Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-10-13

I again presents il to TIE nation and TO
/ the Southern people for adoption. Again,
on the 18th Of April, only two days De
/ fore his death, and the last speech ne
made, Mr.. Lincoln again referred to and
represented this policy Of amnesty and
reconstruction. That speech may be
called his dying words to his people, and
desire TO read n portion OF It to you.
You remember the occasion; IL was
after Richmond had been evacuated; is
was the evening after the news Of Lees
surrender was received; Washington was
Illuminated; large crowd had assem-
bied in front Of the White House, and
MIR. Lincoln spoke from the window He
referred to Louisiana, aud gavs the his
tory Of his policy thus:
10 my annual message of Decem.
Der, 1853, and the accompanying pro-
clamatiou, presented plan Of recon
struction, az the phrase goes. which /
! promised, If adopted by any State, would
be acceptable aud sustained by the tx
ecutive Government Of the nation.
distinct stated that this was Fnos the
only plan which might possibly be ac-
ceptable also distinctly protested
that the Executive claimed no right TO
say when or whether members should
BIO admitted to seats ia Congress from
such States.'
| wish 10 make a remark here: 1t 10
sometimes said that under JoEnson's
policy those old politicians Who fulmin-
ated and carried on the rebellion can Do
reelected and returned 10 seats 10 Con-
gress.
Gentlemen who talk in that way for
get that on the "a Of July, 1862, Con.
gress passed an act-which has never
been repealed and therefore IL now 10
fall foree--prohibiting any person from
holding any federal office, high or low,
who had directly or indirectly been con-
cerned in this rebellion. So there 10 no
danger Of those gentlemen getting into
Congress unless that body should prove
recreaut TO It's trust, and fail to enforce
the law on its statute book Mr. Linz
coin referred 10 this act and said he
claimed no power to determine who
| should be eligible TO seats in Congress;
be claimed no power to bring forward
any man who had been disfranehised by
the act Of Congress- And Mr.. johnson
has never claimed be had the power or
would do any such thiBg That act Of
Congress was binding on Mr.. Lincoln,
aud is now binding on Mr. Johnson, and
both Recognized its force
IL 10 not proposed TO interfere ia any
respect With the operation Of thai stat
ute, and allow men to come into Com
gress, or into any federal Office, who ara
prohibited from such privilege by this
act of Congreaa
=" This plan" be aaya, " was, in adj
vance submitted to the Cabinet and ap-
proved by every member of it, One Of
them suggested that | should then and
in that conjunction apply the Enamel
patton Proclamation to the heretofors'
excepted parts Of Virginia and Loaisi,
ana; that | siould drop the suggestion
about apprenticeship for the freed PEG
pie, ADD that I should omit the protest
againat my own power In regard to the
admission Of members Of Congress
But even be approved every part and
parcel OF the plan which has since been
employed or touched by the action Of
Louisiana
Here Mr.. Lincoln, just before bis
death, gives the history Of this plan of
reconstruction, lie says il was submit
ted TO avery member OF bis Cabinet
Who we're the members Of bis Cabinet7
The present. Chief Justice, Chase, Hon.
Edwin M Stanton, and the Hon. Sec
Rotary OF State, Mr.. Seward. Surely
the approval Of these distinguished
gentlemen, who have rendered such
great service to the nation, must give
aome weight and character 10 the policy
now pursued.
But be goes on to say:
The new constitution of Louisiana,
declaring emaHcip patton for the whole
State, practically applies the proclama-
ton TO the part previ, usly exempted
IL does not adopt apprenticeship for the
freed people, and il silent, as ii could
not well be otherwise, about the adnis-
sion OF members to Congress; 50 that,
as it Ia applied to Louisiana, every mem.
Der Of the Cabinet tally approved Of the
plan. The message went TO Congress,
and read many commentators OF the
plan, written aud verbal; aud nos q
single objection to ii from any professed
emaneipationists came to my knowledge.
until after the news waa received nc
Washington that the people OF Louisiana
had begun a movement in accordance
with IT,
Then, 10 referring to this subject, he
uses the following language;
"Such has been my on agency In
the Louisiana movement MY promise
10 made, as / have frequently stated,
but as bad promises are better broken
than kept, 1 shall treat this as n bad
ms.A 4 "a u n
be- convinced that keeping ID ia averse
to the pablo interest. But have not
yet bees so convinced
Thus we find Mr. Lincoln Just before
bis death, referring In warm and strong
terms To bis policy Of amnesty and re-
construction, aud giving 1t his sanction
still Indeed be may be said to have
died holding out to the nation this very
policy Of amnesty and Reconstruction.
II was held out by him up TO the very
time the rebels laid down their arms
Mr.. Lincoln died BY the hand OF the
assassin, aud Mr.. Johnson came into
power. He took Mr.. Lincoln's cabinet
ne be left IL. He took his policy in re-
gard TO amnesty and reconstruction as
he had left ii, and presented il to the
WVtt1 again tW0 1&Y1 UERgEG
death; and he has faithfully and honest
~ attempted to administer that policy
which was bequeathed TO him by that
great man around whose grave the whole
world gathered ~ mourners
have referred TO these facts 10 show
that Mr.. johnson has devised no new or
strange thing, but has carried out the
policy lett BY bis venerated predecessor
ia policy that received the Endorsement
of the nation. by the triumphant re-elec.
ton Of Mr.. Lincoln, that had been pro-
claimed to the world nearly year be-
fore the time Of his last election.
want to remark further upon this
subject, and refer to the action Of Con-
gress, in reference to the question of re-
construction. Some time in the month
Of May Henry Winter Davis, the distin.
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