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ling a political question。 Much evidence favorable to the President was excluded； but everything else was admitted。 As the trial went on； the country began to understand that the impeachment was a mistake。 Few people wanted to see Senator Wade made President。 The partisan attitude of the Senate majority and the weakness of the case against Johnson had much to do in moderating public opinion； and the timely nomination of General Schofield as Secretary of War after Stanton's resignation reassured those who feared that the army might be placed under some extreme Democrat。
As the time drew near for the decision； every possible pressure was brought by the radicals to induce senators to vote for conviction。 To convict the President； thirty…six votes were necessary。 There were only twelve Democrats in the Senate； but all were known to be in favor of acquittal。 When the test came on the 16th of May； seven Republicans voted with the Democrats for acquittal on the eleventh article。 Another vote on the 26th of May； on the first and second articles； showed that conviction was not possible。 The radical legislative reaction was thus checked at its highest point and the presidency as a part of the American governmental system was no longer in danger。 The seven Republicans had； however； signed their own political death warrants； they were never forgiven by the party leaders。
The presidential campaign was beginning to take shape even before the impeachment trial began。 Both the Democrats and the reorganized Republicans were turning with longing toward General Grant as a candidate。 Though he had always been a Democrat； Nevertheless； when Johnson actually called him a liar and a promise breaker； Grant went over to the radicals and was nominated for President on May 20； 1868； by the National Union Republican party。 Schuyler Colfax was the candidate for Vice President。 The Democrats； who could have won with Grant and who under good leadership still had a bare chance to win； nominated Horatio Seymour of New York and Francis P。 Blair of Missouri。 The former had served as war governor of New York； while the latter was considered an extreme Democrat who believed that the radical reconstruction of the South should be stopped； the troops withdrawn； and the people left to form their own governments。 The Democratic platform pronounced itself opposed to the reconstruction policy； but Blair's opposition was too extreme for the North。 Seymour； more moderate and a skillful campaigner； made headway in the rehabilitation of the Democratic party。 The Republican party declared for radical reconstruction and Negro suffrage in the South but held that each Northern State should be allowed to settle the suffrage for itself。 It was not a courageous platform； but Grant was popular and carried his party through to success。
The returns showed that in the election Grant had carried twenty…six States with 214 electoral votes； while Seymour had carried only eight States with 80 votes。 But an examination of the popular vote； which was 3；000；000 for Grant and 2；700；000 for Seymour； gave the radicals cause for alarm； for it showed that the Democrats had more white votes than the Republicans； whose total included nearly 700；000 blacks。 To insure the continuance of the radicals in power； the Fifteenth Amendment was framed and sent out to the States on February 26； 1869。 This amendment appeared not only to make safe the Negro majorities in the South but also gave the ballot to the Negroes in a score of Northern States and thus assured； for a time at least； 900；000 Negro voters for the Republican party。
When Johnson's term ended and he gave place to President Grant； four states were still unreconstructedVirginia； Texas； and Mississippi； in which the reconstruction had failed； and Georgia； which； after accomplishing reconstruction； had again been placed under military rule by Congress。 In Virginia； which was too near the capital for such rough work as readmitted Arkansas and Alabama into the Union； the new constitution was so severe in its provisions for disfranchisement that the disgusted district commander would not authorize the expenditure necessary to have it voted on。 In Mississippi a similar constitution had failed of adoption； and in Texas the strife of party factions； radical and moderate Republican； had so delayed the framing of the constitution that it had not come to a vote。
The Republican politicians； however； wanted the offices in these States； and Congress by its resolution of February 18； 1869； directed the district commanders to remove all civil officers who could not take the 〃ironclad〃 oath and to appoint those who could subscribe to it。 An exception； however； was made in favor of the scalawags who had supported reconstruction and whose disabilities had been removed by Congress。
President Grant was anxious to complete the reconstruction and recommended to Congress that the constitutions of Virginia and Mississippi be re…submitted to the people with a separate vote on the disfranchising sections。 Congress； now in harmony with the executive； responded by placing the reconstruction of the three states in the hands of the President； but with the proviso that each state must ratify the Fifteenth Amendment。 Grant thereupon fixed a time for voting in each state and directed that in Virginia and Mississippi the disfranchising clauses be submitted separately。 As a result； the constitutions were ratified but proscription was voted down。 The radicals secured control of Mississippi and Texas； but a conservative combination carried Virginia and thus came near keeping the state out of the Union。 Finally； during the early months of 1870 the three states were readmitted。
With respect to Georgia a peculiar condition of affairs existed。 In June 1868； Georgia had been readmitted with the first of the reconstructed States。 The state legislature at once expelled the twenty…seven Negro members； on the ground that the recent legislation and the state constitution gave the Negroes the right to vote but not to hold office。 Congress； which had already admitted the Georgia representatives； refused to receive the senators and turned the state back to military control。 In 1869…70； Georgia was again reconstructed after a drastic purging of the legislature by the military commander； the reseating of the Negro members； and the ratification of both the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments。 The state was readmitted to representation in July 1870； after the failure of a strong effort to extend for two years the carpetbag government of the state。
Upon the last states to pass under the radical yoke； heavier conditions were imposed than upon the earlier ones。 Not only were they required to ratify the Fifteenth Amendment； but the 〃fundamental conditions〃 embraced； in addition to the prohibition against future change of the suffrage； a requirement that the Negroes should never be deprived of school and office…holding rights。
The congressional plan of reconstruction had thus been carried through by able leaders in the face of the opposition of a united white South； nearly half the North； the President； the Supreme Court； and in the beginning a majority of Congress。 This success was due to the poor leadership of the conservatives and to the ability and solidarity of the radicals led by Stevens and Sumner。 The radicals had a definite program； the moderates had not。 The object of the radicals was to secure the supremacy in the South by the aid of the Negroes and exclusion of whites。 Was this policy politically wise？ It was at least temporarily successful。 The choice offered by the radicals seemed to lie between military rule for an indefinite period and Negro suffrage； and since most Americans found military rule distasteful； they preferred to try Negro suffrage。 But； after all； Negro suffrage had to be supported by military rule； and in the end both failed completely。
CHAPTER VIII。 THE UNION LEAGUE OF AMERICA
The elections of 1867…68 showed that the Negroes were well organized under the control of the radical Republican leaders and that their former masters had none of the influence over the blacks in political matters which had been feared by some Northern friends of the Negro and had been hoped for by such Southern leaders as Governor Patton and General Hampton。 Before 1865 the discipline of slavery； the influence of the master's family； and of the Southern church had sufficed to control the blacks。 But after emancipation they looked to the Federal soldiers and Union officials as the givers of freedom and the guardians of the future。
From the Union soldiers； especially the Negro troops； from the Northern teachers； the missionaries and the organizers of Negro churches； from the Northern officials and traveling politicians； the Negroes learned that their interests were not those of the whites。 The attitude of the average white in the South often confirmed this growing estrangement。 It was difficult even for the white leaders to explain the riots at Memphis and New Orleans。 And those who sincerely wished well for the Negro and who desired to control him for the good of both races could not possibly assure him that he was fit for the suffrage。 For even Patton and Hampton must tell