the sequel of appomattox-第9章

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nent　leader　had　his　own　plan　of　reconstruction　fundamentally　irreconcilable　with　all　the　others；　because　rigidly　theoretical。　During　the　war　the　powers　of　the　executive　had　been　greatly　expanded　and　a　legislative　reaction　was　to　be　expected。　The　Constitution　called　for　fresh　interpretation　in　the　light　of　the　Civil　War　and　its　results。

The　first　theory　of　reconstruction　may　be　found　in　the　Crittenden…Johnson　resolutions　of　July　1861；　which　declared　that　the　war　was　being　waged　to　maintain　the　Union　under　the　Constitution　and　that　it　should　cease　when　these　objects　were　obtained。　This　would　have　been　subscribed　to　in　1861　by　the　Union　Democrats　and　by　most　of　the　Republicans；　and　in　1865　the　conquered　Southerners　would　have　been　glad　to　reenter　the　Union　upon　this　basis；　but　though　in　1865　the　resolution　still　expressed　the　views　of　many　Democrats；　the　majority　of　Northern　people　had　moved　away　from　this　position。

The　attitude　of　Lincoln；　which　in　1865　met　the　views　of　a　majority　of　the　Northern　people　though　not　of　the　political　leaders；　was　that　〃no　State　can　upon　its　mere　motion　get　out　of　the　Union；〃　that　the　States　survived　though　there　might　be　some　doubt　about　state　governments；　and　that　〃loyal〃　state　organizations　might　be　established　by　a　population　consisting　largely　of　ex…Confederates　who　had　been　pardoned　by　the　President　and　made　〃loyal〃　for　the　future　by　an　oath　of　allegiance。　Reconstruction　was；　Lincoln　thought；　a　matter　for　the　executive　to　handle。　But　that　he　was　not　inflexibly　committed　to　any　one　plan　is　indicated　by　his　proclamation　after　the　pocket　veto　of　the　Wade…Davis　Bill　and　by　his　last　speech；　in　which　he　declared　that　the　question　of　whether　the　seceded　States　were　in　the　Union　or　out　of　it　was　〃merely　a　pernicious　abstraction。〃　In　addition；　Lincoln　said：

〃We　are　all　agreed　that　the　seceded　States；　so　called；　are　out　of　their　proper　practical　relation　with　the　Union；　and　that　the　sole　object　of　the　government；　civil　and　military；　in　regard　to　those　States　is　to　again　get　them　into　that　proper　practical　relation。　I　believe　that　it　is　not　only　possible；　but　in　fact　easier；　to　do　this　without　deciding　or　even　considering　whether　these　States　have　ever　been　out　of　the　Union；　than　with　it。　Finding　themselves　safely　at　home；　it　would　be　utterly　immaterial　whether　they　had　ever　been　abroad。　Let　us　all　join　in　doing　the　acts　necessary　to　restore　the　proper　practical　relations　between　these　States　and　the　Union；　and　each　forever　after　innocently　indulge　his　own　opinion　whether　in　doing　the　acts　he　brought　the　States　from　without　into　the　Union；　or　only　gave　them　proper　assistance；　they　never　having　been　out　of　it。〃

President　Johnson's　position　was　essentially　that　of　Lincoln；　but　his　attitude　toward　the　working　out　of　the　several　problems　was　different。　He　maintained　that　the　states　survived　and　that　it　was　the　duty　of　the　executive　to　restore　them　to　their　proper　relations。　〃The　true　theory；〃　said　he；　〃is　that　all　pretended　acts　of　secession　were　from　the　beginning　null　and　void。　The　States　cannot　commit　treason　nor　screen　individual　citizens　who　may　have　committed　treason　any　more　than　they　can　make　valid　treaties　or　engage　in　lawful　commerce　with　any　foreign　power。　The　states　attempting　to　secede　placed　themselves　in　a　condition　where　their　vitality　was　impaired；　but　not　extinguished；　their　functions　suspended；　but　not　destroyed。〃　Lincoln　would　have　had　no　severe　punishments　inflicted　even　on　leaders；　but　Johnson　wanted　to　destroy　the　〃slavocracy；〃　root　and　branch。　Confiscation　of　estates　would；　he　thought；　be　a　proper　measure。　He　said　on　one　occasion：　〃Traitors　should　take　a　back　seat　in　the　work　of　restoration　。。　。　。　My　judgment　is　that　he　＇a　rebel＇　should　be　subjected　to　a　severe　ordeal　before　he　is　restored　to　citizenship。　Treason　should　be　made　odious；　and　traitors　must　be　punished　and　impoverished。　Their　great　plantations　must　be　seized；　and　divided　into　small　farms　and　sold　to　honest；　industrious　men。〃　The　violence　of　Johnson's　views　subsequently　underwent　considerable　modification　but　to　the　last　he　held　to　the　plan　of　executive　restoration　based　upon　state　perdurance。　Neither　Lincoln　nor　Johnson　favored　a　change　of　Southern　institutions　other　than　the　abolition　of　slavery；　though　each　recommended　a　qualified　Negro　suffrage。

There　were；　however；　other　theories　in　the　field；　notably　those　of　the　radical　Republican　leaders。　According　to　the　state…suicide　theory　of　Charles　Sumner；　〃any　vote　of　secession　or　other　act　by　which　any　State　may　undertake　to　put　an　end　to　the　supremacy　of　the　Constitution　within　its　territory　is　inoperative　and　void　against　the　Constitution；　and　when　sustained　by　force　it　becomes　a　practical　ABDICATION　by　the　State　of　all　rights　under　the　Constitution；　while　the　treason　it　involves　still　further　works　an　instant　FORFEITURE　of　all　those　functions　and　powers　essential　to　the　continued　existence　of　the　State　as　a　body　politic；　so　that　from　that　time　forward　the　territory　falls　under　the　exclusive　jurisdiction　of　Congress　as　other　territory；　and　the　State；　being　according　to　the　language　of　the　law　felo　de　se；　ceases　to　exist。〃　Congress　should　punish　the　〃rebels〃　by　abolishing　slavery；　by　giving　civil　and　political　rights　to　Negroes；　and　by　educating　them　with　the　whites。

Not　essentially　different；　but　harsher；　was　Thaddeus　Stevens's　plans　for　treating　the　South　as　a　conquered　foreign　province。　Let　the　victors　treat　the　seceded　States　〃as　conquered　provinces　and　settle　them　with　new　men　and　exterminate　or　drive　out　the　present　rebels　as　exiles。〃　Congress　in　dealing　with　these　provinces　was　not　bound　even　by　the　Constitution；　〃a　bit　of　worthless　parchment；〃　but　might　legislate　as　it　pleased　in　regard　to　slavery；　the　ballot；　and　confiscation。　With　regard　to　the　white　population；　he　said：　〃I　have　never　desired　bloody　punishments　to　any　great　extent。　But　there　are　punishments　quite　as　appalling；　and　longer　remembered；　than　death。　They　are　more　advisable；　because　they　would　reach　a　greater　number。　Strip　a　proud　nobility　of　their　bloated　estates；　reduce　them　to　a　level　with　plain　republicans；　send　them　forth　to　labor；　and　teach　their　children　to　enter　the　workshops　or　handle　a　plow；　and　you　will　thus　humble　the　proud　traitors。〃　Stevens　and　Sumner　agreed　in　reducing　the　Southern　States　to　a　territorial　status。　Sumner　would　then　take　the　principles　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence　as　a　guide　for　Congress；　while　Stevens　would　leave　Congress　absolute。　Neither　considered　the　Constitution　as　of　any　validity　in　this　crisis。

As　a　rule　the　former　abolitionists　were　in　1865　advocates　of　votes　and　lands　for　the　Negro；　in　whose　capacity　for　self…rule　they　had　complete　confidence。　The　view　of　Gerrit　Smith　may　be　regarded　as　typical　of　the　abolitionist　position：

〃Let　the　first　condition　of　peace　with　them　be　that　no　people　in　the　rebel　States　shall　ever　lose　or　gain　civil　or　political　rights　by　reason　of　their　race　or　origin。　The　next　condition　of　peace　be　that　our　black　allies　in　the　Souththose　saviours　of　our　nationshall　share　with　their　poor　white　neighbors　in　the　subdivisions　of　the　large　landed　estates　of　the　South。　Let　the　only　other　condition　be　that　the　rebel　masses　shall　not；　for　say；　a　dozen　years；　be　allowed　access　to　the　ballot…box；　or　be　eligible　to　office；　and　that　the　like　restrictions　be　for　life　on　their　political　and　military　leaders　。　。　。　。　The　mass　of　the　Southern　blacks　fall；　in　point　of　intelligence；　but　little；　if　any；　behind　the　mass　of　the　Southern　whites　。　。　。　。　In　reference　to　the　qualifications　of　the　voter；　men　make　too　much　account　of　the　head　and　too　little　of　the　heart。　The　ballot…box；　like　God；　says：　〃Give　me　your　heart。〃　The　best…hearted　men　are　the　best　qualified　to　vote；　and；　in　this　light；　the　blacks；　with　their　characteristic　gentleness；　patience；　and　affectionateness；　are　peculiarly　entitled　to　vote。　We　cannot　wonder　at　Swedenborg's　belief　that　the　celestial　people　will　be　found　in　the　interior　of　Africa；　nor　hardly　can　we　wonder　at　the　legend　that　the　gods　came　down　every　year　to　sup　with　their　favorite　Africans。〃

One　of　the　most　statesmanlike　proposals　was　made　by　Governor　John　A。　Andrew　of　Massachusetts。　If；　forgetting　their　theories；　t