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have　him　arrested　on　American　soil。　　Colonel　Sedgwick；　commanding　at

Brownsville；　was　now　temporary　master　of　Matamoras　also；　by　reason　of

having　stationed　some　American　troops　there　for　the　protection　of

neutral　merchants；　so　when　Ortega　appeared　at　Brazos；　Sedgwick

quietly　arrested　him　and　held　him　till　the　city　of　Matamoras　was

turned　over　to　General　Escobedo；　the　authorized　representative　of

Juarez；　then　Escobedo　took　charge；　of　Ortega；　and　with　ease　prevented

his　further　machinations。



During　the　winter　and　spring　of　1866　we　continued　covertly　supplying

arms　and　ammunition　to　the　Liberalssending　as　many　as　30；000

muskets　from　Baton　Rouge　Arsenal　aloneand　by　mid…summer　Juarez；

having　organized　a　pretty　good　sized　army；　was　in　possession　of　the

whole　line　of　the　Rio　Grande；　and；　in　fact；　of　nearly　the　whole　of

Mexico　down　to　San　Louis　Potosi。　　Then　thick　and　fast　came　rumors

pointing　to　the　tottering　condition　of　Maximilian's　Empire…first；

that　Orizaba　and　Vera　Cruz　were　being　fortified；　then；　that　the

French　were　to　be　withdrawn；　and　later　came　the　intelligence　that　the

Empress　Carlotta　had　gone　home　to　beg　assistance　from　Napoleon；　the

author　of　all　of　her　husband's　troubles。　　But　the　situation　forced

Napoleon　to　turn　a　deaf　ear　to　Carlotta's　prayers。　　The　brokenhearted

woman　besought　him　on　her　knees；　but　his　fear　of　losing　an　army　made

all　pleadings　vain。　　In　fact；　as　I　ascertained　by　the　following

cablegram　which　came　into　my　hands；　Napoleon's　instructions　for　the

French　evacuation　were　in　Mexico　at　the　very　time　of　this　pathetic

scene　between　him　and　Carlotta。　　The　despatch　was　in　cipher　when　I

received　it；　but　was　translated　by　the　telegraph　operator　at　my

headquarters；　who　long　before　had　mastered　the　key　of　the　French

cipher：



〃PARIS；　January　10；　1867。　　FRENCH　CONSUL；　New　Orleans；　La。



〃To　GENERAL　CASTELNAU；　at　Mexico。



〃Received　your　despatch　of　the　9th　December。　　Do　not　compel　the

Emperor　to　abdicate；　but　do　not　delay　the　departure　of　the　troops；

bring　back　all　those　who　will　not　remain　there。　　Most　of　the　fleet

has　left。



〃NAPOLEON。〃





This　meant　the　immediate　withdrawal　of　the　French。　　The　rest　of　the

storywhich　has　necessarily　been　but　in　outlineis　soon　told。

Maximilian；　though　deserted；　determined　to　hold　out　to　the　last；　and

with　the　aid　of　disloyal　Mexicans　stuck　to　his　cause　till　the　spring。

When　taken　prisoner　at　Queretaro；　he　was　tried　and　executed　under

circumstances　that　are　well　known。　　From　promptings　of　humanity

Secretary　Seward　tried　hard　to　save　the　Imperial　prisoner；　but

without　success。　　The　Secretary's　plea　for　mercy　was　sent　through　me

at　New　Orleans；　and　to　make　speed　I　hired　a　steamer　to　proceed　with

it　across　the　Gulf　to　Tampico。　　The　document　was　carried　by　Sergeant

White；　one　of　my　scouts；　who　crossed　the　country　from　Tampico；　and

delivered　it　to　Escobedo　at　Queretaro；　but　Mr。　Seward's

representations　were　without　availrefused　probably　because　little

mercy　had　been　shown　certain　Liberal　leaders　unfortunate　enough　to

fall　into　Maximilian's　hands　during　the　prosperous　days　of　his

Empire。



At　the　close　of　our　war　there　was　little　hope　for　the　Republic　of

Mexico。　　Indeed；　till　our　troops　were　concentrated　on　the　Rio　Grande

there　was　none。　　Our　appearance　in　such　force　along　the　border

permitted　the　Liberal　leaders；　refugees　from　their　homes；　to

establish　rendezvous　whence　they　could　promulgate　their　plans　in

safety；　while　the　countenance　thus　given　the　cause；　when　hope　was

well…nigh　gone；　incited　the　Mexican　people　to　renewed　resistance。

Beginning　again　with　very　scant　means；　for　they　had　lost　about　all；

the　Liberals　saw　their　cause；　under　the　influence　of　such　significant

and　powerful　backing；　progress　and　steadily　grow　so　strong　that

within　two　years　Imperialism　had　received　its　death…blow。　　I　doubt

very　much　whether　such；　results　could　have　been　achieved　without　the

presence　of　an　American　army　on　the　Rio　Grande；　which；　be　it

remembered；　was　sent　there　because；　in　General　Grant's　words；　the

French　invasion　of　Mexico　was　so　closely　related　to　the　rebellion　as

to　be　essentially　a　part　of　it。









CHAPTER　X。



A。　J。　HAMILTON　APPOINTED　PROVISIONAL　GOVERNOR　OF　TEXASASSEMBLES　A

CONSTITUTIONAL　CONVENTIONTHE　TEXANS　DISSATISFIEDLAWLESSNESS

OPPRESSIVE　LEGISLATIONEX…CONFEDERATES　CONTROLLING　LOUISIANAA

CONSTITUTIONAL　CONVENTIONTHE　MEETING　SUPPRESSEDA　BLOODY　RIOTMY

REPORTS　OF　THE　MASSACREPORTIONS　SUPPRESSED　BY　PRESIDENT　JOHNSON

SUSTAINED　BY　A　CONGRESSIONAL　COMMITTEETHE　RECONSTRUCTION　LAWS。



Although　in　1865…66　much　of　my　attention　was　directed　to

international　matters　along　the　Rio　Grande；　the　civil　affairs　of

Texas　and　Louisiana　required　a　certain　amount　of　military　supervision

also　in　the　absence　of　regularly　established　civil　authority。　　At　the

time　of　Kirby　Smith's　surrender　the　National　Government　had

formulated　no　plan　with　regard　to　these　or　the　other　States　lately　in

rebellion；　though　a　provisional　Government　had　been　set　up　in

Louisiana　as　early　as　1864。　　In　consequence　of　this　lack　of　system；

Governor　Pendleton　Murray；　of　Texas；　who　was　elected　under

Confederate　rule；　continued　to　discharge　the　duties　of　Governor　till

President　Johnson；　on　June　17；　in　harmony　with　his　amnesty

proclamation　of　May　29；　1865；　appointed　A。　J。　Hamilton　provisional

Governor。　　Hamilton　was　empowered　by　the　President　to　call　a

Constitutional　convention；　the　delegates　to　which　were　to　be　elected；

under　certain　prescribed　qualifications；　for　the　purpose　of

organizing　the　political　affairs　of　the　State；　the　Governor　to　be

guided　by　instructions　similar　to　those　given　the　provisional

Governor　of　North　Carolina　（W。　W。　Holden）；　when　appointed　in　May。



The　convening　of　this　body　gave　rise　to　much　dissatisfaction　among

the　people　of　Texas。　　They　had　assumed　that　affairs　were　to　go　on　as

of　old；　and　that　the　reintegration　of　the　State　was　to　take　place

under　the　administration　of　Governor　Murray；　who；　meanwhile；　had

taken　it　upon　himself；　together　with　the　Legislature；　to　authorize

the　election　of　delegates　to　a　State　Convention；　without　restriction

as　to　who　should　be　entitled　to　vote。　　Thus　encouraged；　the　element

but　lately　in　armed　rebellion　was　now　fully　bent　on　restoring　the

State　to　the　Union　without　any　intervention　whatever　of　the　Federal

Government；　but　the　advent　of　Hamilton　put　an　end　to　such　illusions；

since　his　proclamation　promptly　disfranchised　the　element　in

question；　whose　consequent　disappointment　and　chagrin　were　so　great

as　to　render　this　factor　of　the　community　almost　uncontrollable。　　The

provisional　Governor　at　once　rescinded　the　edict　of　Governor　Murray；

prohibited　the　assembling　of　his　convention；　and　shortly　after

called；　one　himself；　the　delegates　to　which　were　to　b　chosen　by

voters　who　could　take　the　amnesty…oath。　　The　proclamation　convening

this　assemblage　also　announced　the　policy　that　would　be　pursued　in

governing　the　State　until　its　affairs　were　satisfactorily

reorganized；　defined　in　brief　the　course　to　be　followed　by　the

Judiciary；　and　provided　for　the　appointment；　by　the　Governor；　of

county　officials　to　succeed　those　known　to　be　disloyal。　　As　this

action　of　Hamilton's　disfranchised　all　who　could　not　take　the　amnesty

oath；　and　of　course　deprived　them　of　the　offices；　it　met　at　once　with

pronounced　and　serious　opposition；　and　he　quickly　realized　that　he

had　on　his　hands　an　arduous　task　to　protect　the　colored　people；

particularly　as　in　the　transition　state　of　society　just　after　the

close　of　the　war　there　prevailed　much　lawlessness；　which　vented

itself　chiefly　on　the　freedmen。　　It　was　greatly　feared　that　political

rights　were　to　be　given　those　so　recently　in　servitude；　and　as　it　was

generally　believed　that　such　enfranchisement　would　precipitate　a　race

war　unless　the　freedmen　were　overawed　and　kept　in　a　state　of

subjection；　acts　of　intimidation　were　soon　reported　from　all　parts　of

the　State。



Hamilton；　an　able；　determined；　and　fearless　man；　tried　hard　to　curb

this　terrorism；　but　public　opinion　being　strong　against　him；　he　could

accomplish　little　without　military　aid。　　As　department　commander；　I

was　required；　whenever　called　upon；　to　assist　his　government；　and　as

these　requisitions　for　help　became　necessarily　very　frequent；　the

result　was　that　shortly　after　he　assumed　his　duties；　detachments　of

troops　were　stationed　in　nearly　every　county　of　the　State。　　By　such

disposition　of　my　forces　fairly　good　order　was　maintained　under　the

administration　of　Hamilton；　and　all　went　well　till　the　inauguration

of　J。　W。　Throckmorton；　who；　elected　Governor　in　pursuance　of　an

authorization　granted　by　the　convention　which　Hamilton　had　called

together；　assumed　the　duties　of　the　office　August　9；　1866。



One　of　Governor　Throckmorton's　first　acts　was　to　ask　the　withdrawal

or　non…interference　of　the　military。　　This　was　not　all　granted；　but

under　his　ingenious　persuasion　Presi