the sequel of appomattox-第16章

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　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；　McDowell；　and　Ames；　Sheridan；　in　the　fifth；　was　succeeded　by　Griffen；　Mower；　Hancock；　Buchanan；　Reynolds；　and　Canby。　Some　of　the　generals　were　radical；　others；　moderate　and　tactful。　The　most　extreme　were　Sheridan；　Pope；　and　Sickles。　Those　most　acceptable　to　the　whites　were　Hancock；　Schofield；　and　Meade。　General　Grant　himself　became　more　radical　in　his　actions　as　he　became　involved　in　the　fight　between　Congress　and　the　President。


Military　rule　was　established　in　the　South　with　slight　friction；　but　it　was　soon　found　that　the　reconstruction　laws　were　not　sufficiently　clear　on　two　points：　first；　whether　there　was　any　limit　to　the　authority　of　the　five　generals　over　the　local　and　state　governments　and；　if　so；　whether　the　limiting　authority　was　in　the　President；　and　second；　whether　the　disfranchising　provisions　in　the　laws　were　punitive　and　hence　to　be　construed　strictly。　Attorney…General　Stanbery；　in　May　and　June　1867；　drew　up　opinions　in　which　he　maintained　that　the　laws　were　to　be　considered　punitive　and　therefore　to　be　construed　strictly。　After　discussions　in　cabinet　meetings；　these　opinions　received　the　approval　of　all　except　Stanton；　Secretary　of　War；　who　had　already　joined　the　radical　camp。　The　Attorney…General's　opinion　was　sent　out　to　the　district　commanders　for　their　information　and　guidance。　But　Congress　did　not　intend　to　permit　the　President　or　his　Cabinet　to　direct　the　process　of　reconstruction；　and　in　the　Act　of　July　19；　1867；　it　gave　a　radical　interpretation　to　the　reconstruction　legislation；　declared　itself　in　control；　gave　full　power　to　General　Grant　and　to　the　district　commanders　subject　only　to　Grant；　directed　the　removal　of　all　local　officials　who　opposed　the　reconstruction　policies；　and　warned　the　civil　and　military　officers　of　the　United　States　that　none　of　them　should　〃be　bound　in　his　action　by　any　opinion　of　any　civil　officer　of　the　United　States。〃　This　interpretive　legislation　gave　a　broad　basis　for　the　military　government　and　resulted　in　a　severe　application　of　the　disfranchising　provisions　of　the　laws。

The　rule　of　the　five　generals　lasted　in　all　the　States　until　June　1868；　and　continued　in　Mississippi；　Texas；　Virginia；　and　Georgia　until　1870。　There　had　been；　to　be　sure；　some　military　government　in　1865；　subject；　however；　to　the　President；　and　from　1865　to　1867　the　army；　along　with　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　had　exerted　a　strong　influence　in　the　government　of　the　South；　but　in　the　regime　now　inaugurated　the　military　was　supreme。　The　generals　had　a　superior　at　Washington；　but　whether　it　was　the　President；　General　Grant；　or　Congress　was　not　clear　until　the　Act　of　July　19；　1867　made　Congress　the　source　of　authority。

The　power　of　the　generals　most　strikingly　appeared　in　their　control　of　the　state　governments　which　were　continued　as　provisional　organizations。　Since　no　elections　were　permitted；　all　appointments　and　removals　were　made　from　military　headquarters；　which　soon　became　political　beehives；　centers　of　wirepulling　and　agencies　for　the　distribution　of　spoils。　At　the　outset　civil　officers　were　ordered　to　retain　their　offices　during　good　behavior；　subject　to　military　control。　But　no　local　official　was　permitted　to　use　his　influence　ever　so　slightly　against　reconstruction。　Since　most　of　them　did　not　favor　the　policy　of　Congress；　thousands　were　removed　as　〃obstacles　to　reconstruction。〃　The　Governors　of　Georgia；　Louisiana；　Virginia；　Mississippi；　and　Texas　were　displaced　and　others　appointed　in　their　stead。　All　kinds　of　subordinate　offices　rapidly　became　vacant。　New　appointments　were　nearly　always　carpetbaggers　and　native　radicals　who　could　take　the　〃ironclad〃　oath。　The　generals　complained　that　there　were　not　enough　competent　native　〃loyalists〃　to　fill　the　offices；　and　frequently　an　army　officer　was　installed　as　governor；　treasurer；　secretary　of　state；　auditor；　or　mayor。　In　nearly　all　towns；　the　police　force　was　reorganized；　and　former　Federal　soldiers　were　added　to　the　force；　while　the　regular　troops　were　used　for　general　police　purposes　and　for　rural　constabulary。

Over　the　administration　of　justice　the　military　authorities　exercised　a　close　supervision。　Instructions　were　sent　out　to　court　officers　covering　the　selection　of　juries；　the　suspension　of　certain　laws；　and　the　rules　of　evidence　and　procedure。　Courts　were　often　closed；　court　decrees　set　aside　or　modified；　prisoners　released；　and　many　cases　reserved　for　trial　by　military　commission。　Some　commanders　required　juries　to　admit　Negro　members　and　insisted　that　all　jurors　take　the　〃ironclad〃　test　oath。　There　was　some　attempt　at　regulating　the　Federal　courts　but　without　much　success。

Since　the　state　legislatures　were　forbidden　to　meet；　much　legislation　was　enacted　through　military　orders。　Stay　laws　were　enacted；　the　color　line　was　abolished；　new　criminal　regulations　were　promulgated；　and　the　police　power　was　invoked　in　some　instances　to　justify　sweeping　measures；　such　as　the　prohibition　of　whisky　manufacture　in　North　Carolina　and　South　Carolina。　The　military　governors　levied；　increased；　or　decreased　taxes　and　made　appropriations　which　the　state　treasurers　were　forced　to　pay；　but　they　restrained　the　radical　conventions；　all　of　which　wished　to　spend　much　money。　According　to　the　Act　of　March　23；　1867；　the　generals　and　their　appointees　were　to　be　paid　by　the　United　States；　but　in　practice　the　running　expenses　of　reconstruction　were　paid　by　the　state　treasurers。

Any　attempt　to　favor　the　Confederate　soldiers　was　frowned　upon。　Laws　providing　wooden　legs　and　free　education　for　crippled　Confederates　were　suspended。　Militia　organizations　and　military　schools　were　forbidden。　No　uniform　might　be　worn；　no　parades　were　permitted；　no　memorial　and　historical　societies　were　to　be　organized；　and　no　meeting　of　any　kind　could　be　held　without　a　permit。　The　attempt　to　control　the　press　resulted　in　what　one　general　called　〃a　horrible　uproar。〃　Editors　were　forbidden　to　express　themselves　too　strongly　against　reconstruction；　public　advertising　and　printing　were　awarded　only　to　those　papers　actively　supporting　reconstruction。　Several　newspapers　were　suppressed；　a　notable　example　being　the　〃Tuscaloosa　Independent　Monitor〃；　whose　editor；　Ryland　Randolph；　was　a　picturesque　figure　in　Alabama　journalism　and　a　leader　in　the　Ku　Klux　Klan。

The　military　administration　was　thorough　and；　as　a　whole；　honest　and　efficient。　With　fewer　than　ten　thousand　soldiers；　the　generals　maintained　order　and　carried　on　the　reconstruction　of　the　South。　The　whites　made　no　attempt　at　resistance；　though　they　were　irritated　by　military　rule　and　resented　the　loss　of　self…government。　But　most　Southerners　preferred　the　rule　of　the　army　to　the　alternative　reign　of　the　carpetbagger；　scalawag；　and　Negro。　The　extreme　radicals　at　the　North；　on　the　other　hand；　were　disgusted　at　the　conservative　policy　of　the　generals。　The　apathy　of　the　whites　at　the　beginning　of　the　military　reconstruction　excited　surprise　on　all　sides。　Not　only　was　there　no　violent　opposition；　but　for　a　few　weeks　there　was　no　opposition　at　all。　The　civil　officials　were　openly　unsympathetic；　and　the　newspapers　voiced　dissent　not　untouched　with　disgust；　others　simply　could　not　take　the　situation　seriously　because　it　seemed　so　absurd；　many　leaders　were　indifferent；　while　others　among　them；　Generals　Lee；　Beauregard；　and　Longstreet；　and　Governor　Pattonwithout　approving　the　policy；　advised　the　whites　to　cooperate　with　the　military　authorities　and　save　all　they　could　out　of　the　situation。　General　Beauregard；　for　instance；　wrote　in　1867：　〃If　the　suffrage　of　the　Negro　is　properly　handled　and　directed；　we　shall　defeat　our　adversaries　with　their　own　weapons。　The　Negro　is　Southern　born。　With　education　and　property　qualifications　he　can　be　made　to　take　an　interest　in　the　affairs　of　the　South　and　in　its　prosperity。　He　will　side　with　the　whites。〃

Northern　observers　who　were　friendly　to　the　South　or　who　disapproved　of　this　radical　reconstruction　saw　the　danger　more　clearly　than　the　Southerners　themselves；　who　seemed　not　to　appreciate　the　full　implication　of　the　situation。　In　this　connection　the　New　York　〃Herald〃　remarked：

〃We　may　regard　the　entire　ten　unreconstr