personal memoirs-2-第37节

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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　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

Attorne