personal memoirs-2-第31节

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

under　his　ingenious　persuasion　President　Johnson；　on　the　13th　of

August；　1866；　directed　that　the　new　State　officials　be　entrusted　with

the　unhampered　control　of　civil　affairs；　and　this　was　more　than

enough　to　revive　the　bulldozing　methods　that　had　characterized　the

beginning　of　Hamilton's　administration。　　Oppressive　legislation　in

the　shape　of　certain　apprentice　and　vagrant　laws　quickly　followed；

developing　a　policy　of　gross　injustice　toward　the　colored　people　on

the　part　of　the　courts；　and　a　reign　of　lawlessness　and　disorder

ensued　which；　throughout　the　remote　districts　of　the　State　at　least；

continued　till　Congress；　by　what　are　known　as　the　Reconstruction

Acts；　took　into　its　own　hands　the　rehabilitation　of　the　seceded

States。



In　the　State　of　Louisiana　a　provisional　government；　chosen　by　the

loyal　element；　had　been　put　in　operation；　as　already　mentioned；　as

early　as　1864。　　This　was　effected　under　encouragement　given　by

President　Lincoln；　through　the　medium　of　a　Constitutional　convention；

which　met　at　New　Orleans　in　April；　1864；　and　adjourned　in　July。　　The

constitution　then　agreed　upon　was　submitted　to　the　people；　and　in

September；　1864；　was　ratified　by　a　vote　of　the　few　loyal　residents　of

the　State。



The　government　provided　under　this　constitution　being　looked　upon　as

provisional　merely；　was　never　recognized　by　Congress；　and　in　1865　the

returned　Confederates；　restored　to　citizenship　by　the　President's

amnesty　proclamation；　soon　got　control　of　almost　all　the　State。　　The

Legislature　was　in　their　hands；　as　well　as　most　of　the　State　and

municipal　offices；　so；　when　the　President；　on　the　20th　of　August；

1866；　by　proclamation；　extended　his　previous　instructions　regarding

civil　affairs　in　Texas　so　as　to　have　them　apply　to　all　the　seceded

States；　there　at　once　began　in　Louisiana　a　system　of　discriminative

legislation　directed　against　the　freedmen；　that　led　to　flagrant

wrongs　in　the　enforcement　of　labor　contracts；　and　in　the　remote

parishes　to　numbers　of　outrages　and　murders。



To　remedy　this　deplorable　condition　of　things；　it　was　proposed；　by

those　who　had　established　the　government　of　1864；　to　remodel　the

constitution　of　the　State；　and　they　sought　to　do　this　by　reassembling

the　convention；　that　body　before　its　adjournment　having　provided　for

reconvening　under　certain　conditions；　in　obedience　to　the　call　of　its

president。　　Therefore；　early　in　the　summer　of　1866；　many　members　of

this　convention　met　in　conference　at　New　Orleans；　and　decided　that　a

necessity　existed　for　reconvening　the　delegates；　and　a　proclamation

was　issued　accordingly　by　B。　K。　Howell；　President…pro…tempore。



Mayor　John　T。　　Monroe　and　the　other　officials　of　New　Orleans　looked

upon　this　proposed　action　as　revolutionary；　and　by　the　time　the

convention　assembled　（July　30）；　such　bitterness　of　feeling　prevailed

that　efforts　were　made　by　the　mayor　and　city　police　to　suppress　the

meeting。　　A　bloody　riot　followed；　resulting；　in　the　killing　and

wounding　of　about　a　hundred　and　sixty　persons。



I　happened　to　be　absent　from　the　city　at　the　time；　returning　from

Texas；　where　I　had　been　called　by　affairs　on　the　Rio　Grande。　　On　my

way　up　from　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi　I　was　met　on　the　night　of

July　30　by　one　of　my　staff；　who　reported　what　had　occurred；　giving

the　details　of　the　massacreno　milder　term　is　fittingand　informing

me　that；　to　prevent　further　slaughter；　General　Baird；　the　senior

military　officer　present；　had　assumed　control　of　the　municipal

government。　　On　reaching　the　city　I　made　an　investigation；　and　that

night　sent　the　following　report　of　the　affair：



〃HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　GULF；

〃NEW　ORLEANS；　LA。；　Aug。　　1；　1866。



〃GENERAL　U。　S。　GRANT：



〃You　are　doubtless　aware　of　the　serious　riot　which　occurred　in　this

city　on　the　30th。　　A　political　body；　styling　themselves　the

Convention　of　1864；　met　on　the　30th；　for；　as　it　is　alleged；　the

purpose　of　remodeling　the　present　constitution　of　the　State。　　The

leaders　were　political　agitators　and　revolutionary　men；　and　the

action　of　the　convention　was　liable　to　produce　breaches　of　the　public

peace。　　I　had　made　up　my　mind　to　arrest　the　head　men；　if　the

proceedings　of　the　convention　were　calculated　to　disturb　the

tranquility　of　the　Department；　but　I　had　no　cause　for　action　until

they　committed　the　overt　act。　　In　the　meantime　official　duty　called

me　to　Texas；　and　the　mayor　of　the　city；　during　my　absence　suppressed

the　convention　by　the　use　of　the　police　force；　and　in　so　doing

attacked　the　members　of　the　convention；　and　a　party　of　two　hundred

negroes；　with　fire…arms；　clubs；　and　knives；　in　a　manner　so

unnecessary　and　atrocious　as　to　compel　me　to　say　that　it　was　murder。

About　forty　whites　and　blacks　were　thus　killed；　and　about　one　hundred

and　sixty　wounded。　　Everything　is　now　quiet；　but　I　deem　it　best　to

maintain　a　military　supremacy　in　the　city　for　a　few　days；　until　the

affair　is　fully　investigated。　　I　believe　the　sentiment　of　the　general

community　is　great　regret　at　this　unnecessary　cruelty；　and　that　the

police　could　have　made　any　arrest　they　saw　fit　without　sacrificing

lives。



〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃Major…General　Commanding。〃





On　receiving　the　telegram；　General。　　Grant　immediately　submitted。　　it

to　the　President。　　Much　clamor　being　made　at　the　North　for　the

publication　of　the　despatch；　Mr。　Johnson　pretended　to　give　it　to　the

newspapers。　　It　appeared　in　the　issues　of　August　4；　but　with　this

paragraph　omitted；　viz。：



〃I　had　made　up　my　mind　to　arrest　the　head　men；　if　the　proceedings　of

the　convention　were　calculated　to　disturb　the　tranquility　of　the

Department；　but　I　had　no　cause　for　action　until　they　committed　the

overt　act。　　In　the　mean　time　official　duty　called　me　to　Texas；　and

the　mayor　of　the　city；　during　my　absence；　suppressed　the　convention

by　the　use　of　the　police　force；　and　in　so　doing　attacked　the　members

of　the　convention；　and　a　party　of　two　hundred　negroes；　with　fire…

arms；　clubs；　and　knives；　in　a　manner　so　unnecessary　and　atrocious　as

to　compel　me　to　say　it　was　murder。〃



Against　this　garbling　of　my　report…done　by　the　President's　own　order…

I　strongly　demurred；　and　this　emphatic　protest　marks　the　beginning　of

Mr。　Johnson's　well…known　personal　hostility　toward　me。　　In　the　mean

time　I　received　（on　August　3）　the　following　despatch　from　General

Grant　approving　my　course：



〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES；

〃WAR　DEPT。；　WASHINGTON；　D。　　C。；　〃August　3；　18665　p。m。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃Commanding　Mil。　Div。　of　the　Gulf；

〃New　Orleans；　La。



〃Continue　to　enforce　martial　law；　so　far　as　may　be　necessary　to

preserve　the　peace；　and　do　not　allow　any　of　the　civil　authorities　to

act；　if　you　deem　such　action　dangerous　to　the　public　safety。　　Lose　no

time　in　investigating　and　reporting　the　causes　that　led　to　the　riot；

and　the　facts　which　occurred。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；

〃Lieutenant…General。〃





In　obedience　to　the　President's　directions；　My　report　of　August　1　was

followed　by　another；　more　in　detail；　which　I　give　in　full；　since　it

tells　the　whole　story　of　the　riot　：



〃HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　GULF；

〃NEW　ORLEANS；　LA。；　August　6；　1866。



〃His　EXCELLENCY　ANDREW　JOHNSON；

〃President　United　States



〃I　have　the　honor　to　make　the　following　reply　to　your　despatch　of

August　4。　　A　very　large　number　of　colored　people　marched　in

procession　on　Friday　night；　July　twenty…seven　（27）；　and　were

addressed　from　the　steps　of　the　City　Hall　by　Dr。　Dostie；　ex…Governor

Hahn；　and　others。　　The　speech　of　Dostie　was　intemperate　in　language

and　sentiment。　　The　speeches　of　the　others；　so　far　as　I　can　learn；

were　characterized　by　moderation。　　I　have　not　given　you　the　words　of

Dostie's　speech；　as　the　version　published　was　denied；　but　from　what　I

have　learned　of　the　man；　I　believe　they　were　intemperate。



〃The　convention　assembled　at　twelve　（12）　M。　　on　the　thirtieth　（30）；

the　timid　members　absenting　themselves　because　the　tone　of　the

general　public　was　ominous　of　trouble。　　I　think　there　were　about

twenty…six　（26）　members　present。　　In　front　of　the　Mechanics

Institute；　where　the　meeting　was　held；　there　were　assembled　some

colored　men；　women；　and　children；　perhaps　eighteen　（18）　or　twenty

（20）；　and　in　the　Institute　a　number　of　colored　men；　probably　one

hundred　and　fifty　（150）。　　Among　those　outside　and　inside　there　might

have　been　a　pistol　in　the　possession　of　every　tenth　（10）　man。



〃About　one　（1）　p。　m。　　a　procession　of　say　from　sixty　（60）　to　one

hundred　and　thirty　（130）　colored　men　marched　up　Burgundy　Street　and

across　Canal　Street　toward　the　convention；　carrying　an　American　flag。

These　men　had　about　one　pistol　to　every　ten　men；　and　canes　and　clubs

in　addition。　　While　crossing　Canal　Street　a　row　occurred。　　There　were

many　spectators　on　the　street；　and　their　manner　and　tone　toward　the

procession　unfriendly。　　A