s of Reconstruction,--both having
been elected chiefly by the votes of colored men,--were among the best
with which that State was ever blessed, the generally accepted
impression to the contrary notwithstanding. In 1869 Alcorn was elected
to serve for a term of four years. Ames was elected to serve the
succeeding term. Alcorn was one of the old citizens of the State, and
was therefore thoroughly identified with its business, industrial, and
social interests. He had been one of the large and wealthy landowners
and slave-owners, and therefore belonged to that small but select and
influential class known as Southern aristocrats.

Alcorn had taken an active and prominent part in public matters since
his early manhood. Before the War of the Rebellion he had served several
terms as a member of the Legislature. He represented his county,
Coahoma, in the Secession Convention of 1861. He was bitterly opposed
to Secession and fought it bravely; but when he found himself in a
hopeless minority he gracefully acquiesced in the decision of the
majority and signed the ordinance of Secession. He also joined the
Confederate Army and took an active part in raising troops for the same.
He was made brigadier-general, and had command of the Confederate forces
in Mississippi for a good while. But, since the President of the
Confederacy did not seem to be particularly partial to him, he was not
allowed to see very much field service.

When the war was over he took an active part in the work of
rehabilitation and Reconstruction. He strongly supported the Andrew
Johnson plan of Reconstruction, and by the Legislature that was elected
under that plan he was chosen one of the United States Senators, but was
not admitted to the seat to which he had been elected. When the Johnson
plan of Reconstruction was repudiated and rejected by the voters of the
Northern States, and when what was known as the Congressional Plan of
Reconstruction was endorsed and approved, Alcorn decided that further
opposition to that plan was useless and unwise, and he publicly advised
acceptance of it. His advice having been rejected by the Democrats,
nothing remained for him to do but to join the Republican party, which
he did in the early part of 1869.

Since he was known to be a strong, able and influential man,--one who
possessed the respect and confidence of the white people of the State
regardless of party differences,--he was tendered the Republican
nomination for t