694 



LOUISIANA. 



control, and the experience of the last election shows 

 that only such a Convention can be had as the over- 

 shadowing influence of the military authority will per- 

 mit. Under an election thus ordered, and a Constitu- 

 tion thus established, a republican form of govern- 

 ment cannot be formed. It is simply a fraud to call it 

 the recstublishment of a State Government. In these 

 circumstances, the only course left to the truly loyal 

 citizens of Louisiana is, to protest against the recog- 

 nition of this pretended Government, and to appeal to 

 the calm judgment of the nation to procure such ac- 

 tion from Congress as will forbid military commanders 

 to usurp the powers which belong to Congress alone, 

 or to the loyal people of Louisiana. 



The further details of this subject belong to 

 the record of 1864. (See CONGRESS, U. S., for 

 the admission of members from Louisiana.) 



Outside of the lines of the Union army and 

 its posts, the enemy had a general control of 

 the State during the year, and the Confederate 

 Government was recognized. At th^ usual 

 time in November, it was reported that an 

 election for State officers was held, at which 

 Henry W. Allen was chosen Governor without 

 opposition, and B. W. Pearce Lieut-Governor. 

 The representatives to the Congress at Kich- 

 inond were also elected by a general ticket, 

 and not by districts. 



The Emancipation Proclamation of President 

 Lincoln was declared by him not to extend in 

 its operation to the parishes of St. Bernard, 

 Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, 

 St. James, Ascension, Assumption, Terre Bonne, 

 Lafourche, Ste. Marie, St. Martin, and New 

 Orleans, including the city of New Orleans. 

 The slaves held in these parishes did not be- 

 come freedmen when the Union army occupied 

 that portion of the State. Only one point of 

 difference marked their position thus far dur- 

 ing the war as compared with it during the 

 twenty previous years. An act of Congress 

 forbade the forcible return of the slave to his 

 master by any military force of the United 

 States. This was the only change in the for- 

 tunes of the slaves. As these excepted parish- 

 es were held by a Federal military force, it fol- 

 lowed that the slaves were at liberty to go whith- 

 ersoever they pleased outside of the plantations. 

 Consequently thousands, and tens of thousands 

 of them became hangers on to the camps, and 

 filled New Orleans with a pauper population. 

 The welfare of whites and blacks soon required 

 some decisive steps for the amelioration of 

 the evil. On the plantations many of the own- 

 ers remained. They, under the advice, and 

 with the cooperation of Gen. Banks, endeav- 

 ored to come to terms with the negroes as to 

 their future relations with each other. Each 



Elanter made such terms with the employed as 

 e found convenient or possible. Rules were 

 also adopted on some plantations relative to 

 the labor. These rules provided that the ne- 

 groes should labor the usual number of hours, 

 and receive about their usual supply of food ; 

 but beside this they were to have wages aver- 

 aging from three to ten dollars a month one 

 half of it at the end of each month, the bal- 

 ance at the end of the year. Various punish- 



ments were prescribed for bad conduct, and 

 rewards for good conduct, such as would ap- 

 peal, it was hoped, to the sensibilities, in- 

 stincts, and interests of the negro. The pun- 

 ishments and fines prescribed under this system 

 of free labor were as follows : 



The punishments on the place will be: First, fines; 

 second, the stocks; and lastly, expulsion from the 

 place. 



The penalty for the first offence will be a fine of one 

 dollar; second, three dollars; third, five dollars ; and 

 fourth, expulsion. 



No hand will leave the place without written license. 



If a hand leave the place, or is expelled, his back 

 wages will be forfeited to the hospital funds, out of 

 which the physician and medicines must be paid. 



Each hand will be responsible for the loss or careless 

 damage of tools, stock, or any other property. 



Stealing will be punished by a fine of twice the 

 value of the property stolen, one half to go to the hos- 

 pital fund. 



By this method large numbers were induced 

 to return to the plantations. The wages which 

 they received were low, because the able-bodied 

 were generally taken into the army, and be- 

 cause the crop generally raised being sugar, it 

 was more uncertain than cotton. At the close 

 of the year, the system of labor adopted was 

 declared to be a " decided success." A large 

 number of the negroes were enlisted, forming 

 a corps d'Afrique, and many were also employ- 

 ed by the Government on plantations worked 

 by its orders. 



A more complete view of the system of labor 

 adopted by Gen. Banks will be obtained from 

 the rules prescribed for its regulation during 

 the year 1864, with the experience and results 

 of the year 1863 before him. The following 

 were the rules prescribed : 



General Orders, No. 23. 

 HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OFTHB GCU, J 

 NEW OBLEANS, February 8rf, 1864. f 



The following general regulations are published for 

 the information and government of all interested in 

 the subject of compensated plantation labor, public or 

 private, during the present year, and in continuation 

 of the system established January 30th, 1863: 



I. The enlistment of soldiers from plantations under 

 cultivation in this Department, having been suspended 

 by order of the Government, will not be resumed ex- 

 cept upon direction of the same high authority. 



II. The Provost Marshal General is instructed to 

 provide for the division of parishes into police and 

 school districts, and to organize from invalid soldier.}, 

 a competent police for the preservation of order. 



III. Provisions will be made for the establishment 

 of a sufficient number of schools, one at least for each 

 of the police and school districts, for the instruction cf 

 colored children under twelve years of age, which, 

 when established, will be placed under the direction 

 of the Superintendent of Public Education. 



IV. Soldiers will not be allowed to visit plantations 

 without the written consent of the commanding officer 

 of the regiment or post to which they are attached, 

 and never with arms, except when on duty, accom- 

 panied by an officer. 



V. Plantation hands will not be allowed to pass froin 

 one place to another, except under such regulation s 

 as may be established by the provost marshal of tl e 

 parish. 



VI. Flogging and other cruel or unusual punish- 

 ments are interdicted. 



VII. Planters will be required, as early as practicn- 

 ble after the publication of these regulations, to make 



