history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第4章

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usand　eight　hundred　and　sixty；　each　having　taken　the　oath　aforesaid　and　not　having　since　violated　it；　and　being　a　qualified　voter　by　the　election　laws　of　the　State　existing　immediately　before　the　so…called　act　of　secession；　and　excluding　all　others；　shall　reestablish　a　State　government　which　shall　be　republican；　and　in　no　wise　contravening　said　oath；　such　shall　be　recognized　as　the　true　government　of　the　State；　and　the　State　shall　receive　thereunder　the　benefits　of　the　constitutional　provision　which　declares　that　〃the　United　States　shall　guarantee　to　every　state　in　this　Union　a　republican　form　of　government；　and　shall　protect　each　of　them　against　invasion；　and；　on　the　application　of　the　legislature；　or　the　executive　（when　the　legislature　cannot　be　convened）　against　domestic　violence。〃

And　I　do　further　proclaim；　declare；　and　make　known；　that　any　provision　which　may　be　adopted　by　such　State　government　in　relation　to　the　freed　people　of　such　State；　which　shall　recognize　and　declare　their　permanent　freedom；　provide　for　their　education；　and　which　may　yet　be　consistent　as　a　temporary　arrangement　with　their　present　condition　as　a　laboring；　landless；　and　homeless　class；　will　not　be　objected　to　by　the　National　Executive。

And　it　is　suggested　as　not　improper　that；　in　constructing　a　loyal　State　government　in　any　State；　the　name　of　the　State；　the　boundary；　the　subdivisions；　the　constitution；　and　the　general　code　of　laws；　as　before　the　rebellion；　be　maintained；　subject　only　to　the　modifications　made　necessary　by　the　conditions　hereinbefore　stated；　and　such　others；　if　any；　not　contravening　said　conditions；　and　which　may　be　deemed　expedient　by　those　framing　the　new　State　government。

To　avoid　misunderstanding；　it　may　be　proper　to　say；　that　whether　members　sent　to　Congress　from　any　State　shall　be　admitted　to　seats；　constitutionally　rests　exclusively　with　the　respective　houses；　and　not　to　any　extent　with　the　Executive。　And　still　further；　that　this　proclamation　is　intended　to　present　to　the　people　of　the　States　wherein　the　National　authority　has　been　suspended；　and　loyal　State　governments　have　been　subverted；　a　mode　in　and　by　which　the　National　authority　and　loyal　State　governments；　may　be　re…established　within　said　States；　or；　in　any　of　them；　and　while　the　mode　presented　is　the　best　the　Executive　can　suggest；　with　his　present　impressions；　it　must　not　be　understood　that　no　other　possible　mode　would　be　acceptable。

Given　under　my　hand　at　the　City　of　Washington；　the　eighth　day　of　December；　in　the　year　of　our　Lord　one　thousand　eight　hundred　and　sixty…three；　and　of　the　Independence　of　the　United　States　of　America；　the　eighty…eighth。

＇L。　S。＇

By　the　President：　Abraham　Lincoln。　William　H。　Seward；　Secretary　of　State。

How　the　revolted　States　could　be　most　successfully　and　expeditiously　restored　to　their　constitutional　relations　to　the　Union　on　the　cessation　of　hostilities；　was　the　momentous　question　of　the　hour；　upon　which　there　were　views　and　schemes　as　varied　and　antagonistic　as　were　the　mental　differences　and　political　disagreements　of　those　who　felt　called　upon　to　engage　in　the　stupendous　work。　As　history　had　recorded　no　similar　conditions；　and　therefore　no　demand　for　the　solution　of　such　a　problem；　there　were　no　examples　or　historic　lights　for　the　guidance　of　those　upon　whom　the　task　had　fallen。

It　is　apparent　that　Mr。　Lincoln　maintained　the　indestructibility　of　the　States　and　the　indivisibility　of　the　Unionthat　the　resolutions　of　secession　were　null　and　void；　and　that　the　States　lately　in　rebellion　were　never　in　fact　but　only　in　theory　out　of　the　Unionthat　they　retained　inherently；　though　now　dormant；　their　State　autonomy　and　constitutional　rights　as　before　their　revolutionary　acts；　except　as　to　slavery；　and　that　all　their　people　had　to　do；　to　re…establish　their　former　status；　as　he　declared　to　the　Emperor　of　the　French　when　that　potentate　was　about　to　recognize　the　Confederacy；　was　to　resume　their　duties　as　loyal；　law…abiding　citizens；　and　reorganize　their　State　Governments　on　a　basis　of　loyalty　to　the　Constitution　and　the　Union。　The　terms　he　proposed　to　formally　offer　them　were　first　illustrated　in　the　case　of　Louisiana；　early　in　1863；　and　later　in　the　foregoing　Message　and　Proclamation；　and　clearly　indicated　what　was　to　be　his　policy　and　process　of　reconstruction。

Messrs。　Flanders　and　Hahn　were　admitted　to　the　House　of　Representatives　as　members　from　Louisiana　agreeably　to　the　President's　views　thus　outlined。　They　had　been　chosen　at　an　election　ordered　by　the　Governor　of　the　State　（Gov。　Shepley）；　who　had　undoubtedly　been　permitted；　if　not　specially　authorized　by　the　President；　to　take　this　step；　but　they　were　the　last　to　be　received　from　Louisiana　under　Mr。　Lincoln's　plan；　as　the　next　Congress　resolved　to　receive　no　more　members　from　the　seceded　States　till　joint　action　by　the　two　Houses　therefor　should　be　had。

Prior　to　the　election　at　which　these　gentlemen　were　chosen；　Mr。　Lincoln　addressed　a　characteristic　note　to　Gov。　Shepley；　which　was　in　effect　a　warning　that　Federal　officials　not　citizens　of　Louisiana　must　not　be　chosen　to　represent　the　State　in　Congress；　〃We　do　not；〃　said　he；　referring　to　the　South；　〃particularly　need　members　of　Congress　from　those　States　to　get　along　with　legislation　here。　What　we　do　want　is　the　conclusive　evidence　that　respectable　citizens　of　Louisiana　are　willing　to　be　members　of　Congress　and　to　swear　support　to　the　Constitution；　and　that　other　respectable　citizens　are　willing　to　vote　for　them　and　send　them。　To　send　a　parcel　of　Northern　men　as　Representatives；　elected；　as　would　be　understood；　（and　perhaps　really　so）　at　the　point　of　the　bayonet；　would　be　disgraceful　and　outrageous。〃

Mr。　Lincoln　would　tolerate　none　of　the　〃carpet…bagging〃　that　afterwards　became　so　conspicuous　and　offensive　under　the　Congressional　plan　of　Reconstruction。

These　steps　for　reconstruction　in　Louisiana　were　followed　by　the　assembling　of　a　convention　to　frame　a　new　constitution　for　that　State。　The　convention　was　organized　early　in　1864；　and　its　most　important　act　was　the　prompt　incorporation　of　an　antislavery　clause　in　its　organic　law。　By　a　vote　of　70　to　16　the　convention　declared　slavery　to　be　forever　abolished　in　the　State。　The　new　Constitution　was　adopted　by　the　people　of　the　State　on　the　5th　day　of　the　ensuing　September　by　a　vote　of　6；836　in　its　favor；　to　1；566　against　it。　As　the　total　vote　of　Louisiana　in　1860　was　50；510；　the　new　government　had　fulfilled　the　requirement　of　the　President's　Proclamation。　It　was　sustained　by　more　than　the　required　one…tenth　vote。

In　a　personal　note　of　congratulation　to　Gov。　Hahn；　of　Louisiana；　the　President；　speaking　of　the　coming　convention；　suggested　that　〃some　of　the　colored　people　be　let　in；　as　for　instance；　the　very　intelligent；　and　especially　those　who　have　fought　gallantly　in　our　ranks。〃　〃They　would；〃　said　he；　〃probably　help　in　some　trying　time　in　the　future　TO　KEEP　THE　JEWEL　OF　LIBERTY　IN　THE　FAMILY　OF　FREEDOM。〃

This　action　in　regard　to　Louisiana　was　accompanied；　indeed　in　some　particulars　preceded；　by　similar　action　in　Arkansas。　A　Governor　was　elected；　an　anti…slavery　Constitution　adopted；　a　State　Government　duly　installed；　and　Senators　and　Representatives　in　Congress　elected；　but　were　refused　admission　by　Congress。　Mr。　Sumner；　when　the　credentials　of　the　Senators…elect　were　presented；　foreshadowing　the　position　to　be　taken　by　the　Republican　leaders；　offered　a　resolution　declaring　that　〃a　State　pretending　to　secede　from　the　Union；　and　battling　against　the　General　Government　to　maintain　that　position；　must　be　regarded　as　a　rebel　State　subject　to　military　occupation　and　without　representation　on　this　floor　until　it　has　been　readmitted　by　a　vote　of　both　Houses　of　Congress；　and　the　Senate　will　decline　to　receive　any　such　application　from　any　such　rebel　State　until　after　such　a　vote　by　both　Houses。〃

A　few　weeks　later；　on　the　27th　of　June；　1864；　this　resolution　was　in　effect　reported　back　to　the　Senate　by　the　Judiciary　Committee；　to　which　it　had　been　referred；　and　adopted　by　a　vote　of　27　to　6。　The　same　action　was　had　in　the　House　of　Representatives　on　the　application　of　the　Representatives…elect　from　Arkansas　for　admission　to　that　body。

This　was　practically　the　declara