history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第11章

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In　testimony　whereof；　I　have　hereunto　set　my　hand　and　caused　the　seal　of　the　United　States　to　be　affixed。

Done　at　the　City　of　Washington；　this　29th　day　of　May；　in　the　year；　of　our　Lord　1865；　and　of　the　Independence　of　the　United　States　the　89th。

By　the　President：　Andrew　Johnson。　William　H。　Seward。　Secretary　of　State。

North　Carolina　was　the　first　of　the　revolted　States　to　which　this　identical　plan　of　reconstruction；　or　reorganization；　was　applied　by　Mr。　Johnson。　Its　application　to　the　several　States　then　lately　in　revolt；　was　continued　till　the　meeting　of　Congress　in　the　following　December；　1865。

On　this　matter　Mr。　Johnson；　himself；　testifies　in　his　communication　to　the　Senate　in　1867；　relating　to　the　removal　of　Mr。　Stanton；　that　〃This　grave　subject　（Reconstruction）　had　engaged　the　attention　of　Mr。　Lincoln　in　the　last　days　of　his　life；　and　the　plan　according　to　which　it　was　to　be　managed　had　been　prepared　and　was　ready　for　adoption。　A　leading　feature　of　that　plan　was　that　it　was　to　be　carried　out　by　Executive　authority。　*　*　*　The　first　business；　transacted　in　the　Cabinet　after　I　became　President　was　this　unfinished　business　of　my　predecessor。　A　plan　or　scheme　of　reconstruction　had　been　prepared　for　Mr。　Lincoln　by　Mr。　Stanton。　It　was　approved；　and　at　the　earliest　moment　practicable　was　applied；　in　the　form　of　a　proclamation；　to　the　State　of　North　Carolina；　and　afterwards　became　the　basis　of　action　in　turn　for　the　other　States。〃

Mr。　Stanton　also　testified　before　the　House　Impeachment　Committee　of　1867；　that　he　had　〃entertained　no　doubt　of　the　authority　of　the　President　to　take　measures　for　the　reorganization　of　the　rebel　States　on　the　plan　proposed；　during　the　vacation　of　Congress；　and　agreed　in　the　plan　specified　in　the　proclamation　in　the　case　of　North　Carolina。〃

In　the　first　attempt　to　impeach　the　President；　in　1867；　Mr。　Johnson's　method　of　Reconstruction　was　the　most　conspicuous　feature　of　the　prosecution。　It　was　insisted　by　the　extremists　that　it　was　a　departure　from　Mr。　Lincoln's　planan　unwarranted　assumption　of　authority　by　Mr。　Johnsonthat　its　purpose　was　the　recognition　of　the　people　of　the　South　as　American　citizens　with　the　rights　of　such；　and　even　as　an　act　not　far　removed　from　treason。　In　reference　to　this　action　of　the　President；　General　Grant　was　called　before　the　Committee　and　testified　as　follows：

Question：　I　wish　to　know　whether；　at　or　about　the　time　of　the　war　being　ended；　you　advised　the　President　that　it　was；　in　your　judgment；　best　to　extend　a　liberal　policy　towards　the　people　of　the　South；　and　to　restore　as　speedily　as　possible　the　fraternal　relations　that　existed　prior　to　the　war　between　the　sections？

Answer：　I　know　that　immediately　after　the　close　of　the　rebellion　there　was　a　very　fine　feeling　manifested　in　the　South；　and　I　thought　we　ought　to　take　advantage　of　it　as　soon　as　possible。

Ques。　I　understood　you　to　say　that　Mr。　Lincoln　had　inaugurated　a　policy　intended　to　restore　these　governments？

Ans。　Yes　Sir。

Ques。　You　were　present　when　the　subject　was　brought　before　the　Cabinet？

Ans。　I　was　present；　I　think；　twice　before　the　assassination　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　when　a　plan　was　read。

Ques。　I　want　to　know　whether　the　plan　adopted　by　Mr。　Johnson　was　substantially　the　plan　which　had　been　inaugurated　by　Mr。　Lincoln　as　the　basis　for　his　future　action。

Ans。　Yes　sir：　substantially。　I　do　not　know　but　that　it　was　verbatim　the　same。

Ques。　I　suppose　the　very　paper　of　Mr。　Lincoln　was　the　one　acted　on？

Ans。　I　should　think　so。　I　think　that　the　very　paper　which　I　heard　read　twice　while　Mr。　Lincoln　was　President；　was　the　one　which　was　carried　right　through。

Ques。　What　paper　was　that？

Ans。　The　North　Carolina　Proclamation。

In　additional　testimony　that　Mr。　Johnson　was　endeavoring　to　carry　out　Mr。　Lincoln's　methods　of　reconstruction；　the　following　extracts　from　a　speech　by　Gov。　O。　P。　Morton；　of　Indiana；　delivered　at　Richmond；　that　State；　Sept。　29th；　1865；　are　here　inserted：

An　impression　has　gotten　abroad　in　the　North　that　Mr。　Johnson　has　devised　some　new　policy　by　which　improper　facilities　are　granted　for　the　restoration　of　the　rebel　States；　and　that　he　is　presenting　improperly　and　unnecessarily　hurrying　forward　the　work　of　reconstruction；　and　that　he　is　offering　improper　facilities　for　restoring　those　who　have　been　engaged　in　the　rebellion　to　the　possession　of　their　civil　and　political　rights。

It　is　one　of　my　purposes　here　this　evening　to　show　that　so　far　as　his　policy　of　amnesty　and　reconstruction　is　concerned；　he　has　absolutely　presented　nothing　new；　but　that　he　has　simply　presented；　and　is　simply　continuing　THE　POLICY　WHICH　MR。　LINCOLN　PRESENTED　TO　THE　NATION　ON　THE　8TH　OF　DECEMBER；　1863。　Mr。　Johnson's　policy　differs　from　Mr。　Lincoln's　in　some　restrictions　it　contains；　which　Mr。　Lincoln's　did　not　contain。　His　plan　of　reconstruction　is　absolutely　and　simply　that　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　nothing　more　or　less；　with　one　difference　only；　that　Mr。　Lincoln　required　that　one…tenth　of　the　people　of　the　disloyal　States　should　be　willing　to　embrace　his　plan　of　reconstruction；　whereas　Mr。　Johnson　says　nothing　about　the　number；　but；　so　far　as　it　has　been　acted　upon　yet；　it　has　been　done　by　a　number　much　greater　than　one…tenth。　*　*　*　Their　plans　of　amnesty　and　reconstruction　cannot　be　distinguished　from　each　other　except　in　the　particulars　already　mentioned；　that　Mr。　Johnson　proposed　to　restrict　certain　persons　from　taking　the　oath；　unless　they　have　a　special　pardon　from　him；　whom　Mr。　Lincoln　permitted　to　come　forward　and　take　the　oath　without　it。　*　*　*　That　was　Mr。　Lincoln's　policy　at　the　time　he　was　nominated　for　re…election　by　the　Union　Convention　at　Baltimore；　last　summer；　and　in　that　convention　the　party　sustained　him　and　strongly　endorsed　his　whole　policy；　of　which　this　was　a　prominent　part。　MR。　LINCOLN　WAS　TRIUMPHANTLY　AND　OVERWHELMINGLY　RE…ELECTED　UPON　THAT　POLICY。

In　his　last　annual　message　to　Congress；　December；　1864；　he　again　brings　forward　this　same　policy　of　his；　and　presents　it　to　the　Nation。

Again；　on　the　12th　of　April；　1865；　only　two　days　before　his　death；　he　referred　to　and　presented　this　policy　of　amnesty　and　reconstruction。　That　speech　may　be　called　his　last　speech；　his　dying　words　to　his　people。　It　was　after　Richmond　had　been　evacuated。　It　was　the　day　after　they　had　received　the　news　of　Lee's　surrender。　Washington　City　was　illuminated。　A　large　crowd　came　in　front　of　the　White　House　and　Mr。　Lincoln　spoke　to　them　from　one　of　the　windows。　He　referred　to　the　organization　of　Louisiana　under　his　plan　of　amnesty　and　reconstruction；　and　in　speaking　of　it　he　gave　the　history　of　his　policy。　He　said：

In　my　annual　message　of　December；　1863；　and　accompanying　the　Proclamation；　I　presented　a　plan　of　reconstruction；　as　the　phrase　goes；　which　I　promised　if　adopted　by　any　State；　would　be　acceptable　and　sustained　by　the　Executive　Government　of　this　Nation。　I　distinctively　stated　that　this　was　a　plan　which　might　possibly　be　acceptable；　and　also　distinctively　protested　that　the　Executive　claimed　no　right　to　say　when　or　whether　members　should　be　admitted　to　seats　in　Congress　from　such　States。

The　new　constitution　of　Louisiana；　（said　Mr。　Lincoln）　declaring　emancipation　for　the　whole　State；　practically　applies　the　Proclamation　to　that　part　previously　exempted。　It　does　not　adopt　apprenticeship　for　freed　people；　and　is　silent；　as　it　could　not　well　be　otherwise；　about　the　admission　of　members　to　Congress。　As　it　applied　to　Louisiana；　every　member　of　the　Cabinet　approved　the　plan　of　the　message。　*　*　*　Now；　we　find　Mr。　Lincoln；　just　before　his　death；　referring　in　warm　and　strong　terms　to　his　policy　of　amnesty　and　reconstruction；　and　giving　it　his　endorsement；　giving　to　the　world　that　which　had　never　been　given　beforethe　history　of　that　plan　and　policystating　that　it　had　been　presented　and　endorsed　by　every　member　of　that　able　and　distinguished　Cabinet　of　1863。　Mr。　Lincoln　may　be　said　to　have　died　holding　out　to　the　Nation　his　policy　of　amnesty　and　reconstruction。　It　was　held　out　by　him　at　the　very　time　the　rebels　laid　down　their　arms。　Mr。　Lincoln　died　by　the　hand　of　an　assassin　and　Mr。　Johnson　came　into　power。　He　took　Mr。　Lincoln's　Cabinet　as　he　had　left　it　and　he　took　Mr。　Lincoln's　policy　of　amn