The effect produced by the measure was far-reaching and radical.

It changed the political history of the United States.

But it is well to remember that it never could have been accomplished except for the conduct of the Southern leaders.
The people of the States affected have always preferred as their chief grievance against the Republican party, that negro suffrage was imposed upon them as a condition of their re-admission to representation; but his recital of the facts in their proper sequence shows that the South deliberately and wittingly brought it upon themselves.

The Southern people knew, as well as the members of Congress knew, that the Northern people during the late political canvass were divided in their opinion in regard to the requirements of reconstruction, but that the strong preponderance was in favor of exacting only the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment as the condition of representation in Congress.

It was equally plain to all who cared to investigate, or even to inquire, that if that condition should be defiantly rejected, the more radical requirements would necessarily be exacted as a last resort,--rendered absolutely necessary indeed by the truculence of the Southern States.
The arguments that persuaded the Northern States of the necessity of this step were simple and direct.