the sequel of appomattox-第11章

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ort　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　have　〃prosecuted　peace〃　successfully。　His　policy　was　very　unlike　that　proposed　by　the　radical　leaders。　They　would　base　the　new　governments　upon　the　loyalty　of　the　past　plus　the　aid　of　enfranchised　slaves；　he　would　establish　the　new　regime　upon　the　loyalty　of　the　future。　Like　Governor　Andrew　he　thought　that　restoration　must　be　effected　by　the　willing　efforts　of　the　South。　He　would　aid　and　guide　but　not　force　the　people。　If　the　latter　did　not　wish　restoration；　they　might　remain　under　military　rule。　There　should　be　no　forced　Negro　suffrage；　no　sweeping　disfranchisement　of　whites；　no　〃carpetbaggism。〃

The　work　of　President　Johnson　demands　for　its　proper　understanding　some　consideration　of　the　condition　of　the　political　parties　at　the　close　of　the　war；　for　politics　had　much　to　do　with　reconstruction。　The　Democratic　party；　divided　and　defeated　in　the　election　of　1860；　lost　its　Southern　members　in　1861　by　the　secession　and　remained　a　minority　party　during　the　remainder　of　the　war。　It　retained　its　organization；　however；　and　in　1864　polled　a　large　vote。　Discredited　by　its　policy　of　opposition　to　Lincoln's　administration；　its　ablest　leaders　joined　the　Republicans　in　support　of　the　war。　Until　1869；　the　party　was　poorly　represented　in　Congress　although；　as　soon　as　hostilities　ended；　the　War　Democrats　showed　a　tendency　to　return　to　the　old　party。　As　to　reconstruction；　the　party　stood　on　the　Crittenden…Johnson　resolutions　of　1861；　though　most　Democrats　were　now　willing　to　have　slavery　abolished。

The　Republican　partyfrankly　sectional　and　going　into　power　on　the　single　issue　of　opposition　to　the　extension　of　slaverywas　forced　by　the　secession　movement　to　take　up　the　task　of　preserving　the　Union　by　war。　Consequently；　the　party　developed　new　principles；　welcomed　the　aid　of　the　War　Democrats；　and　found　it　advisable　to　drop　its　name　and　with　its　allies　to　form　the　Union　or　National　Union　party。　It　was　this　National　Union　party　which　in　1864　nominated　Abraham　Lincoln；　a　Republican；　and　Andrew　Johnson；　a　Democrat；　on　the　same　ticket。　Lincoln's　second　Cabinet　was　composed　of　both　Republicans　and　War　Democrats。　When　the　war　ended；　the　conservative　leaders　were　anxious　to　hold　the　Union　party　together　in　order　to　be　in　a　better　position　to　settle　the　problems　of　reconstruction；　but　the　movement　of　the　War　Democrats　back　to　their　old　party　tended　to　leave　in　the　Union　party　only　its　Republican　members；　with　the　radical　leaders　dominating。

In　the　South　the　pressure　of　war　so　united　the　people　that　party　divisions　disappeared　for　a　time；　but　the　causes　of　division　continued　to　exist；　and　two　parties；　at　least；　would　have　developed　had　the　pressure　been　removed。　Though　all　factions　supported　the　war　after　it　began；　the　former　Whigs　and　Douglas　Democrats；　when　it　was　over；　liked　to　remember　that　they　had　been　〃Union〃　men　in　1860　and　expected　to　organize　in　opposition　to　the　extreme　Democrats；　who　were　now　charged　with　being　responsible　for　the　misfortunes　of　the　South。　They　were　in　a　position　to　affiliate　with　the　National　Union　party　of　the　North　if　proper　inducements　were　offered；　while　the　regular　Democrats　were　ready　to　rejoin　their　old　party。　But　the　embittered　feelings　resulting　from　the　murder　of　Lincoln　and　the　rapid　development　of　the　struggle　between　President　Johnson　and　Congress　caused　the　radicals　〃to　lump　the　old　Union　Democrats　and　Whigs　together　with　the　secessionistsand　many　were　driven　where　they　did　not　want　to　go；　into　temporary　affiliation　with　the　Democratic　party。〃　Thousands　went　very　reluctantly；　the　old　Whigs；　indeed；　were　not　firmly　committed　to　the　Democrats　until　radical　reconstruction　had　actually　begun。　Still　other　〃loyalists〃　in　the　South　were　prepared　to　join　the　Northern　radicals　in　advocating　the　disfranchisement　of　Confederates　and　in　opposing　the　granting　of　suffrage　to　the　Negroes。

The　man　upon　whom　fell　the　task　of　leading　these　opposing　factions；　radical　and　conservative；　along　a　definite　line　of　action　looking　to　reunion　had　few　qualifications　for　the　task。　Johnson　was　ill…educated；　narrow；　and　vindictive　and　was　positive　that　those　who　did　not　agree　with　him　were　dishonest。　Himself　a　Southerner；　picked　up　by　the　National　Union　Convention　of　1864；　as　Thaddeus　Stevens　said；　from　〃one　of　those　damned　rebel　provinces；〃　he　loved　the　Union；　worshiped　the　Constitution；　and　held　to　the　strict　construction　views　of　the　State　Rights　Democrats。　Rising　from　humble　beginnings；　he　was　animated　by　the　most　intense　dislike　of　the　〃slavocracy；〃　as　he　called　the　political　aristocracy　of　the　South。　Like　many　other　American　leaders　he　was　proud　of　his　humble　origin；　but　unlike　many　others　he　never　sloughed　off　his　backwoods　crudeness。　He　continually　boasted　of　himself　and　vilified　the　aristocrats；　who　in　return　treated　him　badly。　His　dislike　of　them　was　so　marked　that　Isham　G。　Harris；　a　rival　politician；　remarked　that　〃if　Johnson　were　a　snake；　he　would　lie　in　the　grass　to　bite　the　heels　of　rich　men's　children。〃　His　primitive　notions　of　punishment　were　evident　in　1865　when　he　advocated　imprisonment；　execution；　and　confiscation；　but　like　other　reckless　talkers　he　often　said　more　than　he　meant。

When　Johnson　succeeded　to　the　presidency；　the　feeling　was　nearly　universal　among　the　radicals；　according　to　Julian；　that　he　would　prove　a　godsend　to　the　country；　for　〃aside　from　Mr。　Lincoln's　known　policy　of　tenderness　to　the　rebels；　which　now　so　jarred　upon　the　feelings　of　the　hour；　his　well　known　views　on　the　subject　of　reconstruction　were　as　distasteful　as　possible　to　radical　Republicans。〃　Senator　Wade　declared　to　the　President：　〃Johnson；　we　have　faith　in　you。　By　the　gods；　there　will　be　no　trouble　now　in　running　the　Government！〃　To　which　Johnson　replied：　〃Treason　is　a　crime　and　crime　must　be　punished。　Treason　must　be　made　infamous　and　traitors　must　be　impoverished。〃　These　words　are　an　index　to　the　speeches　of　Johnson　during　1863…65。　Even　his　radical　friends　feared　that　he　would　be　too　vindictive。　For　a　few　weeks　he　was　much　inclined　to　the　radical　plans；　and　some　of　the　leaders　certainly　understood　that　he　was　in　favor　of　Negro　suffrage；　the　supreme　test　of　radicalism。　But　when　the　excitement　caused　by　the　assassination　of　Lincoln　and　the　break…up　of　the　Confederacy　had　moderated　somewhat；　Johnson　saw　before　him　a　task　so　great　that　his　desire　for　violent　measures　was　chilled。　He　must　disband　the　great　armies　and　bring　all　war　work　to　an　end；　he　must　restore　intercourse　with　the　South；　which　had　been　blockaded　for　years；　he　must　for　a　time　police　the　country；　look　after　the　Negroes；　and　set　up　a　temporary　civil　government；　and　finally　he　must　work　out　a　restoration　of　the　Union。　Sobered　by　responsibility　and　by　the　influence　of　moderate　advisers；　he　rather　quickly　adopted　Lincoln's　policy。　Johnson　at　first　set　his　face　against　the　movements　toward　reconstruction　by　the　state　governments　already　organized　and　by　those　people　who　wished　to　organize　new　governments　on　Lincoln's　ten　percent　plan。　As　soon　as　possible　the　War　Department　notified　the　Union　commanders　to　stop　all　attempts　at　reconstruction　and　to　pursue　and　arrest　all　Confederate　governors　and　other　promi