Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-01
Report of Major General Meade.
RECoNsTEUCTIONI In GRofGIA, ALABAMA AN


FLORIDA.
The report OF NJ .ior Geleral Mesde, COM
mandipg the Department Of the SouIh, has
been submitted 10 the :" creiacy of Wa Gea
eral Meade was assigned to the Third Military
District III January, 4 IS, consisting OF Georges
Alabam' ard IIor.sa. He refers TO the fioeu-
ciai d fficui,y in the Georgia 'oa vention. Toe
he cuteiyored 40 settle by requ-sting tue Gov.
ernOr to dlIw q warrant Tor lle reqn red IundS
but tbd offciai declined stiting ia Il he did not
acknowledge GnI would not De bound by tle
reconstruction acts Ot tJnEr-sS. Whit he
dee ped uncon sttutional. TheIenpon Cover.
GOr Jenkins Was removed, and Brcvet Briga-
dIer q eueTdl Til. Reiger assigned TO duty. pe
administration of General Re,ser and his asso-
cia,es, conunuiCg until the state was admit.
tea to representation, was satisfactory TO the
people OF ali pIrtieS in tue - Ate
imn.cd di uely ou taking command. General
Meade wa applied 10 from all th" different
States Ia his district for the removal OF ia UNI
benIs IA office and the substitution therein %
IndlNidualS nominated, such applications
beng based on purely peTsonal and political
grounds, or necessity OF Carrying raconStruc-
noD, or maltelsance IN oiIice. No acuOn was
taken IN such cases, unless opea refusal to
obey reconstruction laws, neglect or malteas-
ance was proven. and In DO clse was action
taken without sufficient evidence secured by
thorough Investigation. The failure to find d
suGicient number OF persons who could lake
the test oath to fiji civil offices was another
great difficulty. IL regard TO the election held
IN Aianama, AZ whic6 The constitution was to
be TatIfied or rejected General Meade SAWS
that from all the esIdei. CO he conid procure, the
constitution was fairy rejected ~ the people.
After referring 10 The circumstances attend =
ing the framing of the FLORIDA ana Georgia
State Cons titutions, which were ratified ~ the
people and adopted by Congress, ten. .Tta,Ie
proceed TO defend his action against the
charges brought against his administration by
the Governor of Georgia, wno ascribet the
ialiure OF Georgia to De properly reconstructed
TO MS ieneral Meade's) failure to purge the
Legislature OF political opponents OF his ad-
mlnistratlon as Governor. General Meade
says ae DECIDED that be could not take tne in-
dlvlduai judgment of the Governor III the face
OF solemn act OF parliamentary body, nor
mad he authority, por Was 1t polite or eXpe-
oient, 10 overuIe the ton of the Leg gislatura.
In this opinion General Meade action was
approved by General Grant in telegram
daicd July y.
In regard 10 the acton taken by him in the
prosecution OF The murderers Of Hon. G. W.
AShfurn, General Meade saws tina, the arbi-
uory measures re sorted 10, which IN a differ
ent condition of society and uuder a well or
oered government seem TO deserve reprob itio /,
Were lmperauNeiy urged upon him proven
by the eNideuce published IN the special repsrt
OF III. aHair.
OF the Camilla affair Gen. Meade says the
eyIderce would seem 10 show that the authors
u the outrages were civil officers, who, under
the gUI~e of enforcing the laws and suppres sin z
disorder, had permitted a wauton sIcrIIice OF
HE and blood. AT the same time the opposite
pJriieS-tOr the affair was political ons-had
by theIr want of judgment and their lus stance
OIL abstract rights. in the face of the vemon-
sranc.s of the law officers, gives these officers
the opportunity OF acting as they old. Upon
an nvt tstgatioD of the affair, General Made
concluded thaJ the affair dId pot demand mill
taTy action, but should be lett to tie civil au-
thoriIes.
In conclusion General Meade says II AXE
this occasion 10 LII the attention. "a the Con-
mandtr-m Cnief, and through hin mo hay-
rug the power t. act 10 the anomalous condi-
uon OF affairs existing in this dppartme IT, and
The necessity, II 1t Is deemed proper for the
military 10 intcryeL &c IN civil affair, that
NOR" power Dp gwen 10 thr dep.u ,-nrut coLl-
mandsr tAau e, SING laws confer"