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One　of　the　most　statesmanlike　proposals　was　made　by　Governor　John　A。　Andrew　of　Massachusetts。　If；　forgetting　their　theories；　the　conservatives　could　have　united　in　support　of　a　restoration　conceived　in　his　spirit；　the　goal　might　have　been　speedily　achieved。　Andrew　demanded　a　reorganization；　based　upon　acceptance　of　the　results　of　the　war；　but　carried　through　with　the　aid　of　〃those　who　are　by　their　intelligence　and　character　the　natural　leaders　of　their　people　and　who　surely　will　lead　them　by　and　by。　〃These　men　cannot　be　kept　out　forever；　said　he；　for　the　capacity　of　leadership　is　a　gift；　not　a　device。　They　whose　courage；　talents；　and　will　entitle　them　to　lead；　will　lead　。　。　。　。　If　we　cannot　gain　their　support　of　the　just　measures　needful　for　the　work　of　safe　reorganization；　reorganization　will　be　delusive　and　full　of　danger。　They　are　the　most　hopeful　subjects　to　deal　with。　They　have　the　brain　and　the　experience　and　the　education　to　enable　them　to　understand　。　。　。　the　present　situation。　They　have　the　courage　as　well　as　the　skill　to　lead　the　people　in　the　direction　their　judgments　point　。　。　。　。　Is　it　consistent　with　reason　and　our　knowledge　of　human　nature；　to　believe　the　masses　of　Southern　men　able　to　face　about；　to　turn　their　backs　on　those　they　have　trusted　and　followed；　and　to　adopt　the　lead　of　those　who　have　no　magnetic　hold　on　their　hearts　or　minds？　It　would　be　idle　to　reorganize　by　the　colored　vote。　If　the　popular　vote　of　the　white　race　is　not　to　be　had　in　favor　of　the　guarantees　justly　required；　then　I　am　in　favor　of　holding　onjust　where　we　are　now。　I　am　not　in　favor　of　a　surrender　of　the　present　rights　of　the　Union　to　a　struggle　between　a　white　minority　aided　by　the　freedmen　on　one　hand；　against　the　majority　of　the　white　race　on　the　other。　I　would　not　consent；　having　rescued　those　states　by　arms　from　Secession　and　rebellion；　to　turn　them　over　to　anarchy　and　chaos。〃

The　Southerners；　Unionists　as　well　as　Confederates；　had　their　views　as　well；　but　at　Washington　these　carried　little　influence。　The　former　Confederates　would　naturally　favor　the　plan　which　promised　best　for　the　white　South；　and　their　views　were　most　nearly　met　by　those　of　President　Lincoln。　Although　he　held　that　in　principle　a　new　Union　had　arisen　out　of　the　war；　as　a　matter　of　immediate　political　expediency　he　was　prepared　to　build　on　the　assumption　that　the　old　Union　still　existed。　The　Southern　Unionists　cared　little　for　theories；　they　wanted　the　Confederates　punished；　themselves　promoted　to　high　offices；　and　the　Negro　kept　from　the　ballot　box。

Even　at　the　beginning　of　1866；　it　was　not　too　much　to　hope　that　the　majority　of　former　Republicans　would　accept　conservative　methods；　provided　the　so…called　〃fruits　of　the　war〃　were　assuredthat　is；　equality　of　civil　rights；　the　guarantee　of　the　United　States　war　debt；　the　repudiation　of　the　Confederate　debt；　the　temporary　disfranchisement　of　the　leading　Confederates；　and　some　arrangement　which　would　keep　the　South　from　profiting　by　representation　based　on　the　non…voting　Negro　population。　But　amid　many　conflicting　policies；　none　attained　to　continuous　and　compelling　authority。

The　plan　first　put　to　trial　was　that　of　President　Lincoln。　It　was　a　definite　plan　designed　to　meet　actual　conditions　and；　had　he　lived；　he　might　have　been　able　to　carry　it　through　successfully。　Not　a　theorist；　but　an　opportunist　of　the　highest　type；　sobered　by　years　of　responsibility　in　war　time；　and　fully　understanding　the　precarious　situation　in　1865；　Lincoln　was　most　anxious　to　secure　an　early　restoration　of　solidarity　with　as　little　friction　as　possible。　Better　than　most　Union　leaders　he　appreciated　conditions　in　the　South；　the　problem　of　the　races；　the　weakness　of　the　Southern　Unionists；　and　the　advantage　of　calling　in　the　old　Southern　leaders。　He　was　generous　and　considerate；　he　wanted　no　executions　or　imprisonments；　he　wished　the　leaders　to　escape；　and　he　was　anxious　that　the　mass　of　Southerners　be　welcomed　back　without　loss　of　rights。　〃There　is；〃　he　declared；　〃too　little　respect　for　their　rights；〃　an　unwillingness；　in　short；　to　treat　them　as　fellow　citizens。

This　executive　policy　had　been　applied　from　the　beginning　of　the　war　as　opportunity　offered。　The　President　used　the　army　to　hold　the　Border　States　in　the　Union；　to　aid　in　〃reorganizing〃　Unionist　Virginia　and　in　establishing　West　Virginia。　The　army；　used　to　preserve　the　Union　might　be　used　also　to　restore　disturbed　parts　of　it　to　normal　condition。　Assuming　that　the　〃States〃　still　existed；　〃loyal〃　state　governments　were　the　first　necessity。　By　his　proclamation　of　December　8；　1863；　Lincoln　suggested　a　method　of　beginning　the　reconstruction：　he　would　pardon　any　Confederate；　except　specified　classes　of　leaders；　who　took　an　oath　of　loyalty　for　the　future；　if　as　many　as　ten　percent　of　the　voting　population　of　1860；　thus　made　loyal；　should　establish　a　state　government　the　executive　would　recognize　it。　The　matter　of　slavery　must；　indeed；　be　left　to　the　laws　and　proclamations　as　interpreted　by　the　courts；　but　other　institutions　should　continue　as　in　1861。

This　plan　was　inaugurated　in　four　States　which　had　been　in　part　controlled　by　the　Federal　army　from　nearly　the　beginning　of　the　war：　Tennessee　（1862）；　Louisiana　（1862）；　Arkansas　（1862）；　and　Virginia　after　the　formation　of　West　Virginia　（1863）。　For　each　state　Lincoln　appointed　a　military　governor：　for　Tennessee；　Andrew　Johnson；　for　Arkansas；　John　S。　Phelps；　for　Louisiana；　General　Shepley。　In　Virginia　he　recognized　the　〃reorganized〃　government；　which　had　been　transferred　to　Alexandria　when　the　new　State　of　West　Virginia　was　formed。　The　military　governors　undertook　the　slow　and　difficult　work　of　reorganization；　however；　with　but　slight　success　owing　to　the　small　numbers　of　Unionists　and　of　Confederates　who　would　take　the　oath。　But　by　1864；　〃ten　percent〃　state　governments　were　established　in　Arkansas　and　Louisiana；　and　progress　was　being　made　in　Tennessee。

Congress　was　impatient　of　Lincoln's　claim　to　executive　precedence　in　the　matter　of　reconstruction；　and　in　1864；　both　Houses　passed　the　Wade…Davis　Bill；　a　plan　which　asserted　the　right　of　Congress　to　control　reconstruction　and　foreshadowed　a　radical　settlement　of　the　question。　Lincoln　disposed　of　the　bill　by　a　pocket　veto　and；　in　a　proclamation　dated　July　8；　1864；　stated　that　he　was　unprepared　〃to　be　inflexibly　committed　to　any　single　plan　of　restoration；〃　or　to　discourage　loyal　citizens　by　setting　aside　the　governments　already　established　in　Louisiana　and　Arkansas；　or　to　recognize　the　authority　of　Congress　to　abolish　slavery。　He　was　ready；　however；　to　cooperate　with　the　people　of　any　State　who　wished　to　accept　the　plan　prepared　by　Congress　and　he　hoped　that　a　constitutional　amendment　abolishing　slavery　would　be　adopted。

Lincoln　early　came　to　the　conclusion　that　slavery　must　be　destroyed；　and　he　had　urgently　advocated　deportation　of　the　freedmen；　for　he　believed　that　the　two　races　could　not　live　in　harmony　after　emancipation。　The　nearest　he　came　to　recommending　the　vote　for　the　Negro　was　in　a　communication　to　Governor　Hahn　of　Louisiana　in　March　1864：　〃I　barely　suggest；　for　your　private　consideration；　whether　some　of　the　colored　people　may　not　be　let　in；　as　for　instance；　the　very　intelligent；　and　especially　those　who　have　fought　gallantly　in　our　ranks。　They　would　probably　help；　in　some　trying　time　to　come；　to　keep　the　jewel　of　liberty　within　the　family　of　freedom。　But　this　is　only　a　suggestion；　not　to　the　public；　but　to　you　alone。〃

Throughout　the　war　President　Lincoln　assumed　that　the　state　organizations　in　the　South　were　illegal　because　disloyal　and　that　new　governments　must　be　established。　But　just　at　the　close　of　the　war；　probably　carried　away　by　feeling；　he　all　but　recognized　the　Virginia　Confederate　Government　as　competent　to　bring　the　state　back　into　the　Union。　While　in　Richmond　on　April　5；　1865；　he　gave　to　Judge　Campbell　a　statement　of　terms：　the　national　authority　to　be　restored；　no　recession　on　slavery　by　the　executive；　hostile　forces　to　disband。　The　next　day　he　notified　General　Weitzel；　in　command　at　Richmond；　that　he　might　permit　the　Virginia　Legislature　to　meet　and　withdraw　military　and　other　support　from　the　Confederacy。　But　these　measures　met　strong　opposition　in　Washington；　especially　from　Secretary　Stanton　and　Senator　Wade　and　other　congressional　leaders；　and　on　the　11th　of　April；　Lincoln　withdrew　his　permission　for　the　legislature　to　meet。　〃I　cannot　go　forward；〃　he　said；　〃with　everybody　opposed　to　me。〃　It　was　on　the　same　day　that　he　made　his　last　public　speech；　and　Sumner；　who　was　strongly　opposed　to　his　policy；　remarked　that　〃the　President's　speech　and　other　things　augur　confusion　and　uncertainty　in　the　future；　with　hot　contumacy。〃　At　a　cabinet　meeting　on　the　14th　of　April；　Lincoln　made　his　last　statement　on　the　subject。　It　was　fortunate；　he　said；　that　Congress　had　adjourned；　for　〃we　shall　reanimate　the　States〃　before　Congress　meets；　there　should　be　no　killing；　no　persecutions；　there　was　too　much　disposition　to　treat　the　Southern　people　〃not　as　fellow　citizens。〃

The　possibility　of　a　conciliatory　restoration　ended　when　Lincoln　was　assassinated。　Moderate；　firm；　tactful；　of　great　personal　influence；　not　a　doctrinaire；　and　not　a　Southerner　like　Johnson；　Lincoln　might