the sequel of appomattox-第24章

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　command　everywhere　used　their　influence　to　secure　moderate　action　by　the　conventions；　and　for　this　they　were　showered　with　abuse。

As　provided　by　the　reconstruction　acts；　the　new　constitutions　were　submitted　to　the　electorate　created　by　those　instruments。　Unless　a　majority　of　the　registered　voters　in　a　State　should　take　part　in　the　election；　the　reconstruction　would　fail　and　the　State　would　remain　under　military　rule。　The　whites　now　inaugurated　a　more　systematic　policy　of　abstention　and　in　Alabama；　on　February　4；　1868；　succeeded　in　holding　the　total　vote　below　a　majority。　Congress　then　rushed　to　the　rescue　of　radicalism　with　the　act　of　the　11th　of　March；　which　provided　that　a　mere　majority　of　those　voting　in　the　State　was　sufficient　to　inaugurate　reconstruction。　Arkansas　had　followed　the　lead　of　Alabama；　but　too　late；　in　Mississippi　the　constitution　was　defeated　by　a　majority　vote；　in　Texas　the　convention　had　made　no　provision　for　a　vote；　and　in　Virginia　the　commanding　general；　disapproving　of　the　work　of　the　convention；　refused　to　pay　the　expenses　of　an　election。　In　the　other　six　States　the　constitutions　were　adopted。*

*　Except　in　Texas；　the　work　of　constitution　making　was　completed　between　November　5；　1867；　and　May　18；　1868。

These　elections　gave　rise　to　more　violent　contests　than　before。　They　also　were　double　elections；　as　the　voters　cast　ballots　for　state　and　local　officials　and　at　the　same　time　for　or　against　the　constitution。　The　radical　nominations　were　made　by　the　Union　League　and　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　and　nearly　all　radicals　who　had　been　members　of　conventions　were　nominated　and　elected　to　office。　The　Negroes；　expecting　now　to　reap　some　benefits　of　reconstruction；　frequently　brought　sacks　to　the　polls　to　〃put　the　franchise　in。〃　The　elections　were　all　over　by　June　1868；　and　the　newly　elected　legislatures　promptly　ratified　the　Fourteenth　Amendment。

It　now　remained　for　Congress　to　approve　the　work　done　in　the　South　and　to　readmit　the　reorganized　states。　The　case　of　Alabama　gave　some　trouble。　Even　Stevens；　for　a　time；　thought　that　this　state　should　stay　out；　but　there　was　danger　in　delay。　The　success　of　the　abstention　policy　in　Alabama　and　Arkansas　and　the　reviving　interest　of　the　whites　foreshadowed　white　majorities　in　some　places；　the　scalawags　began　to　forsake　the　radical　party　for　the　conservatives；　and　there　were　Democratic　gains　in　the　North　in　1867。　Only　six　states；　New　York　and　five　New　England　States；　allowed　the　Negro　to　vote；　while　four　states；　Minnesota；　Michigan；　Kansas；　and　Ohio；　voted　down　Negro　suffrage　after　the　passage　of　the　reconstruction　acts。　The　ascendancy　of　the　radicals　in　Congress　was　menaced。　The　radicals　needed　the　support　of　their　radical　brethren　in　Southern　States　and　they　could　not　afford　to　wait　for　the　Fourteenth　Amendment　to　become　a　part　of　the　Constitution　or　to　tolerate　other　delay。　On　the　22d　and　the　25th　of　June；　acts　were　therefore　passed　admitting　seven　states；　Alabama　included；　to　representation　in　Congress　upon　the　〃fundamental　condition〃　that　〃the　constitutions　of　neither　of　said　States　shall　ever　be　so　amended　or　changed　as　to　deprive　any　citizens　or　class　of　citizens　of　the　United　States　of　the　right　to　vote　in　said　State；　who　are　entitled　to　vote　by　the　constitution　thereof　herein　recognized。〃

The　generals　now　turned　over　the　government　to　the　recently　elected　radical　officials　and　retired　into　the　background。　Military　reconstruction　was　thus　accomplished　in　all　the　States　except　Virginia；　Mississippi；　and　Texas。



CHAPTER　VII。　THE　TRIAL　OF　PRESIDENT　JOHNSON

While　the　radical　program　was　being　executed　in　the　South；　Congress　was　engaged　not　only　in　supervising　reconstruction　but　in　subduing　the　Supreme　Court　and　in　〃conquering〃　President　Johnson。　One　must　admire　the　efficiency　of　the　radical　machine。　When　the　Southerners　showed　that　they　preferred　military　rule　as　permitted　by　the　Act　of　the　2nd　of　March；　Congress　passed　the　Act　of　the　23d　of　March　which　forced　the　reconstruction。　When　the　President　ventured　to　assert　his　power　in　behalf　of　a　considerate　administration　of　the　reconstruction　acts；　Congress　took　the　power　out　of　his　hands　by　the　law　of　the　19th　of　July。　The　Southern　plan　to　defeat　the　new　state　constitutions　by　abstention　was　no　sooner　made　clear　in　the　case　of　Alabama　than　Congress　came　to　the　rescue　with　the　Act　of　March　11；　1868。

Had　it　seemed　necessary；　Congress　would　have　handled　the　Supreme　Court　as　it　did　the　Southerners。　The　opponents　of　radical　reconstruction　were　anxious　to　get　the　reconstruction　laws　of　March　1867；　before　the　Court。　Chief　Justice　Chase　was　known　to　be　opposed　to　military　reconstruction；　and　four　other　justices　were；　it　was　believed；　doubtful　of　the　constitutionality　of　the　laws。　A　series　of　conservative　decisions　gave　hope　to　those　who　looked　to　the　Court　for　relief。　The　first　decision；　in　the　case　of　ex　parte　Milligan；　declared　unconstitutional　the　trials　of　civilians　by　military　commissions　when　civil　courts　were　open。　A　few　months　later；　in　the　cases　of　Cummings　vs。　Missouri　and　ex　parte　Garland；　the　Court　declared　invalid；　because　ex　post　facto；　the　state　laws　designed　to　punish　former　Confederates。

But　the　first　attempts　to　get　the　reconstruction　acts　before　the　Supreme　Court　failed。　The　State　of　Mississippi；　in　April　1867；　brought　suit　to　restrain　the　President　from　executing　the　reconstruction　acts。　The　Court　refused　to　interfere　with　the　executive。　A　similar　suit　was　then　brought　against　Secretary　Stanton　by　Georgia　with　a　like　result。　But　in　1868；　in　the　case　of　ex　parte　McCardle；　it　appeared　that　the　question　of　the　constitutionality　of　the　reconstruction　acts　would　be　passed　upon。　McCardle；　a　Mississippi　editor　arrested　for　opposition　to　reconstruction　and　convicted　by　military　commission；　appealed　to　the　Supreme　Court；　which　asserted　its　jurisdiction。　But　the　radicals　in　alarm　rushed　through　Congress　an　act　（March　27；　1868）　which　took　away　from　the　Court　its　jurisdiction　in　cases　arising　under　the　reconstruction　acts。　The　highest　court　was　thus　silenced。

The　attempt　to　remove　the　President　from　office　was　the　only　part　of　the　radical　program　that　failed；　and　this　by　the　narrowest　of　margins。　During　the　spring　and　summer　of　1866；　there　was　some　talk　among　politicians　of　impeaching　President　Johnson；　and　in　December　a　resolution　was　introduced　by　Representative　Ashley　of　Ohio　looking　toward　impeachment。　Though　the　committee　charged　with　the　investigation　of　〃the　official　conduct　of　Andrew　Johnson〃　reported　that　enough　testimony　had　been　taken　to　justify　further　inquiry；　the　House　took　no　action。　There　were　no　less　than　five　attempts　at　impeachment　during　the　next　year。　Stevens；　Butler；　and　others　were　anxious　to　get　the　President　out　of　the　way；　but　the　majority　were　as　yet　unwilling　to　impeach　for　merely　political　reasons。　There　were　some　who　thought　that　the　radicals　had　sufficient　majorities　to　ensure　all　needed　legislation　and　did　not　relish　the　thought　of　Ben　Wade　in　the　presidency。*　Others　considered　that　no　just　grounds　for　action　had　been　found　in　the　several　investigations　of　Johnson's　record。　Besides；　the　President's　authority　and　influence　had　been　much　curtailed　by　the　legislation　relating　to　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　tenure　of　office；　reconstruction；　and　command　of　the　army；　and　Congress　had　also　refused　to　recognize　his　amnesty　and　pardoning　powers。

*　Senator　Wade　of　Ohio　was　President　pro　tempore　of　the　Senate　and　by　the　act　of　1791　would　succeed　President　Johnson　if　he　were　removed　from　office。

But　the　desire　to　impeach　the　President　was　increasing　in　power；　and　very　little　was　needed　to　provoke　a　trial　of　strength　between　the　radicals　and　the　President。　The　drift　toward　impeachment　was　due　in　part　to　the　legislative　reaction　against　the　executive；　and　in　part　to　Johnson's　own　opposition　to　reconstruction　and　to　his　use　of　the　patronage　against　the　radicals。　Specific　grievances　were　found　in　his　vetoes　of　the　various　reconstruction　bills；　in　his　criticisms　of　Congress　and　the　radical　leaders；　and　in　the　fact；　as　Stevens　asserted；　that　he　was　a　〃radical　renegade。〃　Johnson　was　a　Southern　man；　an　old…line　State　Rights　Democrat；　somewhat　anti…Negro　in　feeling。　He　knew　no　book　except　t