He also sought to boost his chances in Tennessee while reestablishing civil government by making the loyalty oath even more restrictive, in that voters would now have to swear that they opposed making a settlement with the Confederacy. The Democratic candidate for president, George McClellan, hoped to avoid additional bloodshed by negotiation, and so the stricter loyalty oath effectively disenfranchised his supporters.
To increase his chances in Tennessee, he implemented a more restrictive loyalty oath for voters, requiring them to swear they opposed any settlement with the Confederacy. This move was intended to bolster his position while also reestablishing civil government in the state. However, it backfired as Democratic candidate George McClellan sought to avoid bloodshed through negotiation and thus, the stricter oath disenfranchised his supporters.