history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第12节

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　not　to　yield　that　ready　obedience　to　civil　authority　the　American　people　have　been　in　the　habit　of　generally　yielding。　This　would　render　the　presence　of　small　garrisons　throughout　those　States　necessary　until　such　time　as　labor　returns　to　its　proper　channels　and　civil　authority　is　fully　established。　I　did　not　meet　anyone；　either　those　holding　places　under　the　Government　or　citizens　of　the　Southern　States；　who　think　it　practicable　to　withdraw　the　Military　from　the　South　at　present。　The　white　and　black　mutually　require　the　protection　of　the　General　Government。　There　is　such　universal　acquiescence　in　the　authority　of　the　General　Government　throughout　the　portions　of　the　country　visited　by　me；　that　the　mere　presence　of　a　military　force；　without　regard　to　numbers；　is　sufficient　to　maintain　order。　The　good　of　the　country　and　economy　require　that　the　force　kept　in　the　interior　where　there　are　many　freedmen　（elsewhere　in　the　Southern　States　than　at　forts　upon　the　sea　coast；　no　more　is　necessary；）　should　all　be　white　troops。　The　reasons　for　this　are　obvious　without　mentioning　any　of　them。　The　presence　of　black　troops；　lately　slaves；　demoralizes　labor　both　by　their　advice　and　by　furnishing　in　their　camps　a　resort　for　freedmen　for　long　distances　around。　White　troops　generally　excite　no　opposition；　and　therefore　a　small　number　of　them　can　maintain　order　in　a　given　district。　Colored　troops　must　be　kept　in　bodies　sufficient　to　defend　themselves。　It　is　not　thinking　men　who　would　use　violence　towards　any　class　of　troops　sent　among　them　by　the　General　Government；　but　the　ignorant　in　some　cases　might；　and　the　late　slave　seems　to　be　imbued　with　the　idea　that　the　property　of　his　late　master　should　of　right　belong　to　him；　or　at　least　should　have　no　protection　from　the　colored　soldiers。　There　is　danger　of　collision　being　brought　on　by　such　causes。

My　observations　lead　me　to　the　conclusion　that　the　citizens　of　the　Southern　States　are　anxious　to　return　to　self　government　within　the　Union　as　soon　as　possible；　that　while　reconstructing　they　want　and　require　protection　from　the　Government；　that　they　are　in　earnest　in　wishing　to　do　what　they　think　is　required　by　the　Government；　not　humiliating　to　them　as　citizens；　and　that　if　such　is　pointed　out　they　would　pursue　it　in　good　faith。　It　is　to　be　regretted　that　there　cannot　be　a　greater　commingling　at　this　time　between　the　citizens　of　the　two　sections；　and　particularly　with　THOSE　ENTRUSTED　WITH　THE　LAWMAKING　POWER。

I　did　not　give；　the　operation　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　that　attention　I　would　have　done　if　more　time　had　been　at　my　disposal。　Conversations　on　the　subject；　however；　with　officers　connected　with　the　Bureau；　led　me　to　think　that　in　some　of　the　States　its　affairs　have　not　been　conducted　with　good　judgment　and　economy；　and　that　the　belief；　widely　spread　among　the　freedmen　of　the　Southern　States；　that　the　land　of　their　former　masters　will；　at　least　in　part；　be　divided　among　them；　has　come　from　the　agents　of　this　Bureau。　This　belief　is　seriously　interfering　with　the　willingness　of　the　freedmen　to　make　contracts　for　the　coming　year。　In　some　form　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　is　an　absolute　necessity　until　civil　law　is　established　and　enforced；　securing　to　the　freedmen　their　rights　and　full　protection。　At　present；　however；　it　is　independent　of　the　Military　establishment　of　the　country；　and　seems　to　be　operated　by　the　different　agents　of　the　Bureau　according　to　their　individual　notions；　every　where。　Gen。　Howard；　the　able　head　of　the　Bureau；　made　friends　by　the　just　and　fair　instructions　and　advice　he　gave；　but　the　complaint　in　South　Carolina　was　that；　when　he　left；　things　went　on　as　before。　Many；　perhaps　the　majority　of　the　agents　of　the　Bureau；　advised　the　freedmen　that　by　their　industry　they　must　expect　to　live。　To　this　end　they　endeavor　to　secure　employment　for　them：　to　see　that　both　contracting　parties　comply　with　their　agreements。　In　some　instances；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　the　freedman's　mind　does　not　seem　to　be　disabused　of　the　idea　that　a　freedman　has　a　right　to　live　without　care　or　provision　for　the　future。　The　effect　of　the　belief　in　the　division　of　lands　is　idleness　and　accumulation　in　camps；　towns；　and　cities。　In　such　cases；　I　think　it　will　be　found　that　vice　and　disease　will　tend　to　the　extermination；　or　great　reduction　of　the　colored　race。　It　cannot　be　expected　that　the　opinions　held　by　men　at　the　South　can　be　changed　in　a　day；　and　therefore　the　freedmen　require　for　a　few　years　not　only　laws　to　protect　them；　but　the　fostering　care　of　those　who　will　give　them　good　counsel　and　in　whom　they　can　rely。

U。　S。　Grant；　Lieutenant　General。

This　report　was　at　once　vigorously　denounced　in　and　out　of　Congress；　by　the　extremists。　Mr。　Sumner　characterized　it　in　the　Senate；　as　a　〃whitewashing　report。〃　The　standing　of　General　Grant　in　the　country　at　large；　however；　was　such　that　few　had　the　indiscretion　to　attack　him　openly。

The　controlling　element　of　the　party　which　had　elected　Lincoln　and　Johnson；　had　acquiesced　for　a　time　in　the　plan　of　reconstruction　foreshadowed　by　Mr。　Lincoln　and　adopted　by　Mr。　Johnson；　but　during　the　summer　of　1865；　frictions　developed　between　Mr。　Johnson　and　those　who　on　Mr。　Lincoln's　death　had　assumed　the　leadership　in　the　work　of　reconstruction　and　other　matters　of　administration；　came　to　take　the　opposite　ground；　from　the　first　occupied　by　Sumner　and　other　extremists　in　Congressthat　the　States　lately　in　rebellion　had　destroyed　themselves　by　their　own　act　of　war；　and　had　thereby　forfeited　all　the　rights　of　Statehood　and　were　but　conquered　provinces；　subject　solely　to　the　will　of　the　conqueror。

From　that　point　their　ways　parted　and　widened　from　month　to　month；　till　bitter　hostility；　political　and　personal；　came　to　mark　even　their　official　intercourse。

Mr。　Johnson　was　practically　unknown　to　the　great　mass　of　the　people　of　the　North　till　he　succeeded　to　the　Presidency。　He　was　in　no　sense　regarded　as　or　assumed　to　be　the　leader　of　the　dominant　party；　while　those　who　on　Mr。　Lincoln's　death　became　leaders　of　the　dominant　party　in　opposition　to　Mr。　Johnson's　administration　and　policies；　were　widely　known　and　of　long　public　experience；　and　had　correspondingly　the　confidence　of　their　party。

So；　in　the　strife　that　ensued；　as　it　became　embittered　with　the　lapse　of　time；　Mr。　Johnson　was　at　great　disadvantage；　and　made　little　or　no　headway；　but　rather　lost　ground　as　the　controversy　progressed。　His　moderate；　conservative　views；　radically　expressed；　in　regard　to　what　should　be　the　methods　of　reconstruction　and　the　restoration　of　the　Union；　found　little　favor　with　the　mass　of　the　veterans　of　the　Union　armies　who　had　but　lately　returned　from　the　victorious　fields　of　the　South；　their　blood　not　yet　cooled　after　the　fury　and　heat　of　the　strife　while　to　many；　who　had　witnessed　the　horrors　of　war　at　a　safe　distance；　with　the　cessation　of　hostilities　in　the　field；　to　which　they　had　been　only　anxious　spectators；　became　suddenly　enthused　over　issues　that　others　had　fought　out　in　battle；　and　vigorously　vicious　towards　Mr。　Johnson　for　presuming　to　treat　the　conquered　people　of　the　South　as　American　citizens　and　entitled　to　the　rights　of　such；　after　having　laid　down　their　arms　and　peacefully　returned　to　their　homes　and　their　respective　callings。

This　temper；　permeating；　as　it　did；　the　dominant　party　of　practically　every　Northern　State；　was　not　unstintingly　reflected　upon　the　National　Capitol　in　the　return　to　Congress　of　a　large　majority　in　both　Houses；　of　men　who　sympathized　with　and　reflected　back　again　upon　their　constituents　the　most　extreme　views　as　to　what　should　be　the　policy　of　the　Government　towards　the　South。

These　views　characterized　the　legislation　of　the　time。　Partisan　rancor　was　unbridled；　and　found　expression　not　only　in　coercive　legislation　of　various　grades　of　severity；　but　in　placing　the　Southern　States　generally　under　almost　absolute　military　control；　and　in　the　practical　abrogation　of　the　common　rights　of　American　citizenship　in　most　of　them。

Quite　every　act　of　this　sort　of　legislation　was　passed　over　the　official　protest　of　the　President；　and　each　of　these　protests　seemed　but　to　add　emphasis　to　each　succeeding　act　of　Congress　in　that　line；　till　it　seemed　that　there　could　be　no　end　to　the　strife；　so　long　as　Mr。　Johnson　remained　in　the　Presidential　office。

The　ostensible　basis　of　the　disagreement　which　in　a　few　months　after　the　accession　of　Mr。　Johnson　to　the　Presidency　began　to　develop　between　himself　and　the　Republican　leaders　in　Congress；　was　the　plan　of　reconstruction　put　in　operation　by　him　during　the　recess　of　Congress　that　year；　1865；　and　outlined　in　his　North　Carolina　Proclamation。　It　availed　not；　that　that　plan　had　been　adopted　originally　by　Mr。　Lincoln　a　few　days　before　his　deaththat　it　had　been　concurred　in　by　his　entire　Cabinet　and　would　undoubtedly　have　been　carried　out　successfully　by　him　had　he　lived　that　plan　was　made　the　ground　of　criticism　of　Mr。　Johnson　by　the　extreme　party　element　in　control　of　Congress；　which　persistently　accused　him　of　having　abandoned　the　plan　initiated　by　Mr。　Lincoln；　and　of　setting　up　another　of　his　own；　for　purely　personal　and　ambitious　purposes；　and　to　the　detriment　of　the　peace　of　the　country。

Mr。　Johnson　may　have　been　opinionated　and