| CHAPTER I. | A TRANSITION PERIOD |
| CHAPTER II. | POLITICAL GROPING AND PARTY FLUCTUATION |
| CHAPTER III. | THE ADVENT OF CLEVELAND |
| CHAPTER IV. | A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS |
| CHAPTER V. | PARTY POLICY IN CONGRESS |
| CHAPTER VI. | PRESIDENTIAL KNIGHT-ERRANTRY |
| CHAPTER VII. | THE PUBLIC DISCONTENTS |
| CHAPTER VIII. | THE REPUBLICAN OPPORTUNITY |
| CHAPTER IX. | THE FREE SILVER REVOLT |
| CHAPTER X. | LAW AND ORDER UPHELD |
Politicians at Washington very generally failed to realize that the advent of President Hayes marked the dismissal of the issues of war and reconstruction. They regarded as an episode what turned out to be the close of an era. They saw, indeed, that public interest in the old issues had waned, but they were confident that this lack of interest was transient. They admitted that the emotional fervor excited by the war and by the issues of human right involved in its results was somewhat damped, but they believed that the settlement of those issues was still so incomplete that public interest would surely rekindle. For many years the ruling thought of the Republican party leaders was to be watchful of any opportunity to ply the bellows on the embers. Besides genuine concern over the way in which the negroes had been divested of political privileges conferred by national legislation, the Republicans felt a tingling sense of party injury.
The most eminent party leaders at this time—both standing high as presidential possibilities—were James G. Blaine and John Sherman. In a m