the sequel of appomattox-第45章

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e　population　rapidly　settled　down　into　good　order。　After　1875　only　three　States　were　left　under　radical　governmentLouisiana　and　Florida；　where　the　returning　boards　could　throw　out　any　Democratic　majority；　and　South　Carolina；　where　the　Negroes　greatly　outnumbered　the　whites。

*　See　〃The　New　South〃；　by　Holland　Thompson　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。


Reconstruction　could　hardly　be　a　genuine　issue　in　the　presidential　campaign　of　1876；　because　all　except　these　three　reconstructed　States　had　escaped　from　radical　control；　and　there　was　no　hope　and　little　real　desire　of　regaining　them。　It　was　even　expected　that　in　this　year　the　radicals　would　lose　Louisiana　and　Florida　to　the　〃white　man's　party。〃　The　leaders　of　the　best　element　of　the　Republicans；　both　North　and　South；　looked　upon　the　reconstruction　as　one　of　the　prime　causes　of　the　moral　breakdown　of　their　party；　they　wanted　no　more　of　the　Southern　issue　but　planned　a　forward…looking；　constructive　reform。

To　some　of　the　Republican　leaders；　however；　among　whom　was　James　G。　Blame；　it　was　clear　that　the　Republican　party；　with　its　unsavory　record　under　Grant's　Administration；　could　hardly　go　before　the　people　with　a　reform　program。　The　only　possible　thing　to　do　was　to　revive　some　Civil　War　issue〃wave　the　bloody　shirt〃　and　fan　the　smoldering　embers　of　sectional　feeling。　Blame　met　with　complete　success　in　raising　the　desired　issue。　In　January　1876；　when　an　amnesty　measure　was　brought　before　the　House；　he　moved　that　Jefferson　Davis　be　excepted　on　the　ground　that　he　was　responsible　for　the　mistreatment　of　Union　prisoners　during　the　war。　Southern　hot…bloods　replied；　and　Blaine　skillfully　led　them　on　until　they　had　foolishly　furnished　him　with　ample　material　for　campaign　purposes。　The　feeling　thus　aroused　was　so　strong　that　it　even　galvanized　into　seeming　life　the　dying　interest　in　the　wrongs　of　the　Negro。　The　rallying　cry　〃Vote　as　you　shot！〃　gave　the　Republicans　something　to　fight　for；　the　party　referred　to　its　war　record；　claimed　credit　for　preserving　the　Union；　emancipating　the　Negro；　and　reconstructing　the　South；　and　demanded　that　the　country　be　not　〃surrendered　to　rebel　rule。〃

Hayes　and　Tilden；　the　rival　candidates　for　the　presidency；　were　both　men　of　high　character　and　of　moderate　views。　Their　nominations　had　been　forced　by　the　better　element　of　each　party。　Hayes；　the　Republican　candidate；　had　been　a　good　soldier；　was　moderate　in　his　views　on　Southern　questions；　and　had　a　clean　political　reputation。　Tilden；　his　opponent；　had　a　good　record　as　a　party　man　and　as　a　reformer；　and　his　party　needed　only　to　attack　the　past　record　of　the　Republicans。　The　principal　Democratic　weakness　lay　in　the　fact　that　the　party　drew　so　much　of　its　strength　from　the　white　South　and　was　therefore　subjected　to　criticism　on　Civil　War　issues。

The　campaign　was　hotly　contested　and　was　conducted　on　a　low　plane。　Even　Hayes　soon　saw　that　the　〃bloody　shirt〃　issue　was　the　main　vote　winner。　The　whites　of　the　three　〃unredeemed〃　Southern　States　nerved　themselves　for　the　final　struggle。　In　South　Carolina　and　in　some　parishes　of　Louisiana；　there　was　a　considerable　amount　of　violence；　in　which　the　whites　had　the　advantage；　and　much　fraud；　which　the　Republicans；　who　controlled　the　election　machinery；　turned　to　best　account。　It　has　been　said　that　out　of　the　confusion　which　the　Republicans　created　they　won　the　presidency。

The　first　election　returns　seemed　to　give　Tilden　the　victory　with　184　undisputed　electoral　votes　and　popular　majorities　of　ninety　and　over　six　thousand　respectively　in　Florida　and　Louisiana；　only　185　votes　were　needed　for　a　choice。　Hayes　had　166　votes；　not　counting　Oregon；　in　which　one　vote　was　in　dispute；　and　South　Carolina；　which　for　a　time　was　claimed　by　both　parties。　Had　Louisiana　and　Florida　been　Northern　States；　there　would　have　been　no　controversy；　but　the　Republican　general　headquarters　knew　that　the　Democratic　majorities　in　these　States　had　to　go　through　Republican　returning　boards；　which　had　never　yet　failed　to　throw　them　out。

The　interest　of　the　nation　now　centered　around　the　action　of　the　two　returning　boards。　At　the　suggestion　of　President　Grant；　prominent　Republicans　went　South　to　witness　the　count。　Later　prominent　Democrats　went　also。　These　〃visiting　statesmen〃　were　to　support　the　frail　returning　boards　in　their　duty。　It　was　generally　understood　that　these　boards；　certainly　the　one　in　Louisiana；　were　for　sale；　and　there　is　little　doubt　that　the　Democrats　inquired　the　price。　But　they　were　afraid　to　bid　on　such　uncertain　quantities　as　Governor　Wells　and　T。　C。　Anderson　of　Louisiana；　both　notorious　spoilsmen。　The　members　of　the　boards　in　both　States　soon　showed　the　stiffening　effect　of　the　moral　support　of　the　Federal　Administration　and　of　the　〃visiting　statesmen。〃　Reassured　as　to　their　political　future；　they　proceeded　to　do　their　duty：　in　Florida　they　threw　out　votes　until　the　ninety　majority　for　Tilden　was　changed　to　925　for　Hayes；　and　in　Louisiana；　by　throwing　out　about　fifteen　thousand　carefully　selected　ballots；　they　changed　Tilden's　lowest　majority　of　six　thousand　to　a　Hayes　majority　of　nearly　four　thousand。　Naturally　the　Democrats　sent　in　contesting　returns；　but　the　presidency　was　really　won　when　the　Republicans　secured　in　Louisiana　and　Florida　returns　which　were　regular　in　form。　But　hoping　to　force　Congress　to　go　behind　the　returns；　the　Democrats　carried　up　contests　also　from　Oregon　and　South　Carolina；　whose　votes　properly　belonged　to　Hayes。

The　final　contest　came　in　Congress　over　the　counting　of　the　electoral　votes。　The　Constitution　provides　that　〃the　President　of　the　Senate　shall；　in　the　presence　of　the　Senate　and　the　House　of　Representatives；　open　all　the　Certificates；　and　the　Votes　shall　then　be　counted。〃　But　there　was　no　agreement　as　to　where　authority　lay　for　deciding　disputed　votes。　Never　before　had　the　presidency　turned　on　a　disputed　count。　From　1864　to　1874　the　〃twenty…second　joint　rule〃　had　been　in　force　under　which　either　House　might　reject　a　certificate。　The　votes　of　Georgia　in　1868　and　of　Louisiana　in　1879　had　thus　been　thrown　out。　But　the　rule　had　not　been　readopted　by　the　present　Congress；　and　the　Republicans　very　naturally　would　not　listen　to　a　proposal　to　readopt　it　now。

With　the　country　apparently　on　the　verge　of　civil　war；　Congress　finally　created　by　law　an　Electoral　Commission　to　which　were　to　be　referred　all　disputes　about　the　counting　of　votes　and　the　decision　of　which　was　to　be　final　unless　both　Houses　concurred　in　rejecting　it。　The　act　provided　that　the　commission　should　consist　of　five　senators；　five　representatives；　four　designated　associate　justices　of　the　Supreme　Court；　and　a　fifth　associate　justice　to　be　chosen　by　these　four。　While　nothing　was　said　in　the　act　about　the　political　affiliations　of　the　members　of　the　commission；　every　one　understood　that　the　House　would　select　three　Democrats　and　two　Republicans；　and　that　the　Senate　would　name　two　Democrats　and　three　Republicans。　It　was　also　well　known　that　of　the　four　justices　designated　two　were　Republicans　and　two　Democrats；　and　it　was　tacitly　agreed　that　the　fifth　would　be　Justice　David　Davis；　an　〃independent。〃　But　at　the　last　moment　Davis　was　elected　Senator　by　the　Illinois　Legislature　and　declined　to　serve　on　the　Commission。　Justice　Bradley；　a　Republican；　was　then　named　as　the　fifth　justice；　and　in　this　way　the　Republicans　obtained　a　majority　on　the　Commission。

The　Democrats　deserve　the　credit　for　the　Electoral　Commission。　The　Republicans　did　not　favor　it；　even　after　they　were　sure　of　a　party　majority　on　it。　They　were　conscious　that　they　had　a　weak　case；　and　they　were　afraid　to　trust　it　to　judges　of　the　Supreme　Court。　Their　fears　were　groundless；　however；　since　all　important　questions　were　decided　by　an　8　to　7　vote；　Bradley　voting　with　his　fellow　Republicans。　Every　contested　vote　was　given　to　Hayes；　and　with　185　electoral　votes　he　was　declared　elected　on　March　2；　1877。

Ten　years　before；　Senator　Morton　of　Indiana　had　said：　〃I　would　have　been　in　favor　of　having　the　colored　people　of　the　South　wait　a　few　years　until　they　were　prepared　for　the　suffrage；　until　they　were　to　some　extent　educated；　but　the　necessities　of　the　times　forbade　that；　the　conditions　of　things　required　that　they　shoul