Many strong friendships sprang up, and through these personal relationships occasional bits of patronage and items of legislation were granted.
Often, it is said, politicians who were accustomed to assail one another in public sought each other's society and were the best of friends in private.

These Southern men were almost invariably a frugal lot who lived from necessity within their salaries and used no questionable means of increasing their incomes.
The election of Cleveland in 1884 gave to the South its first real participation in national affairs for a quarter of a century.

Thomas F.
Bayard of Delaware, L.Q.C.Lamar of Mississippi, and A.H.Garland of Arkansas were chosen for the Cabinet, from which the scholarly Lamar was transferred to the Supreme Court.

John G.Carlisle of Kentucky was Speaker, and Roger Q.Mills of Texas became Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee of the House to succeed William R.Morrison.A fair share, if not more, of the more important diplomatic, consular, and administrative appointments went to Southerners.

The South began to feel that it was again a part of the Union.