Another taste we had of military rule in time of peace grew out of the fact that the Episcopal Church edifice in this town was set on fire in the night time by United States soldiers and destroyed. . . After the burning of the church it was ascertained that a number of articles stolen from it were in the possession of certain soldiers of a regiment stationed here. The fact was communicated to the colonel commanding the regiment, and he was requested to cause the soldiers to be arrested and the facts inquired into. This request was declined by the colonel, for the reason . . that the men were dangerous, and might, if arrested, commit other offenses. While the regiment to which these men belonged was stationed here, it was reported that they threatened, when they left here, to burn the town. To avoid this, a colonel from another regiment came here, took command of it, placed sentinels around the quarters, and marched the men off without their knowledge that they were taking final leave. . . About the same time, the town of Greensborough, in the adjoining county, was fired in several places by United States soldiers with the avowed purpose of destroying the place.

.

Another specimen of military government occurred in the arrest and robbery of an old gentleman in this neighborhood, Mr. Hatch, who is over seventy years of age. In passing on a public street in this town, I saw a soldier stop Mr. Hatch.. I enquired of the soldier what charge existed against Mr. Hatch. He said he was not bound to tell me. I asked him to show me his authority to make the arrest. He declined to do this, but said that he was ordered to carry Mr. Hatch to Selma, some fifty miles distant. I called at once at the office of Colonel Bowyer, who commanded here, informed him of the occurrence, and asked him to have the soldier and Mr. Hatch brought before him. The soldier stated to the colonel he proposed carrying Mr. Hatch to Selma that day. Mr. Hatch offered to give security for his appearance in Selma next day, as he wished to return home to see his family, some of whom were sick, before going to Selma. The colonel advised the soldier to accede to this, which he did, and upon Mr.

Hatch's arrival in Selma in the evening he was arrested by a guard of soldiers, who proposed to march him off to a dirty guard-house. He was told he could deposit $500 for his appearance next morning. He made the deposit, took a receipt for the same, and appeared next morning. He could hear of no charge against him, was told he might go home, and that to return his $500 required the order of the commanding general, who was absent. . . From that day to this Mr. Hatch has never received his $500.

Completion of Military Reconstruction

War Department Archives, G. O. no. 100, 3d Military District. In each state the officials elected under the Reconstruction acts were appointed in place of the provisional officials and after complying with the conditions of Congress their tenure was declared permanent and the army withdrew. [July 9, 1868]

Whereas, by virtue of the Act of Congress, which became a law June 25, 1868, and of the proclamation of the Governorelect of the State of Alabama, issued in conformity therewith, the two Houses of the Legislature are directed to assemble at Montgomery on the 13th instant; and

Whereas, in view of the fact that until the State of Alabama has complied with the requirements of the acts of Congress entitling it to representation, all governmental officers in said State are provisional and subject to the direct authority of the district commander; and

Whereas, The usual [method?] of organizing legislative bodies is in this instance impracticable:

༨་

It is ordered-- 1. That the Hon. William H. Smith, Provisional Governor of the State of Alabama, proceed at 12 M., on the 13th instant, to effect such preliminary organization of both Houses of the Legislature as will enable the same to enter upon the discharge of the duties assigned them by law. 2. That before each House shall be considered legally organized, the Provisional Governor will require that, in conformity with the reconstruction acts and act which became a law June 25, 1868, each House, before proceeding to any business beyond organization, shall take measures to purge itself of all mem

bers who may be disqualified from holding office under the provisions of Section 3, of the amendment to the Constitution known as Article 14.

Military Districts Discontinued

Later

Annual Cyclopedia, 1868, p. 272. A War Department order. when Georgia was expelled, the Third Military District was revived. The First, Third, Fourth, and Fifth, were finally discontinued in 1870 after the readmission of the remaining states. [1868] THE commanding generals in the Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Military Districts, having officially reported that Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida have complied with the reconstruction acts, including the act of June 25, 1868, and that consequently so much of the act of March 2, 1867, and all acts supplementary thereto, providing for military districts, subject to the military authority of the United States, as therein provided, have become incorporated in said States, and commanding generals have ceased exercising military powers conferred by said acts; therefore, the following changes will be made in the organization and commands of military districts and geographical depart

ments:

First. The Second and Third military districts having ceased to exist, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, will constitute the Department of the South, General Meade to command with headquarters at Atlanta, Georgia.

IN THE "BLACK AND TAN" CONVENTIONS

The Need for Carpetbaggers

Proceedings of Constitutional Convention of South Carolina, pp. 550, 553, 613. Extracts from speeches made in South Carolina convention by D. H. Chamberlain of Massachusetts, later governor of the state, and Robert De Large, negro. There had been an attempt by the "scalawags" to fix a term of residence as a prerequisite to holding office. This would shut out the "Carpetbaggers."

[1868]

[D. H. Chamberlain]. . . There are reasons why men who have not been identified to South Carolina in the past, who have formed their opinions in a different atmosphere, should not only have an equal chance, but be preferred for the most important offices in the gift of the people of the State. . . There may be cases where a man who does not know but little of the State, but who has none of the prejudices against color or race, which is almost universal with the natives of the soil, . it is an advantage in a candidate that he should not have been born and bred on the soil of South Carolina. . . It is rather to his advantage that he was born where he could not have imbibed the prejudices of South Carolina. . is it not better for us, in the first place, to select for the position of Governor of South Carolina a man who is familiar with the ways of freedom by birth and education . . and, second, . . not to narrow our choice and exclude those familiar with the ways of freedom from having a share in the offices of the State. . .

[Robert De Large]. It is showing. . ingratitude. . to a class of men to whom we are indebted for the privileges we are enjoying as members of this Convention, and to whom we must still continue to look for support. To be a good Governor, there is no doubt that a man should thoroughly understand the people of the State, but he need not possess more than ordinary intelligence to acquire the desired knowledge in a residence of two years. There is a class of men able and brilliant in South Carolina, who have not learned the people of the State, yet they plunged that State in rebellion, and it would take until the judgment day for them to learn the people that we represent. They are a class whom his Satanic majesty

449

has learned, and they cannot be learned by any other influence. But any man in this State who has been here since the war, especially if a Northern man . . is, in my judgment, sufficiently familiar with the condition of affairs to qualify him, in that respect at least, for the office of Governor. There are some who have travelled the State very extensively, especially those who belonged to Sherman's army, and they possess a degree of familiarity with the people superior to any others.

Correcting the Vocabulary of South Carolina

Proceedings of Constitutional Convention of South Carolina. Resolutions introduced by T. J. Coghlan and adopted by the convention.

[1868]

Resolved, That this Convention take such action as it may in its wisdom deem compatible with its powers, and conducive to the public weal, to expunge forever from the vocabulary of South Carolina, the epithets "negro," "nigger," and "Yan

kee."

Resolved, That the exigencies and approved civilization of the times demand that this Convention, or the Legislative body created by it, enact such laws as will make it a penal offence to use the above epithets in the manner described against an American citizen of this State, and to punish the insult by fine or imprisonment.

Lands for the Freedmen

Proceedings of Constitutional Convention of South Carolina, pp. 116, 379, 426. Speeches of F. L. Cardozo, negro; R. H. Cain, white; C. P. Leslie, white. As long as the convention was in session the question of free lands for the negroes kept coming up. [1868] [F. L. Cardozo]. One of the greatest of slavery bulwarks was the infernal plantation system, one man owning his thousand, another his twenty, another fifty thousand acres of land. This is the only way by which we will break up that system, and I maintain that our freedom will be of no effect if we allow it to continue. What is the main cause of the prosperity of the North. It is because every man has his own farm and is free and independent. Let the lands of the South be sim