the sequel of appomattox-第43章

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leasantest　side　of　Southern　life　came　to　an　end。　During　the　war　and　the　consequent　reconstruction　there　was　a　marked　change　in　Southern　temperament　toward　the　severe。　Hospitality　declined；　the　old　Southern　life　had　never　been　on　a　business　basis；　but　the　new　Southern　life　now　adjusted　itself　to　a　stricter　economy；　the　old　individuality　was　partially　lost；　but　class　distinctions　were　less　obvious　in　a　more　homogeneous　society。　The　material　evils　of　reconstruction　may　be　only　temporary；　state　debts　may　be　paid　and　wasted　resources　renewed；　but　the　moral　and　intellectual　results　of　the　revolution　will　be　the　more　permanent。



CHAPTER　XIII。　RESTORATION　OF　HOME　RULE

The　radical　program　of　reconstruction　ended　after　ten　years　in　failure　rather　because　of　a　change　in　public　opinion　in　the　North　than　because　of　the　resistance　of　the　Southern　whites。　The　North　of　1877；　indeed；　was　not　the　North　of　1867。　A　more　tolerant　attitude　toward　the　South　developed　as　the　North　passed　through　its　own　period　of　misgovernment　when　all　the　large　cities　were　subject　to　〃ring　rule〃　and　corruption；　as　in　New　York　under　〃Boss〃　Tweed　and　in　the　District　of　Columbia　under　〃Boss〃　Shepherd。　The　Federal　civil　service　was　discredited　by　the　scandals　connected　with　the　Sanborn　contracts；　the　Whisky　Ring；　and　the　Star　Routes；　while　some　leaders　in　Congress　were　under　a　cloud　from　the　〃Salary　Grab〃　and　Credit　Mobilier　disclosures。*

*　See　〃The　Boss　and　the　Machine〃；　by　Samuel　P。　Orth　in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。


The　marvelous　material　development　of　the　North　and　West　also　drew　attention　away　from　sectional　controversies。　Settlers　poured　into　the　plains　beyond　the　Mississippi　and　the　valleys　of　the　Far　West；　new　industries　sprang　up；　unsuspected　mineral　wealth　was　discovered；　railroads　were　built。　Not　only　bankers　but　taxpaying　voters　took　an　interest　in　the　financial　readjustments　of　the　time。　Many　thousand　people　followed　the　discussions　over　the　funding　and　refunding　of　the　national　debt；　the　retirement　of　the　greenbacks；　and　the　proposed　lowering　of　tariff　duties。　Yet　the　Black　Friday　episode　of　1869；　when　Jay　Gould　and　James　Fisk　cornered　the　visible　supply　of　gold；　and　the　panic　of　1873　were　indications　of　unsound　financial　conditions。

These　new　developments　and　the　new　domestic　problems　which　they　involved　all　tended　to　divert　public　thought　from　the　old　political　issues　arising　out　of　the　war。　Foreign　relations；　too；　began　to　take　on　a　new　interest。　The　Alabama　claims　controversy　with　England　continued　to　hold　the　public　attention　until　finally　settled　by　the　Geneva　Arbitration　in　1872。　President　Grant；　as　much　of　an　expansionist　as　Seward；　for　two　years　（1869…71）　tried　to　secure　Santo　Domingo　or　a　part　of　it　for　an　American　naval　base　in　the　West　Indies。　But　the　United　States　had　race　problems　enough　already　and　the　Senate；　led　by　Sumner；　refused　to　sanction　the　acquisition。　Relations　with　Spain　were　frequently　strained　on　account　of　American　filibustering　expeditions　to　aid　Cuban　insurgents。　Spain　repeatedly　charged　the　United　States　with　laxness　toward　such　violations　of　international　law；　and　President　Grant；　seeing　no　other　way　out；　recommended　in　1869　and　again　in　1870　that　the　Cuban　insurgents　be　recognized　as　belligerents；　but　still　the　Senate　held　back。　The　climax　came　in　1873；　when　the　Spanish　authorities　in　Cuba　captured　on　the　high　seas　the　Virginius*　with　a　filibustering　expedition　on　board　and　executed　fifty…three　of　the　crew　and　passengers；　among　them　eight　Americans。　For　a　time　war　seemed　imminent；　but　Spain　acted　quickly　and　effected　a　peaceable　settlement。

*　See　〃The　Path　of　Empire〃；　by　Carl　Russell　Fish　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）；　p。　119。


It　became　evident　soon　after　1867　that　the　issues　involved　in　reconstruction　were　not　in　themselves　sufficient　to　hold　the　North　solidly　Republican。　Toward　Negro　suffrage；　for　example；　Northern　public　opinion　was　on　the　whole　unfriendly。　In　1867；　the　Negro　was　permitted　to　vote　only　in　New　York　and　in　New　England；　except　in　Connecticut。　Before　1869；　Negro　suffrage　was　rejected　in　Connecticut；　Wisconsin；　Kansas；　Ohio；　Maryland；　Missouri；　Michigan；　and　Minnesota。　The　Republicans　in　their　national　platform　of　1868　went　only　so　far　as　to　say　that；　while　Negro　suffrage　was　to　be　forced　upon　the　South；　it　must　remain　a　local　question　in　the　North。　The　Border　States　rapidly　lined　up　with　the　white　South　on　matters　of　race；　church；　and　politics。

It　was　not　until　1874；　however；　that　the　changing　opinion　was　made　generally　effective　in　the　elections。　The　skillfully　managed　radical　organization　held　large　majorities　in　every　Congress　from　the　Thirty…ninth　to　the　Forty…third；　and　the　electoral　votes　in　1868　and　1879　seemed　to　show　that　the　conservative　opposition　was　insignificant。　But　these　figures　do　not　tell　the　whole　story。　Even　in　1864；　when　Lincoln　won　by　nearly　half　a　million；　the　popular　vote　was　as　eighteen　to　twenty…two；　and　four　years　later　Grant；　the　most　popular　man　in　the　United　States；　had　a　majority　of　only　three　hundred　thousand　over　Seymour；　and　this　majority　and　more　came　from　the　new　Negro　voters。　Four　years　later　with　about　a　million　Negro　voters　available　and　an　opposition　not　pleased　with　its　own　candidate；　Grant's　majority　reached　only　seven　hundred　thousand。　At　no　one　time　in　elections　did　the　North　pronounce　itself　in　favor　of　all　the　reconstruction　policies。　The　break；　signs　of　which　were　visible　as　early　as　1869；　came　in　1874　when　the　Republicans　lost　control　of　the　House　of　Representatives。

Strength　was　given　to　the　opposition　because　of　the　dissatisfaction　with　President　Grant；　who　knew　little　about　politics　and　politicians。　He　felt　that　his　Cabinet　should　be　made　up　of　personal　friends；　not　of　strong　advisers；　and　that　the　military　ideal　of　administration　was　the　proper　one。　He　was　faithful　but　undiscriminating　in　his　friendships　and　frequently　chose　as　his　associates　men　of　vulgar　tastes　and　low　motives；　and　he　showed　a　naive　love　of　money　and　an　undisguised　admiration　for　rich　men　such　as　Gould　and　Fisk。　His　appointees　were　often　incompetent　friends　or　relatives；　and　his　cynical　attitude　toward　civil　service　reform　lost　him　the　support　of　influential　men。　When　forced　by　party　exigencies　to　select　first…class　men　for　his　Cabinet；　he　still　preferred　to　go　for　advice　to　practical　politicians。　On　the　Southern　question　he　easily　fell　under　control　of　the　radicals；　who　in　order　to　retain　their　influence　had　only　to　convince　his　military　mind　that　the　South　was　again　in　rebellion；　and　who　found　it　easy　to　distract　public　opinion　from　political　corruption　by　〃waving　the　bloody　shirt。〃　Dissatisfaction　with　his　Administration；　it　is　true；　was　confined　to　the　intellectuals；　the　reformers；　and　the　Democrats；　but　they　were　strong　enough　to　defeat　him　for　a　second　term　if　they　could　only　be　organized。

The　Liberal　Republican　movement　began　in　the　West　about　1869　with　demands　for　amnesty　and　for　reform；　particularly　in　the　civil　service；　and　it　soon　spread　rapidly　over　the　North。　When　it　became　certain　that　the　〃machine〃　would　renominate　Grant；　the　liberal　movement　became　an　anti…Grant　party。　The　〃New　Departure〃　Democrats　gave　comfort　and　prospect　of　aid　to　the　Liberal　Republicans　by　declaring　for　a　constructive；　forward…looking　policy　in　place　of　reactionary　opposition。　The　Liberal　chiefs　were　led　to　believe　that　the　new　Democratic　leaders　would　accept　their　platform　and　candidates　in　order　to　defeat　Grant。　The　principal　candidates　for　the　Liberal　Republican　nomination　were　Charles　Francis　Adams；　Lyman　Trumbull；　Gratz　Brown；　David　Davis；　and　Horace　Greeley。　Adams　was　the　strongest　candidate　but　was　jockeyed　out　of　place　and　the　nomination　was　given　to　Horace　Greeley；　able　enough　as　editor　of　the　〃New　York　Tribune〃　but　impossible　as　a　candidate　for　the　presidency。　The　Democratic　party　accepted　him　as　their　candidate　also；　although　he　had　been　a　lifelong　opponent　of　Democratic　principles　and　policies。　But　disgusted　Liberals　either　returned　to　the　Republican　ranks　or　stayed　away　from　the　polls；　and　many　Democrats　did　likewise。　Under　these　circumstances　the　reelection　of　Grant　was　a　foregone　conclusion。　There　was　certainly　a　potential　majority　against　Grant；　but