The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-15
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1866.
m,. Lincoln and Reconstruction.

TO refresh the memory OF our readers with
what Mr.. Linco MS opinions and policy on
this topic real were. And first, we may
say thai Mr.. Lincoln, throughout his whole
career, gave no countenance to The present
conser, alive theory, that the Rebellion did
not affect the status of the Rebel States as
members of the Union. On the contrary, he
constantly mainta ned, or rather took it for
grsnted, that the Rebellion had worked the
overthrow OF loyal State Governments in the
insufgent Sta,es, and that the de fdcto, or
Rebel State Governments, which had usurped
their places, were of no validity or rightful
authority. Hence, he maintained that the
re-establtShment of loyal State Governments
in the Rebel States was necessity. Thus,
in his proclamation of the Sth December,
1858, embracing plan OF reconstruction, he
says, Sand, whereas, a Rebellion now exists,
aVhereby the loyal State Governments of
seoeral States haze for a long time been sub
rted'-unmistakab showing that he
regarded the several State Governments then
existing in the Rebel States as of no validity
whatever.
MIR. Lincoln's ideas upon this subject of
reconstruc ion, as set forth in this proclama-
ton, embraced these main points First,
that the general Government was authorized
to reconstruct the States by that clause OF
the Constitution which makes it a duty of
the United States to guarontee to each State
in the Union republican form of govern
ment; secondly, that only those citizens who
were loyal should take part in the work of
reconstruction; thirdly, that any plan he
might adopt was merely experimental, and
liable to be superseded by better one,
should it be discovered; fourthly, that the
main dependence was, after all, upon the
army and navy and, filthy, that the whole
matter of the admission OF members from
any State rested exclusively with Congress,
and not to any extent with the Executive.
Upon the first of these points he remarked:
-"Ihe constitutional obligation of the
United Stat to guarantee to every State in
the Union republican form OF government,
and to protect the State in the case stated, is
explicit and full. This section OF the Consti-
tuition contemplates case wherein the
element in a Slate favorable to republican
government in the Union, may be too feeble
tor an opposite and hostile element external
to or even within the State; and such are pre-
cisely the cases with which we are now
dealing"
Uoon the second point he said: can attempt
to guarantee and protect rival State Gov
ernment, constructed in achole, or In prepon-
derating part, from the rery element against
,ohose hostility and uiOLence 1t IS to be pro-
tected, is simply absurd ;" Hence he excluded
al ION in Of
ton all persons who were, or had been, con-
nected Nth the Confederate army or navy.
above the rank of Colonel in the former aud
Lieutenant in the latter; all who left seats
in the United States Congress, or resigned
commiss ons In the army or navy Of the
United States, to aid the Rebellion; and all
persons who had treated our soldiers, colored
or white, otherwise than lawfully as prisoners
of war. These terms Of exclusion, it will be
seen, are much more rigorous than those OF
the Constitutional amendment, and were such
as would have put the reconstructed States
into loyal hands alone. ..,.
In regard to the third point, he wished to
be understood that this proclamation is
intended to present the people of the States
wherein the national authority has been sus-
pended and the loyal State Governments
have been subverted, mode in and by
which the national authority and loyal
State Governments may be re-established
within said States, or in any of them. And
while the mode presented is the best which
the Executive can suggest with his present
impressions, it must not be understood thai
no other possible mode would be successful ,
And in his last public speech, delivered only
three days before his assassination, in discuss
ing what had already been done in tn,
work of reconstruction, he said that no exclu
siye and inflexible plan could be prescribed
and that in the present situation it might b
his duty "tO make some nelo announcement
to the people Of the South"
Upon the fourth point he said: "We mus
not lose sight of the fact that the war-powe
still our main reliance. TO that powe
alone can we look, for time, to gipe conf
dence to the people IN the contested region
that the iRSorgent pouoer aoiH not again ooeI
run them"
The full and exclusive power of Congress
over the admission of members from thes
States, Mr.. Lincoln repeatedly and CAREFUL
recognized. Nor did he, in any manner, al
tempt to interfere with this prerogative
Congress, or to influence the action OF thl
body with reference to applicants for seats.
Mr.. LincOln's policy was tentative on
adapted TO emergencies when they arose, an