Page:Essays on the Civil War and Reconstruction.djvu/222

 208 THE PROCESS OF RECONSTRUCTION commander, on the ground that the *' state of the treasury, the rate at which money is coming in, and the prospective current wants of the state" would not warrant it.^ The convention accord- ingly took a recess, to await developments in con- nection with the special tax which it had levied. As the net result of the first year's full opera- tion of the Reconstruction Acts but six states out the ten were qualified for restoration to normal relations to the national government. In view of the manifestations of public opinion in the North against both military government and negro suf- frage, the Republican leaders were anxious to have the whole matter off their hands before the Presi- dential election. By resort to methods of ques- tionable regularity they were able to increase the number of restored states to seven, and on this record to go before the people. The triumph in the elections relieved the pressure for prompt action, and it was only after two additional years of military rule that the reconstruction of the re- maining three states was complete. Ill Upon the ratification of constitutions in the rebel states the next step contemplated by the Reconstruction Acts was the approval of these constitutions by Congress and the formal declara- Ann. Cyc, 1868, p. 730. hey whats up qt pi