memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第33章

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udge　Henry　Boyce；　of　the　United　States　District　Court；　with　whom　I　had　made　acquaintance　years　before；　at　St。　Louis；　and；　as　we　neared　Alexandria；　he　proposed　that　we　should　stop　at　Governor　Moore's　and　spend　the　night。　　Moore's　house　and　plantation　were　on　Bayou　Robert；　about　eight　miles　from　Alexandria。　　We　found　him　at　home；　with　his　wife　and　a　married　daughter；　and　spent　the　night　there。　　He　sent　us　forward　to　Alexandria　the　next　morning；　in　his　own　carriage。　　On　arriving　at　Alexandria；　I　put　up　at　an　inn；　or　boarding…house；　and　almost　immediately　thereafter　went　about　ten　miles　farther　up　Bayou　Rapides；　to　the　plantation　and　house　of　General　G。　Mason　Graham；　to　whom　I　looked　as　the　principal　man　with　whom　I　had　to　deal。　　He　was　a　high…toned　gentleman；　and　his　whole　heart　was　in　the　enterprise。　　He　at　once　put　me　at　ease。　　We　acted　together　most　cordially　from　that　time　forth；　and　it　was　at　his　house　that　all　the　details　of　the　seminary　were　arranged。　　We　first　visited　the　college…building　together。　　It　was　located　on　an　old　country　place　of　four　hundred　acres　of　pineland；　with　numerous　springs；　and　the　building　was　very　large　and　handsome。　　A　carpenter；　named　James；　resided　there；　and　had　the　general　charge　of　the　property；　but；　as　there　was　not　a　table；　chair；　black…board；　or　any　thing　on　hand；　necessary　for　a　beginning；　I　concluded　to　quarter　myself　in　one　of　the　rooms　of　the　seminary；　and　board　with　an　old　black　woman　who　cooked　for　James；　so　that　I　might　personally　push　forward　the　necessary　preparations。　　There　was　an　old　rail…fence　about　the　place；　and　a　large　pile　of　boards　in　front。　　I　immediately　engaged　four　carpenters；　and　set　them　at　work　to　make　out　of　these　boards　mess…tables；　benches；　black…boards；　etc。　　I　also　opened　a　correspondence　with　the　professors…elect；　and　with　all　parties　of　influence　in　the　State；　who　were　interested　in　our　work：　At　the　meeting　of　the　Board　of　Supervisors；　held　at　Alexandria；　August　2；　1859；　five　professors　had　been　elected：　1。　W。　T。　Sherman；　Superintendent；　and　Professor　of　Engineering；　etc。；　2。　　Anthony　Vallas；　Professor　of　Mathematics；　Philosophy；　etc。；　3。　Francis　W。　Smith；　Professor　of　Chemistry；　etc。；　4。　　David　F。　Boyd；　Professor　of　Languages；　English　and　Ancient；　5。　　E。　Berti　St。　Ange；　Professor　of　French　and　Modern　Languages。

These　constituted　the　Academic　Board；　while　the　general　supervision　remained　in　the　Board　of　Supervisors；　composed　of　the　Governor　of　the　State；　the　Superintendent　of　Public　Education；　and　twelve　members；　nominated　by　the　Governor；　and　confirmed　by　the　Senate。　The　institution　was　bound　to　educate　sixteen　beneficiary　students；　free　of　any　charge　for　tuition。　　These　had　only　to　pay　for　their　clothing　and　books；　while　all　others　had　to　pay　their　entire　expenses；　including　tuition。

Early　in　November；　Profs。　　Smith；　Yallas；　St。　Ange；　and　I；　met　a　committee　of　the　Board　of　Supervisors；　composed　of　T。　C。　Manning；　G。　Mason　Graham；　and　W。　W。　Whittington；　at　General　Graham's　house；　and　resolved　to　open　the　institution　to　pupils　on　the　1st　day　of　January；　1860。　　We　adopted　a　series　of　bylaws　for　the　government　of　the　institution；　which　was　styled　the　〃Louisiana　Seminary　of　Learning　and　Military　Academy。〃　　This　title　grew　out　of　the　original　grant；　by　the　Congress　of　the　United　States；　of　a　certain　township　of　public　land；　to　be　sold　by　the　State；　and　dedicated　to　the　use　of　a　〃seminary　of　learning。〃　　I　do　not　suppose　that　Congress　designed　thereby　to　fix　the　name　or　title；　but　the　subject　had　so　long　been　debated　in　Louisiana　that　the　name；　though　awkward；　had　become　familiar。　　We　appended　to　it　〃Military　Academy；〃　as　explanatory　of　its　general　design。

On　the　17th　of　November；　1859；　the　Governor　of　the　State；　Wickliffe；　issued　officially　a　general　circular；　prepared　by　us；　giving　public　notice　that　the　〃Seminary　of　Learning〃　would　open　on　the　1st　day　of　January；　1860；　containing　a　description　of　the　locality；　and　the　general　regulations　for　the　proposed　institution；　and　authorizing　parties　to　apply　for　further　information　to　the　〃Superintendent；〃　at　Alexandria；　Louisiana。

The　Legislature　had　appropriated　for　the　sixteen　beneficiaries　at

the　rate　of　two　hundred　and　eighty…three　dollars　per　annum；　to　which　we　added　sixty　dollars　as　tuition　for　pay　cadets；　and；　though　the　price　was　low；　we　undertook　to　manage　for　the　first　year　on　that　basis。

Promptly　to　the　day；　we　opened；　with　about　sixty　cadets　present。　Major　Smith　was　the　commandant　of　cadets；　and　I　the　superintendent。　I　had　been　to　New　Orleans；　where　I　had　bought　a　supply　of　mattresses；　books；　and　every　thing　requisite；　and　we　started　very　much　on　the　basis　of　West　Point　and　of　the　Virginia　Military　Institute；　but　without　uniforms　or　muskets；　yet　with　roll…calls；　sections；　and　recitations；　we　kept　as　near　the　standard　of　West　Point　as　possible。　　I　kept　all　the　money　accounts；　and　gave　general　directions　to　the　steward；　professors；　and　cadets。　　The　other　professors　had　their　regular　classes　and　recitations。　　We　all　lived　in　rooms　in　the　college　building；　except　Vallas；　who　had　a　family；　and　rented　a　house　near　by。　　A　Creole　gentleman；　B。　Jarrean；　Esq。；　had　been　elected　steward；　and　he　also　had　his　family　in　a　house　not　far　off。　　The　other　professors　had　a　mess　in　a　room　adjoining　the　mess…hall。　　A　few　more　cadets　joined　in　the　course　of　the　winter；　so　that　we　had　in　all；　during　the　first　term；　seventy…three　cadets；　of　whom　fifty…nine　passed　the　examination　on　the　30th　of　July；　1860。　　During　our　first　term　many　defects　in　the　original　act　of　the　Legislature　were　demonstrated；　and；　by　the　advice　of　the　Board　of　Supervisors；　I　went　down　to　Baton　Rouge　during　the　session　of　the　Legislature；　to　advocate　and　urge　the　passage　of　a　new　bill；　putting　the　institution　on　a　better　footing。　　Thomas　O。　Moors　was　then　Governor；　Bragg　was　a　member　of　the　Board　of　Public　Works；　and　Richard　Taylor　was　a　Senator。　　I　got　well　acquainted　with　all　of　these；　and　with　some　of　the　leading　men　of　the　State；　and　was　always　treated　with　the　greatest　courtesy　and　kindness。　　In　conjunction　with　the　proper　committee　of　the　Legislature；　we　prepared　a　new　bill；　which　was　passed　and　approved　on　the　7th　of　March；　1860；　by　which　we　were　to　have　a　beneficiary　cadet　for　each　parish；　in　all　fifty…six；　and　fifteen　thousand　dollars　annually　for　their　maintenance；　also　twenty　thousand　dollars　for　the　general　use　of　the　college。　　During　that　session　we　got　an　appropriation　of　fifteen　thousand　dollars　for　building　two　professors'　houses；　for　the　purchase　of　philosophical　and　chemical　apparatus；　and　for　the　beginning　of　a　college　library。　　The　seminary　was　made　a　State　Arsenal；　under　the　title　of　State　Central　Arsenal；　and　I　was　allowed　five　hundred　dollars　a　year　as　its　superintendent。　　These　matters　took　me　several　times　to　Baton　Rouge　that　winter；　and　I　recall　an　event　of　some　interest；　which　most　have　happened　in　February。　　At　that　time　my　brother；　John　Sherman；　was　a　candidate；　in　the　national　House　of　Representatives；　for　Speaker；　against　Bocock；　of　Virginia。　　In　the　South　he　was　regarded　as　an　〃abolitionist；〃　the　most　horrible　of　all　monsters；　and　many　people　of　Lonusana　looked　at　me　with　suspicion；　as　the　brother　of　the　abolitionist；　John　Sherman；　and　doubted　the　propriety　of　having　me　at　the　head　of　an　important　State　institution。　　By　this　time　I　was　pretty　well　acquainted　with　many　of　their　prominent　men；　was　generally　esteemed　by　all　in　authority；　and　by　the　people　of　Rapides　Parish　especially；　who　saw　that　I　was　devoted　to　my　particular　business；　and　that　I　gave　no　heed　to　the　political　excitement　of　the　day。　　But　the　members　of　the　State　Senate　and　House　did　not　know　me　so　well；　and　it　was　natural　that　they　should　be　suspicions　of　a　Northern　man；　and　the　brother　of　him　who　was　the　〃abolition〃　candidate　for　Speaker　of　the　House。

One　evening；　at　a　large　dinner…party　at　Governor　Moore's；　at　which　were　present　several　members　of　the　Louisiana　Legislature；　Taylor；　Bragg；　and　the　Attorney…General　Hyams；　after　the　ladies　had　left　the　table；　I　noticed　at　Governor　Moore's　end　quite　a　lively　discussion　going　on；　in　which　my　name　was　frequently　used；　at　length　the　Governor　called　to　me；　saying：　〃Colonel　Sherman；　you　can　readily　understand　that；　with　your　brother　the　abolitionist　candidate　for　Speaker；　some　of　our　people　wonder　that　you　should　be　here　at　the　head　of　an　important　State　institution。　　Now；　you　are　at　my　table；　and　I　assure　you　of　my　confidence。　　Won't　you　speak　your　mind　freely　on　this　question　of　slavery；　that　so　agitates　the　land？　You　are　under　my　roof；　and；　whatever　you　say；　you　have　my　protection。〃


I　answered：　〃Governor　Moors；　you　mistake　in　calling　my　brother；　John　Sherman；　an　abolitionist。　　We　have　been　separated　since　childhoodI　in　the　army；　and　he　pursuing　his　profession　of　law　in　Northern　Ohio；　and　it　is　possible　we　may　differ　in　general　sentiment；　but　I　deny　that　he　is　considered　at　home　an　abolitionist；　and；　although　he　prefers　the　free　institutions　under　which　he　lives　to　those　of　slavery　which　prevail　here；　he　would　not　of　himself　take　from　you　by　law　or　force　any　property　whatever；　even　slaves。〃

Then　said　Moore　：　〃Give　us　your　own　views　of　slavery　as　you　see　it　here　and　throughout　the　South。〃

I　answered　in　effect　that　〃the　people　of　Louisiana　were　hardly　responsible　for　slavery；　as　they　had　inherited　it；　that　I　found　two　distinct　conditions　of　slavery；　domestic　and　field　hands。　　The　domestic　slaves；　employed　by　the　families；　were　probably　better　treated　than　any　slaves　on　earth；　but　the　condition　of　the　field…hands　was　different；　depending　more　on　the　temper　and　disposition　of　their　masters　and　overseers　than　were　those　employed　about　the　house；〃　and　I　went　on　to　say　that；　〃were　I　a　citizen　of　Louisiana；　and　a　member　of　the　Legislature；　I　would　deem　it　wise　to　bring　the　legal　condition　of　the　slaves　more　near　the　status　of　human　beings　under　all　Christian　and　civilized　governments。　　In　the　first　place；　I　argued　that；　in　sales　of　slaves　made　by　the　State；　I　would　forbid　the　separation　of　families；　letting　the　father；　mother；　and　children；　be　sold　together　to　one　person；　instead　of　each　to　the　highest　bidder。　　And；　again；　I　would　advise　the　repeal　of　the　statute　which　enacted　a　severe　penalty　for　even　the　owner　to　teach　his　slave　to　read　and　write；　because　that　actually　qualified　property　and　took　away　a　part　of　its　value；　illustrating　the　assertion　by　the　case　of　Henry　Sampson；　who　had　been　the　slave　of　Colonel　Chambers；　of　Rapides　Parish；　who　had　gone　to　California　as　the　servant　of　an　officer　of　the　army；　and　who　was　afterward　employed　by　me　in　the　bank　at　San　Francisco。　　At　first　he　could　not　write　or　read；　and　I　could　only　afford　to　pay　him　one　hundred　dollars　a　month；　but　he　was　taught　to　read　and　write　by　Reilley；　our　bank…teller；　when　his　services　became　worth　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　a　month；　which　enabled　him　to　buy　his　own　freedom　and　that　of　his　brother　and　his　family。〃

What　I　said　was　listened　to　by　all　with　the　most　profound　attention；　and；　when　I　was　through；　some　one　（I　think　it　was　Mr。　Hyams）　struck　the　table　with　his　fist；　making　the　glasses　jingle；　and　said；　〃By　God；　he　is　right！〃　and　at　once　he　took　up　the　debate；　which　went　on；　for　an　hour　or　more；　on　both　sides　with　ability　and　fairness。