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ed； but the necessities of the times forbade that； the conditions of things required that they should be brought to the polls at once。〃 Now the condition of things required that some arrangement be made with the Southern whites which would involve a complete reversal of the situation of 1867。 In order to secure the unopposed succession of Hayes； to defeat filibustering which might endanger the decision of the Electoral Commission； politicians who could speak with authority for Hayes assured influential Southern politicians； who wanted no more civil war but who did want home rule； that an arrangement might be made which would be satisfactory to both sides。
So the contest was ended。 Hayes was to be President； the South； with the Negro； was to be left to the whites； there would be no further military aid to carpetbag governments。 In so far as the South was concerned； it was a fortunate settlement better； indeed； than if Tilden had been inducted into office。 The remnants of the reconstruction policy were surrendered by a Republican President； the troops were soon withdrawn； and the three radical states fell at once under the control of the whites。 Hayes could not see in his election any encouragement to adopt a vigorous radical position； and Congress was deadlocked on party issues for fifteen years。 As a result the radical Republicans had to develop other interests； and the North gradually accepted the Southern situation。
Although the radical policy of reconstruction came to an end in 1877； some of its results were more lasting。 The Southern States were burdened heavily with debt； much of which had been fraudulently incurred。 There now followed a period of adjustment； of refunding； scaling； and repudiation； which not only injured the credit of the states but left them with enormous debts。 The Democratic party under the leadership of former Confederates began its regime of strict economy； race fairness； and inelastic Jeffersonianism。 There was a political rest which almost amounted to stagnation and which the leaders were unwilling to disturb by progressive measures lest a developing democracy make trouble with the settlement of 1877。
The undoing of reconstruction was not entirely completed with the understanding of 1877。 There remained a large but somewhat shattered Republican party in the South； with control over county and local government in many Negro districts。 Little by little the Democrats rooted out these last vestiges of Negro control； using all the old radical methods and some improvements；* such as tissue ballots； the shuffling of ballot boxes； bribery； force； and redistricting； while some regions were placed entirely under executive control and were ruled by appointed commissions。 With the good government which followed these changes a deadlocked Congress showed no great desire to interfere。 The Supreme Court came to the aid of the Democrats with decisions in 1875； 1882； and 1883 which drew the teeth from the Enforcement Laws； and Congress in 1894 repealed what was left of these regulations。
*See 〃The New South〃； by Holland Thompson （in 〃The Chronicles of America〃）。
Under such discouraging conditions the voting strength of the Republicans rapidly melted away。 The party organization existed for the Federal offices only and was interested in keeping down the number of those who desired to be rewarded。 As a consequence； the leaders could work in harmony with those Democratic chiefs who were content with a 〃solid South〃 and local home rule。 The Negroes of the Black Belt； with less enthusiasm and hope； but with quite the same docility as in 1868； began to vote as the Democratic leaders directed。 This practice brought up in another form the question of 〃Negro government〃 and resulted in a demand from the people of the white counties that the Negro be put entirely out of politics。 The answer came between 1890 and 1902 in the form of new and complicated election laws or new constitutions which in various ways shut out the Negro from the polls and left the government to the whites。 Three times have the Black Belt regions dominated the Southern States： under slavery； when the master class controlled； under reconstruction； when the leaders of the Negroes had their own way； and after reconstruction until Negro disfranchisement； when the Democratic dictators of the Negro vote ruled fairly but not always acceptably to the white counties which are now the source of their political power。
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
The best general accounts of the reconstruction period are found in James Ford Rhodes's 〃History of the United States from the Compromise of 1850 to the Restoration of Home Rule at the South in 1877〃； volumes V； VI； VII （1906）； in William A。 Dunning's 〃Reconstruction； Political and Economic〃； 1865…1877； in the 〃American Nation〃 Series； volume XXII （1907）； and in Peter Joseph Hamilton's 〃The Reconstruction Period〃 （1905）； which is volume XVI of 〃The History of North America〃； edited by F。 N。 Thorpe。 The work of Rhodes is spacious and fair…minded but there are serious gaps in his narrative； Dunning's briefer account covers the entire field with masterly handling； Hamilton's history throws new light on all subjects and is particularly useful for an understanding of the Southern point of view。 A valuable discussion of constitutional problems is contained in William A。 Dunning's 〃Essay on the Civil War and Reconstruction and Related Topics〃 （1904）； and a criticism of the reconstruction policies from the point of view of political science and constitutional law is to be found in J。 W。 Burgess's 〃Reconstruction and the Constitution； 1866…1876〃 （1902）。 E。 B。 Andrews's 〃The United States in our own Time〃 （1903） gives a popular treatment of the later period。 A collection of brief monographs entitled 〃Why the Solid South？〃 by Hilary A。 Herbert and others （1890） was written as a campaign document to offset the drive made by the Republicans in 1889 for new enforcement laws。
There are many scholarly monographs on reconstruction in the several states。 The best of these are： J。 W。 Garner's 〃Reconstruction in Mississippi〃 （1901）； W。 L。 Fleming's 〃Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama〃 （1905）； J。 G。 deR。 Hamilton's 〃Reconstruction in North Carolina〃 （1914）； W。 W。 Davis's 〃The Civil War and Reconstruction in Florida〃 （1913）； J。 S。 Reynolds's 〃Reconstruction in South Carolina〃； 1865…1877 （1905）； C。 W。 Ramsdell's 〃Reconstruction in Texas〃 （1910）； and C。 M。 Thompson's 〃Reconstruction in Georgia〃 （1915）。
Books of interest on special phases of reconstruction are not numerous； but among those deserving mention are Paul S。 Pierce's 〃The Freedmen's Bureau〃 （1904）； D。 M。 DeWitt's 〃The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson〃 （1903）； and Paul L。 Haworth's 〃The Hayes…Tilden Disputed Presidential Election of 1876〃 （1906）； each of which is a thorough study of its field。 J。 C。 Lester and D。 L。 Wilson's 〃Ku Klux Klan〃 （1905） and M。 L。 Avary's 〃Dixie After the War〃 （1906） contribute much to a fair understanding of the feeling of the whites after the Civil War； and Gideon Welles； 〃Diary〃； 3 vols。 （1911）； is a mine of information from a conservative cabinet officer's point of view。
For the politician's point of view one may go to James G。 Blaine's 〃Twenty Years of Congress〃； 2 vols。 （1884； 1886） and Samuel S。 Cox's 〃Three Decades of Federal Legislation〃 （1885）。 Good biographies are James A。 Woodburn's 〃The Life of Thaddeus Stevens〃 （1913）； Moorfield Storey's 〃Charles Sumner〃 （1900）； C。 F。 Adams's 〃Charles Francis Adams〃 （1900）。 Less satisfactory because more partisan is Edward Stanwood's 〃James Gillespie Blaine〃 （1906）。 There are no adequate biographies of the Democratic and Southern leaders。
The official documents are found conveniently arranged in William McDonald's 〃Select Statutes〃； 1861…1898 （1903）； and also with other material in Walter L。 Fleming's 〃Documentary History of Reconstruction〃； 2 vols。 （1906； 1907）。 The general reader is usually repelled by the collections known as 〃Public Documents〃。 The valuable 〃Ku Klux Trials〃 （1872） is； however； separately printed and to be found in most good libraries。 By a judicious use of the indispensable 〃Tables and Index to Public Documents；〃 one can find much vividly interesting material in connection with contested election cases and reports of congressional investigations into conditions in the South。
End