have　accepted　with　little　modification　the　work　of　Lincoln　and　Johnson。　Three　months　later　the　Civil　Rights　Act　measured　the　advance。　Very　soon　the　new　Freedmen's　Bureau　Act　and　the　Fourteenth　Amendment　indicated　the　rising　tide　of　radicalism。　The　campaign　of　1866　and　the　attitude　of　the　Southern　states　swept　all　radicals　and　most　moderate　Republicans　swiftly　into　a　merciless　course　of　reconstruction。　Moderate　reconstruction　had　nowhere　strong　support。　Congress；　touched　in　its　amour　propre　by　presidential　disregard；　was　eager　for　extremes。　Johnson；　who　regarded　himself　as　defending　the　Constitution　against　radical　assaults；　was　stubborn；　irascible；　and　undignified；　and　with　his　associates　was　no　match　in　political　strategy　for　his　radical　opponents。

The　average　Republican　or　Unionist　in　the　North；　if　he　had　not　been　brought　by　skillful　misrepresentation　to　believe　a　new　rebellion　impending　in　the　South；　was　at　any　rate　painfully　alive　to　the　fear　that　the　Democratic　party　might　regain　power。　With　the　freeing　of　the　slaves；　the　representation　of　the　South　in　Congress　would　be　increased。　At　first　it　seemed　that　the　South　might　divide　in　politics　as　before　the　war；　but　the　longer　the　delay　the　more　the　Southern　whites　tended　to　unite　into　one　party　acting　with　the　Democrats。　With　their　eighty…five　representatives　and　a　slight　reaction　in　the　North；　they　might　gain　control　of　the　lower　House　of　Congress。　The　Union…Republican　party　had　a　majority　of　less　than　one　hundred　in　1866；　and　this　was　lessened　slightly　in　the　Fortieth　Congress。　The　President　was　for　all　practical　purposes　a　Democrat　again。　The　prospect　was　too　much　for　the　very　human　politicians　to　view　without　distress。　Stevens；　speaking　in　support　of　the　Military　Reconstruction　Bill；　said：

〃There　are　several　good　reasons　for　the　passage　of　this　bill。　In　the　first　place；　it　is　just。　I　am　now　confining　my　argument　to　Negro　suffrage　in　the　rebel　states。　Have　not　loyal　blacks　quite　as　good　a　right　to　choose　rulers　and　make　laws　as　rebel　whites？　In　the　second　place；　it　is　necessary　in　order　to　protect　the　loyal　white　men　in　the　seceded　states。　With　them　the　blacks　would　act　in　a　body；　and　it　is　believed　that　in　each　of　these　states；　except　one；　the　two　united　would　form　a　majority；　control　the　states；　and　protect　themselves。　Now　they　are　the　victims　of　daily　murder。　They　must　suffer　constant　persecution　or　be　exiled。　Another　good　reason　is　that　it　would　insure　the　ascendancy　of　the　union　party　。。。。　I　believe　。　。　。　that　on　the　continued　ascendancy　of　that　party　depends　the　safety　of　this　great　nation。　If　impartial　suffrage　is　excluded　in　the　rebel　states；　then　every　one　of　them　is　sure　to　send　a　solid　rebel　electoral　vote。　They；　with　their　kindred　Copperheads　of　the　North；　would　always　elect　the　President　and　control　Congress。〃

The　laws　passed　on　the　2d　and　the　23d　of　March　were　war　measures　and　presupposed　a　continuance　of　war　conditions。　The　Lincoln…Johnson　state　governments　were　overturned；　Congress　fixed　the　qualifications　of　voters　for　that　time　and　for　the　future；　and　the　President；　shorn　of　much　of　his　constitutional　power；　could　exercise　but　little　control　over　the　military　government。　Nothing　that　a　state　might　do　would　secure　restoration　until　it　should　ratify　the　Fourteenth　Amendment　to　the　Federal　Constitution。　The　war　had　been　fought　upon　the　theory　that　the　old　Union　must　be　preserved；　but　the　basic　theory　of　the　reconstruction　was　that　a　new　Union　was　to　be　created。



CHAPTER　VI。　THE　RULE　OF　THE　MAJOR　GENERALS

From　the　passage　of　the　reconstruction　acts　to　the　close　of　Johnson's　Administration；　Congress；　working　the　will　of　the　radical　majority；　was　in　supreme　control。　The　army　carried　out　the　will　of　Congress　and　to　that　body；　not　to　the　President；　the　commanding　general　and　his　subordinates　looked　for　direction。

The　official　opposition　of　the　President　to　the　policy　of　Congress　ceased　when　that　policy　was　enacted　into　law。　He　believed　this　legislation　to　be　unconstitutional；　but　he　considered　it　his　duty　to　execute　the　laws。　He　at　once　set　about　the　appointment　of　generals　to　command　the　military　districts　created　in　the　South；*　a　task　calling　for　no　little　discretion；　since　much　depended　upon　the　character　of　these　military　governors；　or　〃satraps；〃　as　they　were　frequently　called　by　the　opposition。　The　commanding　general　in　a　district　was　charged　with　many　duties；　military；　political；　and　administrative。　It　was　his　duty　to　carry　on　a　government　satisfactory　to　the　radicals　and　not　too　irritating　to　the　Southern　whites；　at　the　same　time　he　must　execute　the　reconstruction　acts　by　putting　old　leaders　out　of　power　and　Negroes　in。　Violent　opposition　to　this　policy　on　the　part　of　the　South　was　not　looked　for。　Notwithstanding　the　〃Southern　outrage〃　campaign；　it　was　generally　recognized　in　government　circles　that　conditions　in　the　seceded　states　had　gradually　been　growing　better　since　the　close　of　the　war。　There　was　in　many　regions；　to　be　sure；　a　general　laxity　in　enforcing　laws；　but　that　had　always　been　characteristic　of　the　newer　parts　of　the　South。　The　Civil　Rights　Act　was　generally　in　force；　the　〃Black　Laws〃　had　been　suspended；　and　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　was　everywhere　caring　for　the　Negroes。　What　disorder　existed　was　of　recent　origin　and　in　the　main　was　due　to　the　unsettling　effects　of　the　debates　in　Congress　and　to　the　organization　of　the　Negroes　for　political　purposes。

*　The　first　five　generals　appointed　were　Schofield；　Sickles。　Pope；　Ord；　and　Sheridan。　None　of　these　remained　in　his　district　until　reconstruction　was　completed。　To　Schofield's　command　in　the　first　district　succeeded　in　turn　Stoneman；　Webb；　and　Canby；　Sickles　gave　way　to　Canby；　and　Pope　to　Meade；　Ord　in　the　fourth　district　was　followed　by　Gillem；　Mc