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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 the opposition had failed to organize； while the Republican machine was in good working order； the Negroes were voting； and the Enforcement Acts proved a great aid to the Republicans in the Southern States。
One good result of the growing liberal sentiment was the passage of an Amnesty Act by Congress on May 22； 1872。 By statute and by the Fourteenth Amendment； Congress had refused to recognize the complete validity of President Johnson's pardons and amnesty proclamations； and all Confederate leaders who wished to regain political rights had therefore to appeal to Congress。 During the Forty…first Congress （1869…71） more than three thousand Southerners were amnestied in order that they might hold office。 These； however； were for the most part scalawags； the most respectable whites would not seek an amnesty which they could secure only by self…stultification。* It was the pressure of public opinion against white disfranchisement and the necessity for meeting the Liberal Republican arguments which caused the passage of the Act of 1872。 By this act about 150；000 whites were reenfranchised； leaving out only about five hundred of the most prominent of the old regime； most of whom were never restored to citizenship。 Both Robert E。 Lee and Jefferson Davis died disfranchised。
* The machinery of government and politics was all in radical handsthe carpetbaggers and scalawags； who were numerous enough to fill practically all the offices。 These men were often able leaders and skillful managers； and they did not intend to surrender control； and the black race was obedient and furnished the votes。 In 1868； with Virginia； Mississippi； Georgia； and Texas unrepresented； the first radical contingent in Congress from the South numbered 41； of whom 10 out of 12 senators and 26 out of 32 representatives were carpetbaggers。 There were two lone conservative Congressmen。 A few months later； in 1869； there were 64 radical representatives from the South； 20 senators and 44 members of the House of Representatives。 In 1877 this number had dwindled to two senators and four representatives。 The difference between these figures measures in some degree the extent of the undoing of reconstruction within the period of Grant's Administration。
How the Southern whites escaped from Negro domination has often been told and may here be sketched only in outline。 The first States regained from radicalism were those in which the Negro population was small and the black vote large enough to irritate but not to dominate。 Although Northern sentiment； excited by the stories of 〃Southern outrage；〃 was then unfavorable； the conservatives of the South； by organizing a 〃white man's party〃 and by the use of Ku Klux methods； made a fight for social safety which they won nearly everywhere； and； in addition； they gained political control of several StatesTennessee in 1869； Virginia in 1869…1870； and North Carolina and Georgia in 1870。 They almost won Louisiana in 1868 and Alabama in 1870； but the alarmed radicals came to the rescue of the situation with the Fifteenth Amendment and the Enforcement Laws of 1870…1871。 With more troops and a larger number of deputy marshals； it seemed that the radicals might securely hold the remaining states。 Arrests of conservatives were numerous； plundering was at its height； the Federal Government was interested and was friendly to the new Southern rulers； and the carpetbaggers and scalawags feasted； troubled only by the disposition of their Negro supporters to demand a share of the spoils。 Although the whites made little gain from 1870 to 1874； the states already rescued became more firmly conservative； white counties here and there in the black states voted out the radicals； a few more representatives of the whites got into Congress； and the Border States ranged themselves more solidly with the conservatives。
But while the Southern whites were becoming desperate under oppression； public opinion in the North was at last beginning to affect politics。 The elections of 1874 resulted in a Democratic landslide of which the Administration was obliged to take notice。 Grant now grew more responsive to criticism。 In 1875 he replied to a request for troops to hold down Mississippi： 〃The whole public are tired out with these annual autumnal outbreaks in the South and the great majority are ready now to condemn any interference on the part of the Government。〃 As soon as conditions in the South were better understood in the North； ready sympathy and political aid were offered by many who had hitherto acted with the radicals。 The Ku Klux report as well as the newspaper writings and the books of J。 S。 Pike and Charles Nordhoff； both former opponents of slavery； opened the eyes of many to the evil results of Negro suffrage。 Some who had been considered friends of the Negro； now believing that he had proven to be a political failure； coldly abandoned him and turned their altruistic interests to other objects more likely to succeed。 Many real friends of the Negro were alarmed at the evils of the reconstruction and were anxious to see the corrupt political leaders deprived of further influence over the race。 To others the constantly recurring Southern problem was growing stale； and they desired to hear less of it。 Within the Republican party in each Southern State； there were serious divisions over the spoils。 First it was carpetbagger and Negro against the scalawag； later； when the black leaders insisted that those who furnished the votes must have the larger share of the rewards； the fight became triangular。 As a result； by 1874 the Republican party in the South was split into factions and was deserted by a large proportion of its white membership。
The conservative whites； fiercely resentful after their experiences under the enforcement laws and hopeful of Northern sympathy； now planned a supreme effort to regain their former power。 Race lines were more strictly drawn； ostracism of all that was radical became the rule； the Republican party in the South； it was apparent； was doomed to be only a Negro party weighed down by the scandal of bad government； the state treasuries were bankrupt； and there was little further opportunity for plunder。 These considerations had much to do with the return of scalawags to the 〃white man's party〃 and the retirement of carpetbaggers from Southern politics。 There was no longer anything in it； they said； let the Negro have it！
It was under these conditions that the 〃white man's party〃 carried the elections in Alabama； Arkansas； and Texas in 1874； and Mississippi in 1875。 Asserting that it was a contest between civilization and barbarism； and that the whites under the radical regime had no opportunity to carry an election legally； the conservatives openly made use of every method of influencing the result that could possibly come within the radical law and they even employed many effective methods that lay outside the law。 Negroes were threatened with discharge from employment and whites with tar and feathers if they voted the radical ticket； there were nightriding parties； armed and drilled 〃white leagues；〃 and mysterious f