history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第6章

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oming　December　session；　that　there　would　be　no　sufficient　occasion　or　excuse　for　interfering　with　his　work　by　the　application　of　the　exasperating　conditions　that　had　been　foreshadowed　by　that　body。

On　this　point　Mr。　Welles；　his　Secretary　of　the　Navy；　testifies　that　at　the　close　of　a　Cabinet　meeting　held　immediately　preceding　Mr。　Lincoln's　death；　〃Mr。　Stanton　made　some　remarks　on　the　general　condition　of　affairs　and　the　new　phase　and　duties　upon　which　we　were　about　to　enter。　He　alluded　to　the　great　solicitude　which　the　President　felt　on　this　subject；　his　frequent　recurrence　to　the　necessity　of　establishing　civil　governments　and　preserving　order　in　the　rebel　States。　Like　the　rest　of　the　Cabinet；　doubtless；　he　had　given　this　subject　much　consideration；　and　with　a　view　of　having　something　practical　on　which　to　base　action；　he　had　drawn　up　a　rough　plan　or　ordinance　which　he　had　handed　to　the　President。

〃The　President　said　he　proposed　to　bring　forward　that　subject；　although　he　had　not　had　time　as　yet　to　give　much　attention　to　the　details　of　the　paper　which　the　Secretary　of　War　had　given　him　only　the　day　before；　but　that　it　was　substantially；　in　its　general　scope；　the　plan　which　we　had　sometimes　talked　over　in　Cabinet　meetings。　We　should　probably　make　some　modifications；　prescribe　further　details；　there　were　some　suggestions　which　he　should　wish　to　make；　and　he　desired　all　to　bring　their　minds　to　the　question；　for　no　greater　or　more　important　one　could　come　before　us；　or　any　future　Cabinet。　He　thought　it　providential　that；　this　great　rebellion　was　crushed　just　as　Congress　had　adjourned；　AND　THERE　WERE　NONE　OF　THE　DISTURBING　ELEMENTS　OF　THAT　BODY　TO　HINDER　AND　EMBARRASS　US。　If　we　were　wise　and　discreet；　we　should　reanimate；　the　States　and　get　their　governments　in　successful　operation；　with　order　prevailing　and　the　Union　reestablished；　BEFORE　CONGRESS　CAME　TOGETHER　IN　DECEMBER。　This　he　thought　important。　We　could　do　better；　accomplish　more　without　than　with　them。　There　were　men　in　Congress　who；　if　their　motives　were　good；　were　nevertheless　impracticable；　and　who　possessed　feelings　of　hate　and　vindictiveness　in　which　he　did　not　sympathize　and　could　not　participate。　Each　House　of　Congress；　he　said；　had　the　undoubted　right　to　receive　or　reject　members；　the　Executive　had　no　control　in　this　matter。　But　Congress　had　NOTHING　TO　DO　WITH　THE　STATE　GOVERNMENTS；　which　the　President　could　recognize；　and　under　existing　laws　treat　as　other　States；　give　the　same　mail　facilities；　collect　taxes；　appoint　judges；　marshals；　collectors；　etc。；　subject；　of　course；　to　confirmation。　There　were　men　who　objected　to　these　views；　BUT　THEY　WERE　NOT　HERE；　AND　WE　MUST　MAKE　HASTE　TO　DO　OUR　DUTY　BEFORE　THEY　CAME　HERE。〃

The　subjugated　States　were　in　a　condition　that　could　not　be　safely　permitted　to　continue　for　any　indefinite　period。　It　would　be　inconsistent　with　the　purpose　of　the　war；　incongruous　to　the　American　system　and　idea　of　government；　and　antagonistic　to　American　political；　or　even　commercial　or　social　autonomy。　Naturally　upon　Mr。　Lincoln　would　fall　largely　the　duty　and　responsibility　of　formulating　and　inaugurating　some　method　of　restoration。　With　the　abolition　of　slavery；　the　most　difficult　of　settlement　of　all　the　obstacles　in　the　way　of　reconstruction　had　been　removed。　Naturally；　too；　during　the　later　months　of　the　war；　when　it　became　manifest　that　the　end　of　the　struggle　was　near；　the　question　of　reconstruction　and　the　methods　whereby　it　could　be　most　naturally；　speedily；　and　effectively　accomplished；　came　uppermost　in　his　mind。　A　humane；　just　man；　and　a　sincere；　broad…brained；　patriot　and　far…seeing　statesman；　he　instinctively　rejected　the　many　drastic　schemes　which　filled　a　large　portion　of　the　public　press　of　the　North　and　afterwards　characterized　many　of　the　suggestions　of　Congressional　action。　With　him　the　prime　purpose　of　the　war　was　the　preservation　of　the　political；　territorial　and　economic　integrity　of　the　Republicin　a　word；　to　restore　the　Union；　without　needless　humiliation　to　the　defeated　party；　or　the　imposition　of　unnecessarily　rigorous　terms　which　could　but　result　in　future　frictionswithout　slaveryand　yet　with　sufficient　safeguards　against　future　disloyal　association　of　the　sections；　and　that　purpose　had　been　approved　by　an　overwhelming　majority　of　the　people　in　his　re…election　in　1864。

In　these　purposes　and　methods　Mr。　Lincoln　appears　to　have　had　the　active　sympathy　and　co…operation　of　his　entire　Cabinet；　more　especially　of　Mr。　Stanton；　his　Secretary　of　War。　Indeed；　Mr。　Stanton　is　understood；　from　the　record；　to　have　been　the　joint　author；　with　Mr。　Lincoln；　of　the　plan　of　reconstruction　agreed　upon　at　the　later　meetings　of　the　Cabinet　immediately　prior　to　Mr。　Lincoln's　death。　Mr。　Stanton　proposed　to　put　it　in　the　form　of　a　military　orderMr。　Lincoln　made　an　Executive　order。　The　plan　was　embodied　in　what　afterwards　became　known　as　the　〃North　Carolina　Proclamation；〃　determined　upon　by　Mr。　Lincoln　at　his　last　Cabinet　meeting　and　promulgated　by　Mr。　Johnson　shortly　after　his　accession　to　the　Presidency　as　Mr。　Lincoln's　successor；　and　is　inserted　in　a　subsequent　chapter。

Mr。　Lincoln　unquestionably　comprehended　the　peculiar　conditions　under　which　the　Republican　party　had　come　to　the　control　of　the　legislative　branch　of　the　Government；　and　fully　realized　the　incapacity　of　the　dominant　element　in　that　control　for　the　delicate　work　of　restoration　and　reconstructionleading　a　conquered　and　embittered　people　back　peacefully　and　successfully；　without　unnecessary　friction；　into　harmonious　relations　to　the　Union。

No　such　responsibility；　no　such　herculean　task；　had　ever　before；　in　the　history　of　civilization；　devolved　upon　any　ruler　or　political　party。

Mr。　Lincoln　seems　to　have　realized　the　incapacity　of　party　leaders　brought　to　the　surface　by　the　tumult　and　demoralization　of　the　time；　whose　only　exploits　and　experiences　were　in　the　line　of　destruction　and　who　must　approach　the　task　with　divided　counsel；　to　cope　successfully　with　the　delicate　and　responsible　work　of　restoration　the　close　of　the　war　had　made　imperative。　He　comprehended　the　incongruities　which　characterized　that　great　party　better　than　its　professed　leaders；　and　foresaw　the　futility　of　any　effort　on　its　part；　at　that　time　and　in　its　then　temper；　to　the　early　establishment　of　any　coherent　or　successful　method　of　restoration。　Hence；　unquestionably；　his　prompt　action　in　that　behalf；　and　his　failure　to　call　the　Congress　into　special　session；　to　the　end　that　there　should　be　no　time　unnecessarily　consumed　and　lost　in　the　institution　of　some　efficient　form　of　civil　government　in　the　returning　Statessome　form　that　would　have　the　sanction　of　intelligent　authority　competent　to　restore　and　enforce　public　order；　without　the　dangers　of　delay　and　consequent　disorder　that　must　result；　and　did　afterwards　result；　from　the　protracted　debates　sure　to　follow　and　did　follow　the　sudden　precipitation　of　the　questions　of　reconstruction　and　reconciliation　upon　a　mass　of　Congressmen　totally　inexperienced　in　the　anomalous　conditions　of　that　time；　or　in　the　methods　most　needed　for　their　correction。

That　Mr。　Lincoln　contemplated　the　ultimate　and　not　remote　enfranchisement　of　the　late　slaves；　is　manifest　from　his　suggestion　to　Gov。　Hahn；　of　Louisiana；　hereinbefore　quoted　in　connection　with　the　then　approaching　Convention　for　the　re…establishment　of　State　Government　there；　and　again　still　more　manifest　from　his　last　public　utterance　on　April　11；　1865；　deprecating　the　rejection　by　Congress　of　his　plan　for　the　restoration　of　Louisiana；　in　which；　he　said；　speaking　of　that　action　by　Congress　rejecting　the　Louisiana　bill：　〃Grant　that　the　colored　male　desires　the　elective　franchise。　He　will　attain　it　sooner　by　saving　the　already　advanced　steps　towards　it　than　by　running　back　over　them。〃

It　is　also　apparent　in　the　light　of　the　succeeding　history　of　that　time　and　of　that　question；　that　if　Mr。　Lincoln's　views　had　been　seconded　by　Congress；　the　enfranchisement　of　the　negro　would　have　been；　though　delayed；　as　certain　of　accomplishment；　and　of　a　vastly　higher　and　more　satisfactory　planeand　the　country　saved　the　years　of　friction　and　disgraceful　public　disorder　that　characterized　the　enforcement　of　the　Congressional　p