Produced by Suzanne Shell, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net THE FACTS OF RECONSTRUCTION John R. Lynch Copyright, 1913, by The Neale Publishing Company [Illustration: John R. Lynch] CONTENTS PREFACE CHAPTER I THE PART PLAYED BY MISSISSIPPI IN THE EARLY DAYS OF RECONSTRUCTION II REORGANIZATION OF THE STATE DEPARTMENTS DURING GOVERNOR ALCORN'S ADMINISTRATION III THE REPUBLICAN COUNTY CONVENTION OF 1869 IV IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL AND POLITICAL MEASURES OF THE NEW LEGISLATURE V THE CONTEST FOR SPEAKER OF THE MISSISSIPPI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VI FUSION OF DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS IN THE STATE ELECTION OF 1873. REPUBLICAN VICTORY VII MISSISSIPPI SENDS B.K. BRUCE TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE VIII IMPROVED FINANCIAL CONDITION OF MISSISSIPPI UNDER THE AMES ADMINISTRATION IX WHAT CONSTITUTES "NEGRO DOMINATION" X OVERTHROW OF THE REPUBLICAN STATE GOVERNMENT IN MISSISSIPPI XI RISE OF DEMOCRATIC RADICALISM IN THE SOUTH XII EVENTFUL DAYS OF THE FORTY-THIRD CONGRESS XIII STATE CAMPAIGN OF 1875. REPUBLICAN VICTORY XIV INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND THE PRESIDENT REGARDING STATE APPOINTMENTS XV THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1876 AND ITS RESULTS XVI EFFECTS OF THE REFORM ADMINISTRATION IN MISSISSIPPI XVII THE HAYES-TILDEN CONTEST. THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION XVIII ATTITUDE OF THE HAYES ADMINISTRATION TOWARD THE SOUTH XIX QUESTION OF THE VALIDITY OF SENATOR LAMAR'S ELECTION XX REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION OF 1880. NOMINATION OF THE COMPROMISE CANDIDATE, GARFIELD XXI STORY OF THE MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN GARFIELD AND CONKLING XXII THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN OF 1884 XXIII THE ELECTION OF GROVER CLEVELAND XXIV INTERVIEW WITH SECRETARY LAMAR ON THE RETAINING OF COLORED MEN IN OFFICE XXV THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS BILL XXVI MISSISSIPPI AND THE NULLIFICATION OF THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT XXVII EFFECT OF THE MCKINLEY TARIFF BILL ON BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES XXVIII INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND PRESIDENT CLEVELAND AND SECRETARY GRESHAM XXIX THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONVENTION OF 1900 XXX ARGUMENT ON PROPOSED CHANGE OF REPRESENTATION IN CONVENTION XXXI COMPARISON OF BRYAN AND CLEVELAND XXXII THE SOLID SOUTH. FUTURE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PREFACE The author of this book is one of the few remaining links in the chain by which the present generation is connected with the reconstruction period,--the most important and eventful period in our country's history.