There was another alternative, and a better one. In fact, there were two other conceivable ways of doing these things, either of which would have been better than the one chosen. The one was, as has been already suggested, to establish Territorial civil governments in the late rebellious region and maintain them there until the civil relations between the two races became settled and fixed. The other was to so amend the Constitution of the United States, before the readmission of the "States" which had renounced the "State" form of local {135} government under the Union, as to give Congress and the national judiciary the power to define and defend the fundamental principles of civil liberty. Neither of these methods would have demanded martial law or universal negro suffrage. It is entirely surprising, from the point of view of to-day, that one or the other of these methods or a combination of both was not resorted to, instead of the monstrous plan that was carried out. There is no way to explain this sufficiently, except upon the reflection that the passions of the men of that day had become so inflamed and so completely dominating that they obscured reason, drowned the voice of prudence, and even dulled the sense of decency. There were a few who favored universal negro suffrage from an exalted and exaggerated humanitarianism, but the mass of the Republicans sustained it as a punishment to the late rebellious whites, and as a means of establishing Republican party "State" governments in the South. Many claimed, indeed, that it was the only alternative to long-continued martial law rule, but they were either very ignorant or very insincere. [Sidenote: The assignment of the commanding generals to the military districts created by the Reconstruction Acts.] In prompt obedience to the requirements of the two Reconstruction Acts, the President issued his general order through the Adjutant-General's office, on March 11th, assigning General Schofield to the command of the first military district, as created by these Acts, with his head-quarters at Richmond, Virginia; General Sickles to that of the second, with his head-quarters at Columbia, South Carolina; General Thomas to that of the third, with his head-quarters at Montgomery, Alabama; General Ord to that of the fourth, with his head-quarters at Vicksburg, Mississippi; and General Sheridan to that of the fifth, with his head-quarters at New {136} Orleans, Louisiana. On the 15th this order was so modified as to change the assignment of General Thomas from the command of the third district to that of the Department of the Cumberland, and to substitute General Pope for him in the command of the third district. [Sidenote: The re-establishment of martial law in the South.]