nd declared that Governor Kellogg himself held by no
rightful tenure. But the Republicans backed a compromise offered by
Wheeler, which the Louisianians accepted,--the Democrats took the
Legislature, while the Republicans kept the governorship. The returning
board survived, to put in its deadly work two years later.

CHAPTER XXXV

RECONSTRUCTION: THE LAST ACT

We turn back to the course of national politics. The Republican triumph
of 1872 was followed by an overwhelming reverse at the Congressional
election of 1874. There was a growing impression of maladministration at
Washington. The Credit Mobilier scandal--the easy acceptance by
Congressmen of financial favors from the managers of the Union Pacific
Railway, followed by disingenuous denials--had especially discredited
the party in power. There had been a great financial reverse in 1873,
such as is always charged in the popular mind against the ruling powers.
The South had increased its Democratic vote. So from various causes, in
the new House the Republicans passed from a majority of one hundred to a
minority of forty; with New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and even
Massachusetts, in the Democratic column.

But the clique of bitter partisans and radicals, with whom President
Grant had become closely associated, if they took warning from the
election, drew the inference that they must make good use of the brief
time left them in the final term of the old Congress. While the
Louisiana imbroglio was still seething, the President sent a message, in
February, 1875, recommending that the State government of Arkansas be
declared illegal. It had held an unquestioned tenure for two years, and
the proposal to oust it was simply in the interest of its two Senators,
Powell Clayton and Stephen W. Dorsey, who belonged to the Grant faction.
At the same time there was brought forward a comprehensive measure,
popularly known as the "Force bill," bringing every form of violence or
intimidation of the blacks within the jurisdiction of the United States
courts; putting elections under supervision and control of the Federal
officials, and giving the President large power for the supervision of
the _habeas corpus_. Another long debated measure aimed at the fuller
enforcement of civil rights--a bill good in itself, said the moderate
Republicans; better if a part of a general pacification; but with its
present accompaniment it is "civil rights prodded in with bayonets." In
the Repub