history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第6节

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d　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　plan　afterwards　adopted。

As　to　the　success　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　plans；　had　they　been　sanctioned；　or　even　had　they　not　been　repudiated　by　Congress；　Mr。　Blaine；　in　his　book；　asserts　that　Mr。　Lincoln；　〃By　his　four　years　of　considerate　and　successful　administration；　by　his　patient　and　positive　trust　in　the　ultimate　triumph　of　the　Union；　realized　at　last　as　he　stood　upon　the　edge　of　the　gravehe　had　acquired　so　complete　an　ascendancy　over　the　public；　control　in　the　loyal　states；　that　ANY　POLICY　MATURED　AND　ANNOUNCED　BY　HIM　WOULD　HAVE　BEEN　ACCEPTED　BY　A　VAST　MAJORITY　OF　HIS　COUNTRYMEN。〃

It　was　indicative　of　the　sagacious　foresight　of　Mr。　Lincoln　that　he　did　not　call　the　Congress　into　special　session　at　the　close　of　the　war；　as　would　have　been　natural　and　usual；　before　attempting　the　establishment　of　any　method　for　the　restoration　of　the　revolted　States。　The　fact　that　he　did　not　do　so；　but　was　making　preparations　to　proceed　immediately　in　that　work　on　his　own　lines　and　in　accordance　with　his　own　ideas；　and　with　the　hearty　accord　of　his　entire　Cabinet；　of　itself　affords　proof　that　he　was　apprehensive　of　obstruction　from　the　same　element　of　his　party　that　subsequently　arose　in　opposition　to　Mr。　Johnson　on　that　question；　and　that　he　preferred　to　put　his　plans　into　operation　before　the　assembling　of　Congress　in　the　next　regular　winter　session；　in　order　that　he　might　be　able　then　to　show　palpable　results；　and　induce　Congress　to　accept　and　follow　up　a　humane；　peaceful　and　satisfactory　system　of　reconstruction。　Mr。　Lincoln　undoubtedly　hoped　thus　to　avoid　unnecessary　friction。　Having　the　quite　unlimited　confidence　of　the　great　mass　of　the　people　of　the　country；　of　both　parties　and　on　both　sides　of　the　line　of　hostilities；　there　seem　to　be　excellent　reasons　for　believing　that　he　would　have　succeeded；　and　that　the　extraordinary　and　exasperating　differences　and　local　turmoils　that　followed　the　drastic　measures　which　were　afterward　adopted　by　Congress　over　the　President's　vetoes；　would　have　been　in　a　very　large　degree　avoided；　and　THERE　WOULD　HAVE　BEEN　NO　IMPEACHMENTeither　of　Mr。　Lincoln　had　he　lived；　or　of　Mr。　Johnson　after　him。

It　was　the　misfortune　of　the　time；　and　of　the　occasion；　which　determined　Mr。　Lincoln　to　institute　a　plan　of　restoration　during　the　interim　of　Congress；　that　the　Republican　party；　then　in　absolute　control　of　Congress；　was　in　no　sense　equipped　for　such　a　work。　Its　first　and　great　mission　had　been　the　destruction　of　slavery。　Though　not　phrased　in　formal　fashion；　that　was　the　logic　of　its　creation　and　existence。　It　was　brought　into　being　purely　as　an　anti…slavery　party；　illustrated　in　the　fact　that　its　membership　included　every　pronounced　anti…slavery　man；　known　as　abolitionists；　in　the　United　States。　All　its　energies；　during　all　its　life　up　to　the　close　of　the　war　had　been　bent　to　that　end。　It　had　been　born　and　bred　to　the　work　of　destruction。　It　came　to　destroy　slavery；　and　its　forces　had　been　nurtured；　to　the　last　day　of　the　war；　in　pulling　downin　fact；　did　not　then　wholly　cease。

The　work　of　restorationthe　rebuilding　of　fallen　Stateshad　now　come。　The　Republican　party　approached　that　work　in　the　hot　blood　of　war　and　the　elation　of　victorya　condition　illy　fitting　the　demands　of　exalted　statesmanship　so　essential　to　perfect　political　effort。

Never　had　nation　or　party　thrust　upon　it　a　more　delicate　duty　or　graver　responsibility。　It　was　that　of　leading　a　conquered　people　to　build　a　new　civilization　wholly　different　from　the　one　in　ruins。　It　was　first　to　reconcile　two　races　totally　different　from　each　other；　so　far　as　possible　to　move　in　harmony　in　supplanting　servile　by　free　labor；　and　the　slave　by　a　free　American　citizen。　The　transition　was　sudden；　and　the　elements　antagonistic　in　race；　culture；　self…governing　powerindeed；　in　all　the　qualities　which　characterize　a　free　people。

There　was　a　wide　margin　for　honest　differences　between　statesmen　of　experience。　A　universal　sentiment　could　not　obtain。　The　accepted　political　leaders　of　the　time　were　illy　equipped　to　meet　the　issuemuch　less　those　who　had　been　brought　to　prominence；　and　too　often　to　control；　in　the　hot　blood　of　war　and　the　frictions　of　the　time；　when　intemperate　denunciation　and　a　free　use　of　the　epithets　of　〃rebel；〃　and　〃traitor；〃　had　become　a　ready　passport　to　public　honors。　It　was　a　time　when　the　admonition　to　make　haste　slowly　was　of　profound　significance。　A　peril　greater　than　any　other　the　civil　war　had　developed；　overhung　the　nation。　Greater　than　ever　the　demand　for　courage　in　conciliationfor　divesting　the　issues　of　all　mere　partyism；　and　the　yielding　of　something　by　the　extremes；　both　of　conservatism　and　radicalism。



CHAPTER　II。　THE　BALTIMORE　CONVENTION。

LINCOLN　AND　JOHNSON　NOT　NOMINATED　AS　REPUBLICANS。

Mr。　Lincoln　had　been　elected　President　in　1860；　distinctively　as　a　Republican。　In　1864；　however；　the　conditions　had　changed。　The　war　had　been　in　progress　some　three　years；　during　which　the　insurgents　had　illustrated　a　measure　of　courage；　endurance；　and　a　command　of　the　engineries　of　successful　warfare　that　had　not　been　anticipated　by　the　people　of　the　North。　It　was　seen　that　to　insure　the　success　of　the　Union　cause　it　was　imperative　that　there　should　be　thorough　unity　and　cooperation　of　the　loyal　people　of　all　partiesthat　it　was　no　time　for　partisan　division　among　those　who　hoped　ever　to　see　a　restored　Republicthat　it　was　necessary　to　lay　aside；　as　far　as　possible；　mere　partisan　issues；　and　to　unite；　in　the　then　approaching　campaign；　upon　a　non…partisan；　distinctively　Union　ticket　and　platform。

Mr。　Lincoln　had　given　so　satisfactory　an　administration　so　wisely；　efficiently；　and　patriotically　had　he　conducted　his　great　office；　that　he　was　on　all　sides　conceded　to　be　the　proper　person　for　nomination　and　election。　The　Convention　of　1861　was　not　called　as　a　Republican　Convention；　but　distinctively　as　a　Union　Convention。

〃The　undersigned；〃　so　ran　the　call；　〃who　by　original　appointment；　or　subsequent　delegation　to　fill　vacancies；　constitute　the　Executive　Committee　created　by　the　National　Convention　held　at　Chicago　on　the　10th　day　of　May；　186