ngress took the matter in hand, and after years of labor brought
forth State governments far worse than either of those that had
been torn down.

Party ambition on the one hand, and timidity on the other, were
the parents of these great follies. The presidential succession
was the mainspring of the first movement and of the opposition
thereto, while that and party majority in Congress were the motives
of the later "reconstruction." Both ingloriously failed, as they
deserved to do. How much stronger the Republican party would have
been if it had relied upon the loyal States which had sustained it
through the war, instead of timidly distrusting them and trying to
bolster itself up by the aid of the negro and "carpet-bag" governments
in the South!

Political reconstruction ought not to have been thought of at the
close of the war. What was then needed was local civil government
under such military control as might be necessary, restoration of
order, industry, and material prosperity, leading to a gradual
reorganization of the society which had been completely broken up
by the war. After this had been done, and Congress had decided
upon the conditions of full restoration, it would have been time
enough to inaugurate political reconstruction. This was clear
enough at the time to those who had studied the subject and knew
by personal observation the real condition and feeling of the
Southern people. But the leading politicians of either party do
not appear to have had the wisdom and moral courage to advocate
such a policy. Both were impatient to see their party represented
on the floors of Congress by members from the South.

POLITICAL RECONSTRUCTION

It was something of the kind above suggested which was aimed at by
Generals Sherman and Johnston, and which was deemed wise by the
leading generals both North and South. There were several conditions
in the memorandum that were clearly inadmissible, though easy of
correction without changing the essential features of the document.
This was to be expected from a hasty effort to solve a great
political problem by a man without political education or experience.
Sherman's failure was not unlike that of great politicians who
undertake to command armies. Their general ideas may be very good,
but they have no knowledge of details, and hence make mistakes
resulting in failure.

As now seen, projected upon the dark back