STRUCTION.) The immediate occasion of the passage of this resolution was the course of President Johnson in violating the "Tenure of Office Act" (q.v.), which made requisite the consent of the Senate to removals from office by the President, and of which Congress availed itself to prevent the removal of Stanton from the position of Secretary of War. The Senate acted as the court of impeachment. and on March 23, 1868. the Chief Justice presiding, pro ceeded to try Andrew Johnson on eleven articles of impeachment. The result was his acquittal, the prosecution lacking the necessary two-thirds majority. It was not until 1808 that the States of Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, North and South Carolina, Georgia. and Louisiana were read mitted into the Union. On March 1, 1867, Ne braska had been admitted as a new State. About the same time Alaska was sold to the United States by Russia.
At the election of 1.368 the Republican can didates were Ulysses S.' Grant, of Illinois, and Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana. The Democrats nominated Horatio Seymour, of New York. and Francis P. Blair, Jr., of Missouri. Grant and Col fax received 214 electoral votes, and Seymour and Blair 80, the Democrats having carried eight States. On February 26. 1869. the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, guaranteeing the right of suffrage without regard to race, color, or previous condition of servitude, passed Congress and was ratified March 30, 1870.
XXI. and XXII. ADMINISTRATION or ULYSSES' S. GRANT (1809.1877). Cabinet.—Seeretary of State, E. It. 15'ashburne, Illinois, March 5, 1869; Hamilton Fish, New York, March 11, 1860. Sco rclary of the Treaviry, George S. Boutwell, Mas sachuse(ts, March II, 1869; William A. Richard son, March 17, 1873; Benjamin H. Bristow, Kentucky. June 2, 1874; Lot M. Morrill, Maine, June 21, 1876. Secretary of War, John A. Rawlins, Illinois, March II, 1869; Wil liam T. Sherman, Ohio. September 9, 1869; Wil liam W. Belknap, Iowa. October 25, 1869; Alphonso Taft, Ohio, March 8, 1876; J. D. Cam eron, Pennsylvania, lay 22, 1870. secretary of the Nary, Adolph E. Boric. Pennsylvania, March 5. 1869; George M. Robeson. New Jersey, June 25, 1809. Sccretarp of Ike Interior, Jacob 1). Cox, Ohio. March 5, 18691 Columbus Delano, Ohio, No vember 1, 1870; Zacha•iah Chandler. Michigan, October 19. 1875. .1t/orney4Ipacra/, E. R. lloar, Massachusetts, March 5, 1869; Amos T. nun, Georgia. June 23, 1870; George 11. Wil liams, Oregon, December 14, 1871: Edwards Pierrepont, New York, April 26, 1875; Alphonso Taft, Ohio, May 22, 1870. Postmaster-Ucurral,
J. A. J. Creswell, Maryland, March 5, 1809; Marshall Jewell, Connecticut. August 24, 1874; James M. Tyner, Indiana, July 12, 1876.
One of the most important events of President Grant's administration was the meeting of the Joint High Commission, appointed to consider the Aiabama ease (see ALABANIA CLAIMS), and which concluded the Treaty of Washington (q.v.), ratified by the Senate May 24, 1871.
Among other notable occurrences during this administration was the completion in May, 1869, of the Union and Central Pacific railroads, be gun in 1865, providing a continuous line of rail way from the Missouri to the Pacific, and com pleting the transcontinental system. Out of the connection of the Government with the con struction of these roads—the Government having given valuable subsidies in land and money to the constructing companies—arose the Credit Mobilier scandal, which involved the reputation of ninny prominent officials and members of Congress. (See CIltDIT MOBILIER OF AMERICA.) The enmity of the white population of the Southern States toward the freedmen, particu larly in regard to the exercise by the latter of their newly acquired right of suffrage, attracted public attention, 1868-72, until Congress inter vened by legislation in the form of the so-called Force Act of April. 1870. (Sec Ku KLI•x KLAN; RECONSTRUCTION.) Disputes arose in several of the States over contested elections. and the President intervened in Louisiana in 1872-73, by sending Federal troops to that State, to bring about an adjustment of the difficulty, the troops supporting the Repub lican candidate for Governor and installing him in aliee. (Sec LOUISIANA.) In this and other instances. as well as in the suppression of the Kit Klux Klan, the President was considered by many to have acted with undue severity toward the South. A movement was made by the Gov ernment at the desire of President Grant in the direction of the acquisition of San Domingo, the people of that country desiring annexation to the United States, bn* the project was de feated in the Senate. In March, 1871, the first steps were taken toward the reform of the civil service by a bill authorizing the President to appoint a board of Civil Service Commissioners to provide for the appointment of applicants for minor offices on the basis of an examination.