Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/322

306 functions. Governor Throckmorton, of Texas, and the governor of Alabama were also removed.

The judiciaries were subjected to the rule of the sword. All judges held their places by sufferance. Even superior court judges were summarily ousted from the bench. The same was true of county officers, and mayors and aldermen of cities. Citizens were arrested, and the only authority given was that of the soldiers who made the arrests. Then citizens were confined at Fort Pulaski and other most convenient fortresses, generally under false and malicious charges urged by irresponsible parties. Two thousand Federal arrests were made in Louisiana, mostly during the Republican rule of eight years. When the people of a State evinced a disposition not to comply with the severe conditions given, a new act of Congress was passed, as in the case of Georgia, December 22, 1869: "An act to promote the reconstruction of Georgia," imposing still more stringent conditions.

The Alabama constitution was submitted according to the reconstruction law to the registered voters, which required a majority of registered votes should be cast. At the election it was defeated, because it lacked the support of this majority. The conservatives registered, but did not vote and thus caused the defeat of the constitution. General Meade, commanding the district, reported, "The registered voters do not desire to be restored under the Constitution." He reported that the Constitution failed of ratification by 8, 114 votes, yet Congress took the matter entirely in its control. It lumped Alabama and its odious constitution in the general bill admitting the other States, and thus made a constitution which the people had refused to ratify. The same thing was done in the case of Arkansas.

A correct idea may be had of the officeholders of Alabama from the State ticket put out by Republicans for election in February, 1868, including the following members of the Freedmen's bureau: Applegate, of