Reconstruction
Lincoln’s Stand on Reconstruction
Lincoln had started the reconstruction of the United States before his assassination in 1865. However, his plans were not supported by the congressional republicans led by Rep. Thaddeus Stevens, Sen. Benjamin Wade and Sen. Charles Summer (Lesh, 2000). Lincoln’s main plan was to reconstruct the nation by uniting it rather than pushing away the South. One of the reasons the group led by Stevens opposed these strategies was due to their political interests.
Lincoln’s main plan was to let the reconstruction slowly take place. He did this by appointing Frederick Steele and Andrew Johnson as military governors. He also ordered Nathaniel Banks in Louisiana to advocate for a plan that would bring back statehood when a tenth of the voters agreed to it. The Democrats and the Radicals claimed that the policy was too lenient and they set forth to make their own policy/plan (Lesh, 2000).
The Emancipation Proclamation was implemented during this period. In addition, Lincoln pressured the Congress to put down a constitution amendment that outlawed slavery in the whole of the United States. He felt that eradicating slavery in the nation would solve most of the problems they were encountering. Unfortunately, this failed the first time the bill was brought to Congress. However, it was passed and ratified during the second attempt thus becoming an amendment on 6 December 1865 (Lesh, 2000).
President Lincoln also signed the Freedman’s Bill sponsored by Senator Charles Summer. He did this when he realized that all the federal governments had very little responsibility to the freed slaves. This bill put up a temporary agency that took care of the freed men’s immediate needs and gave them a three-year land lease for which they could acquire a title later. The Louisiana proposal did not affect the states that were going through reconstruction.
Congressional Republican Position on Reconstruction
The Congressional Republican did not agree with most of Lincoln’s plans and neither did they agree with Johnson’s plans. According to the Congress, every plan should be taken over by the Congress. They felt that they were the only ones who created the states and would affirm on whether they could or could not be represented. In other words, they wanted the ‘Congress kind of rule’.
Congress believed that the South should not be included in the reconstruction process. They did not believe in uniting with the South. In fact, they felt that the South should have been punished for igniting the war. This was in the quest of protection of the slaves that had just been freed. They also extended the Freedman’s amendment, which provided food, clothing and shelter for the war refugees and the freed men. In most cases, they did everything possible to go against the plans of Presidents Lincoln and Johnson.
They passed the thirteenth and the fourteenth amendment. Unfortunately, President Johnson did not support black suffrage, as he believed that this was in the hands of the states. The 14th one was however in favor of all people. It recognized persons naturalized or born in the United States as citizens. It prohibited all the states from diminishing the immunities and privileges of the citizens. It also prohibited all the states from denying any individuals from “equal protection of the laws” (Lesh, 2000). Former Confederations were disqualified from holding any state or federal offices. The state representation in Congress and the Electoral College was reduced as blacks were denied the right to vote. There was no guarantee on Confederate debts contrary to the federal debts.
Comparing and Contrasting
President Lincoln and the Congressional Republic had many differences as far as the reconstruction was concerned. However, they had a few similarities. For example, they both agreed in the freeing of slaves. The bill failed the first time it was presented due to the two-thirds majority rule. The second attempt saw the bill go through to become the thirteenth amendment. After the death of President Lincoln and in the era of President Johnson, they included the provision of clothing shelter and food to the freed men (Lesh, 2000).
On the other hand, there were many differences. For example, Lincoln was for unity for the whole of the United States including the South. The Congressional Republicans wanted the South alienated and punished for having started the civil war. The president had a plan of being charitable to all without any malice. The Congress believed that the reconstruction process should be taken over by Congress alone.
The president was said to be too lenient on the plans he was advocating for reconstruction. On the other hand, the Congressional plans were too aggressive and discriminative. For example, implementing laws that failed to unite Americans but rather separate the nation was a way of starting another war in the near future (Lesh, 2000). The Congressional Republicans continued with the same effort of separating the Southerners from the Congress. Other laws were implemented, which accomplished this even after the death of Lincoln.
Reference
Lesh, B. A. (2000). Reconstruction: 1865-1877. Rocky River, Ohio: Center for Learning.
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