Southern hot-bloods replied, and Blaine skillfully led them on until they had foolishly furnished him with ample material for campaign purposes.

The feeling thus aroused was so strong that it even galvanized into seeming life the dying interest in the wrongs of the Negro.

The rallying cry "Vote as you shot!" gave the Republicans something to fight for; the party referred to its war record, claimed credit for preserving the Union, emancipating the Negro, and reconstructing the South, and demanded that the country be not "surrendered to rebel rule." Hayes and Tilden, the rival candidates for the presidency, were both men of high character and of moderate views.

Their nominations had been forced by the better element of each party.

Hayes, the Republican candidate, had been a good soldier, was moderate in his views on Southern questions, and had a clean political reputation.