I will not, however, enter upon the argument in reference to this question at this point. That belongs to the body of the book. I will only add that, in my opinion, the North has already yielded assent to this proposition, and has already made the required acknowledgment. The policy of Mr. Hayes's administration, and of all the administrations since his, can be explained and justified only upon this assumption. And now that the United States has embarked in imperial enterprises, under the direction of the Republican party, the great Northern party, the North is learning every day by valuable experiences that there are vast differences in political capacity between the races, and that it is the white man's mission, his duty and his right, to hold the reins of political power in his own hands for the civilization of the world and the welfare of mankind. Let the South be equally ready, sincere, and manly in the consciousness and the acknowledgment of its share in past errors, and the reconciliation will be complete and permanent! I have again to express my thanks to my friend and colleague, Dr. Cushing, for his aid in bringing this volume through the press. I desire also to acknowledge the courtesy of the New York _Independent_ for allowing parts of my article on the Geneva Award, published some years ago in that esteemed journal, to be incorporated in the last chapter of this book. JOHN W. BURGESS. 323 WEST 57TH ST., NEW YORK CITY, January 22d, 1902. CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER I THE THEORY OF RECONSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 CHAPTER II PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S VIEWS AND ACTS IN REGARD TO RECONSTRUCTION . 8 CHAPTER III PRESIDENT JOHNSON'S PLAN OF RECONSTRUCTION AND HIS PROCEEDINGS IN REALIZATION OF IT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 CHAPTER IV THE CONGRESSIONAL PLAN OF RECONSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 CHAPTER V THE CONGRESSIONAL PLAN (_Continued_) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 CHAPTER VI THE CONGRESSIONAL PLAN (_Continued_) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 CHAPTER VII THE CONGRESSIONAL PLAN (_Completed_) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 CHAPTER VIII THE EXECUTION OF THE RECONSTRUCTION ACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 CHAPTER IX THE ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE PRESIDENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 CHAPTER X RECONSTRUCTION RESUMED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 CHAPTER XI PRESIDENT GRANT AND RECONSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 CHAPTER XII "CARPET-BAG" AND NEGRO DOMINATION IN THE SOUTHERN STATES BETWEEN 1868 AND 1876 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 CHAPTER XIII THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1876 AND ITS CONSEQUENCES . . . . . 280 CHAPTER XIV INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES BETWEEN 1867 AND 1877 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299