第 32 节
作者:飘雪的季节      更新:2021-02-17 23:32      字数:9322
  many spectators on the street; and their manner and tone toward the
  procession unfriendly。  A shot was fired; by whom I am not able to
  state; but believe it to have been by a policeman; or some colored
  man in the procession。  This led to other shots and a rush after the
  procession。  On arrival at the front of the Institute there was some
  throwing of brickbats by both sides。  The police; who had been held
  well in hand; were vigorously marched to the scene of disorder。  The
  procession entered the Institute with the flag; about six (6) or
  eight (8) remaining outside。  A row occurred between a policeman and
  one of these colored men; and a shot was again fired by one of the
  parties; which led to an indiscriminate fire on the building through
  the windows by the policemen。  This had been going on for a short
  time; when a white flag was displayed from the windows of the
  Institute; whereupon the firing ceased; and the police rushed into
  the building。
  〃From the testimony of wounded men; and others who were inside the
  building; the policemen opened an indiscriminate fire upon the
  audience until they had emptied their revolvers; when they retired;
  and those inside barricaded the doors。  The door was broken in; and
  the firing again commenced; when many of the colored and white people
  either escaped throughout the door or were passed out by the
  policemen inside; but as they came out the policemen who formed the
  circle nearest the building fired upon them; and they were again
  fired upon by the citizens that formed the outer circle。  Many of
  those wounded and taken prisoners; and others who were prisoners and
  not wounded; were fired upon by their captors and by citizens。  The
  wounded were stabbed while lying on the grgund; and their heads
  beaten with brickbats。  In the yard of the building; whither some of
  the colored men had escaped and partially secreted themselves; they
  were fired upon and killed or wounded by policemen。  Some were killed
  and wounded several squares from the scene。  Members of the
  convention were wounded by the police while in their hands as
  prisoners; some of them mortally。
  〃The immediate cause of this terrible affair was the assemblage of
  this Convention; the remote cause was the bitter and antagonistic
  feeling which has been growing in this community since the advent of
  the present Mayor; who; in the organization of his police force;
  selected many desperate men; and some of them known murderers。
  People of clear views were overawed by want of confidence in the
  Mayor; and fear of the thugs; many of which he had selected for his
  police force。  I have frequently been spoken to by prominent citizens
  on this subject; and have heard them express fear; and want of
  confidence in Mayor Monroe。  Ever since the intimation of this last
  convention movement I must condemn the course of several of the city
  papers for supporting; by their articles; the bitter feeling of bad
  men。  As to the merciless manner in which the convention was broken
  up; I feel obliged to confess strong repugnance。
  〃It is useless to disguise the hostility that exists on the part of a
  great many here toward Northern men; and this unfortunate affair has
  so precipitated matters that there is now a test of what shall be the
  status of Northern menwhether they can live here without being in
  constant dread or not; whether they can be protected in life and
  property; and have justice in the courts。  If this matter is
  permitted to pass over without a thorough and determined prosecution
  of those engaged in it; we may look out for frequent scenes of the
  same kind; not only here; but in other places。  No steps have as yet
  been taken by the civil authorities to arrest citizens who were
  engaged in this massacre; or policemen who perpetrated such
  cruelties。  The members of the convention have been indicted by the
  grand jury; and many of them arrested and held to bail。  As to
  whether the civil authorities can mete out ample justice to the
  guilty parties on both sides; I must say it is my opinion;
  unequivocally; that they cannot。  Judge Abell; whose course I have
  closely watched for nearly a year; I now consider one of the most
  dangerous men that we have here to the peace and quiet of the city。
  The leading men of the conventionKing; Cutler; Hahn; and others
  have been political agitators; and are bad men。  I regret to say that
  the course of Governor Wells has been vacillating; and that during
  the late trouble he has shown very little of the man。
  〃P。 H。 SHERIDAN;
  〃Major…General Commanding。〃
  Subsequently a military commission investigated the subject of the
  riot; taking a great deal of testimony。  The commission substantially
  confirmed the conclusions given in my despatches; and still later
  there was an investigation by a select committee of the House of
  Representatives; of which the Honorables Samuel Shellabarger; of
  Ohio; H。 L。 Elliot; of Massachusetts; and B。 M。 Boyer; of
  Pennsylvania; were the members。  The majority report of the committee
  also corroborated; in all essentials; my reports of the distressing
  occurrence。  The committee likewise called attention to a violent
  speech made by Mr。 Johnson at St。 Louis in September; 1866; charging
  the origin of the riot to Congress; and went on to say of the speech
  that 〃it was an unwarranted and unjust expression of hostile feeling;
  without pretext or foundation in fact。〃  A list of the killed and
  wounded was embraced in the committee's report; and among other
  conclusions reached were the following: 〃That the meeting of July 30
  was a meeting of quiet citizens; who came together without arms and
  with intent peaceably to discuss questions of public concern。。。。
  There has been no occasion during our National history when a riot
  has occurred so destitute of justifiable cause; resulting in a
  massacre so inhuman and fiend…like; as that which took place at New
  Orleans on the 30th of July last。  This riotous attack upon the
  convention; with its terrible results of massacre and murder; was not
  an accident。  It was the determined purpose of the mayor of the city
  of New Orleans to break up this convention by armed force。〃
  The statement is also made; that; 〃He 'the President' knew that
  'rebels' and 'thugs' and disloyal men had controlled the election of
  Mayor Monroe; and that such men composed chiefly his police force。〃
  The committee held that no legal government existed in Louisiana; and
  recommended the temporary establishment of a provisional government
  therein; the report concluding that 〃in the meantime the safety of
  all Union men within the State demands that such government be formed
  for their protection; for the well being of the nation and the
  permanent peace of the Republic。〃
  The New Orleans riot agitated the whole country; and the official and
  other reports served to intensify and concentrate the opposition to
  President Johnson's policy of reconstruction; a policy resting
  exclusively on and inspired solely by the executive authorityfor it
  was made plain; by his language and his acts; that he was seeking to
  rehabilitate the seceded States under conditions differing not a whit
  from those existing before the rebellion; that is to say; without the
  slightest constitutional provision regarding the status of the
  emancipated slaves; and with no assurances of protection for men who
  had remained loyal in the war。
  In December; 1866; Congress took hold of the subject with such vigor
  as to promise relief from all these perplexing disorders; and; after
  much investigation and a great deal of debate; there resulted the so…
  called 〃Reconstruction Laws;〃 which; for a clear understanding of the
  powers conferred on the military commanders; I deem best to append in
  full:
  AN ACT to provide for the more efficient government of the rebel
  States。
  WHEREAS; no legal State governments or adequate protection for life
  or property now exist in the rebel States of Virginia; North
  Carolina; South Carolina; Georgia; Mississippi; Alabama; Louisiana;
  Florida; Texas; and Arkansas; and whereas; it is necessary that peace
  and good order should be enforced in said States until loyal and
  republican State governments can be legally established; therefore;
  BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
  United States of America in Congress assembled; That said rebel
  States shall be divided into military districts and made subject to
  the military authority of the United States as hereinafter
  prescribed; and for that purpose Virginia shall constitute the first
  district; North Carolina and South Carolina; the second district;
  Georgia; Alabama; and Florida; the third district; Mississippi and
  Arkansas; the fourth district; and Louisiana and Texas; the fifth
  district。
  SEC。 2。  And be it further enacted; That it shall be the duty of the
  President to assign to the command of each of said districts an
  officer of the army