the sequel of appomattox-第21节

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　continued　until　October　1；　1867；　and　an　active　campaign　of　education　and　organization　carried　on。

At　the　close　of　the　registration；　703；000　black　voters　were　on　the　rolls　and　627；000　whites。　In　Alabama；　Louisiana；　South　Carolina；　Florida；　and　Mississippi　there　were　black　majorities；　and　in　the　other　States　the　blacks　and　the　radical　whites　together　formed　majorities。　The　white　minorities　included　several　thousand　who　had　been　rejected　by　the　registrars　but　restored　by　the　military　commanders。　Though　large　numbers　of　blacks　were　dropped　from　the　revised　rolls　as　fraudulently　registered；　the　registration　statistics；　nevertheless；　bore　clear　witness　to　the　political　purpose　of　those　who　compiled　them。

Next　followed　a　vote　on　the　question　of　holding　a　state　convention　and　the　election　of　delegates　to　such　a　convention　if　helda　double　election。　The　whites；　who　had　been　harassed　in　the　registration　and　who　feared　race　conflicts　at　the　elections；　considered　whether　they　ought　not　to　abstain　from　voting。　By　staying　away　from　the　polls；　they　might　bring　the　vote　cast　in　each　State　below　a　majority　and　thus　defeat　the　proposed　conventions　for；　unless　a　majority　of　the　registered　voters　actually　cast　ballots　either　for　or　against　a　convention；　no　convention　could　be　held。　Nowhere；　however；　was　this　plan　of　not　voting　fully　carried　out；　for；　though　most　whites　abstained；　enough　of　them　voted　（against　the　conventions；　of　course）　to　make　the　necessary　majority　in　each　State。　The　effect　of　the　abstention　policy　upon　the　personnel　of　the　conventions　was　unfortunate。　In　every　convention　there　was　a　radical　majority　with　a　conservative　and　all　but　negligible　minority。　In　South　Carolina　and　Louisiana；　there　were　Negro　majorities。　In　every　State　except　North　Carolina；　Texas；　and　Virginia；　the　Negroes　and　the　carpetbaggers　together　were　in　the　majority　over　native　whites。

The　conservative　whites　were　of　fair　ability；　the　carpetbaggers　and　scalawags　produced　in　each　convention　a　few　able　leaders；　but　most　of　them　were　conscienceless　political　soldiers　of　fortune；　the　Negro　members　were　inexperienced；　and　most　of　them　were　quite　ignorant；　though　a　few　leaders　of　ability　did　appear　among　them。　In　Alabama；　for　example；　only　two　Negro　members　could　write；　though　half　had　been　taught　to　sign　their　names。　They　were　barbers；　field　hands；　hack　drivers；　and　servants。　A　Negro　chaplain　was　elected　who　invoked　divine　blessings　on　〃unioners　and　cusses　on　rebels。〃　It　was　a　sign　of　the　new　era　when　the　convention　specially　invited　the　〃ladies　of　colored　members〃　to　seats　in　the　gallery。

The　work　of　the　conventions　was　for　the　most　part　cut　and　dried；　the　abler　members　having　reached　a　general　agreement　before　they　met。　The　constitutions；　mosaics　of　those　of　other　states；　were　noteworthy　only　for　the　provisions　made　to　keep　the　whites　out　of　power　and　to　regulate　the　relations　of　the　races　in　social　matters。　The　Texas　constitution　alone　contained　no　proscriptive　clauses　beyond　those　required　by　the　Fourteenth　Amendment。　The　most　thoroughgoing　proscription　of　Confederates　was　found　in　the　constitutions　of　Mississippi；　Alabama；　and　Virginia；　and　in　these　states　the　voter　must　also　purge　himself　of　guilt　by　agreeing　to　accept　the　〃civil　and　political　equality　of　all　men〃　or　by　supporting　reconstruction。　Only　in　South　Carolina　and　Louisiana　were　race　lines　abolished　by　law。

The　legislative　work　of　the　conventions　was　more　interesting　than　the　constitution　making。　By　ordinance　the　legality　of　Negro　marriages　was　dated　from　November　1867；　or　some　date　later　than　had　been　fixed　by　the　white　conventions　of　1865。　Mixed　schools　were　provided　in　some　States；　militia　for　the　black　districts　but　not　for　the　white　was　to　be　raised；　while　in　South　Carolina　it　was　made　a　penal　offense　to　call　a　person　a　〃Yankee〃　or　a　〃nigger。〃　Few　of　the　Negro　delegates　demanded　proscription　of　whites　or　social　equality；　they　wanted　schools　and　the　vote。　The　white　radicals　were　more　anxious　to　keep　the　former　Confederates　from　holding　office　than　from　voting。　The　generals　in　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。