12 THE AGRARIAN CRUSADE 



party remained impotent for a number of years; 

 and Ulysses S. Grant, the nation's greatest military 

 hero, was easily elected to the presidency on the 

 Republican ticket in 1868. In the latter part of 

 Grant's first term, however, hostility began to mani- 

 fest itself among the Republicans themselves to- 

 ward the politicians in control at Washington. 

 Several causes tended to alienate from the Presi- 

 dent and his advisers the sympathies of many of 

 the less partisan and less prejudiced Republicans 

 throughout the North. Charges of corruption and 

 maladministration were rife and had much founda- 

 tion in truth. Even if Grant himself was not con- 

 sciously dishonest in his application of the spoils 

 system and in his willingness to receive reward in 

 return for political favors, he certainly can be 

 justly charged with the disposition to trust too 

 blindly in his friends and to choose men for public 

 office rather because of his personal preferences 

 than because of their qualifications for positions 

 of trust. 



Grant's enemies declared, moreover, with con- 

 siderable truth that the man was a military auto- 

 crat, unfit for the highest civil position in a democ- 

 racy. His high-handed policy in respect to Recon- 

 struction in the South evoked opposition from those 



