history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第4节

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agreements　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　declaration　of　a　rupture　between　the　President　and　Congress　on　the　question　of　Reconstruction。　It　was　a　rebuke　to　Mr。　Lincoln　for　having　presumed　to　treat　the　seceded　States　as　still　in　any　sense　States　of　the　Union。　It　was　in　effect　a　declaration　that　those　States　had　successfully　secededthat　their　elimination　from　the　Union　was　an　accomplished　factthat　the　Union　of　the　States　had　been　brokenand　that　the　only　method　left　for　their　return　that　would　be　considered　by　Congress　was　as　conquered　and　outlying　provinces；　not　even　as　Territories　with　the　right　of　such　to　membership　in　the　Union；　and　should　be　governed　accordingly　until　such　time　as　Congress　should　see　fit　（IF　EVER；　to　use　the　language　of　Mr。　Stevens　in　the　House）　to　devise　and　establish　some　form　whereby　they　could　be　annexed　to　or　re…incorporated　into　the　Union。

It　was　at　this　pointon　the　great　question　of　Reconstruction；　or　more　properly　of　Restorationthat　the　disagreements　originated　between　the　Executive　and　Congress　which　finally　culminated　in　the　impeachment　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　successor；　and　that　condition　of　strained　relations　was　measurably　intensified　when；　on　the　following　July　4th；　a　bill　was　passed　by　Congress　making　provision　for　the　reorganization　and　admission　of　the　revolted　States　on　the　extreme　lines　indicated　by　the　above　action　of　Congress　and　containing　the　very　extraordinary　provision　that　the　President；　AFTER　OBTAINING　THE　CONSENT　OF　CONGRESS；　shall　recognize　the　State　Government　so　established。　That　measure　was　still　another　and　more　marked　rebuke　by　Congress　to　the　President　for　having　presumed　to　initiate　a　system　of　restoration　without　its　consultation　and　advice。　Naturally　Mr。　Lincoln　was　not　in　a　mood　to　meekly　accept　the　rebuke　so　marked　and　manifestly　intended；　and　so　the　bill　not　having　passed　Congress　till　within　the　ten　days　preceding　its　adjournment　allowed　by　the　Constitution　for　its　consideration　by　the　President；　and　as　it　proposed　to　undo　the　work　he　had　done；　he　failed　to　return　it　to　Congress〃pocketed〃　itand　it　therefore　fell。　He　was　not　in　a　mood　to　accept　a　Congressional　rebuke。　He　had　given　careful　study　to　the　duties；　the　responsibilities；　and　the　limitations　of　the　respective　Departments　of；　the　Government；　and　was　not　willing　that　his　judgment　should　be　revised；　or　his　course　censured；　however　indirectly；　by　any　of　its　co…ordinate　branches。

Four　days　after　the　session　had　closed；　he　issued　a　Proclamation　in　which　he　treated　the　bill　merely　as　the　expression　of　an　opinion　by　Congress　as　to　the　best　plan　of　Reconstruction〃which　plan；〃　he　remarked；　〃it　is　now　thought　fit　to　lay　before　the　people　for　their　consideration。〃

He　further　stated　in　this　Proclamation　that　he　had　already　presented　one　plan　of　restoration；　and　that　he　was　〃unprepared　by　a　formal　approval　of　this　bill　to　be　inflexibly　committed　to　any　single　plan　of　restoration；　and　was　unprepared　to　declare　that　the　free　State　Constitutions　and　Governments　already　adopted　and　installed　in　Louisiana　and　Arkansas；　shall　be　set　aside　and　held　for　naught；　thereby　repelling　and　discouraging　the　loyal　citizens　who　have　set　up　the　same　as　to　further　effort；　and　unprepared　to　declare　a　constitutional　competency　in　Congress　to　abolish　slavery　in　the　States；　though　sincerely　hoping　that　a　constitutional　amendment　abolishing　slavery　in　all　the　States　might　be　adopted。〃

While；　with　these　objections；　Mr。　Lincoln　could　not　approve　the　bill；　he　concluded　his　Proclamation　with　these　words：

〃Nevertheless；　I　am　fully　satisfied　with　the　plan　of　restoration　contained　in　the　bill　as　one　very　proper　for　the　loyal　people　of　any　State　choosing　to　adopt　it；　and　I　am　and　at　all　times　shall　be　prepared　to　give　Executive　aid　and　assistance　to　any　such　people　as　soon　as　military　resistance　to　the　United　States　shall　have　been　suppressed　in　any　such　State　and　the　people　thereof　shall　have　sufficiently　returned　to　their　obedience　to　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　Statesin　which　Military　Governors　will　be　appointed　with　directions　to　proceed　according　to　the　bill。〃

〃It　must