The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-04-11


ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND An
DREW JOHNsON-THE POLICY
OF RECONsTRUCTION
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President Of the Uni
ted States, and Commander-in-Chief OF the
Army and Navy thereof, raised armies and
increased the naval force for the sake ofpre-
serving the States and saving the Union. He
invaded those States upon land and block
AIDED them by sea for the purpose Of "crush-
ing out" treason from their midst, but not
with the intention Of destroying the States
nth the crime.
Treason existed as disturbing element in
each State precisely in the same sense that a
disease infects the human body. Mr.. LIN
coLS's course was an exact parallel to that
Of the physician who seeks to prescribe q
remedy for a disease in order that the human
body may be saved and become healthy. The
treatment is generally governed by the char
acter Of the disease and the condition Of the
patient If the cause of the infection is ag-
gravating, the remedy must be more power
full, even if it requires, the amputation of
limb to save the life.
Diseases desperate grown,
By desperate appliances are relieved
Mr.. LINCOLN did not intend that the rem
81. .ko,,1l H. ,,,o.sa 4bon ,ha d;saoea alan
he would have given no protection to the
Southern people, but would have invaded
with the torch as well as the sword and ex-
terminated instead of displaying the olive
branch wherever his victorious armies
marched or his vessels Of war sailed.
The disease which infected the Southern
States was treason. The injector purposed
the destruction of those States President
LINCOLN sought to destroy the infection and
the injector, and thus save the States. To
accomplish this, he moved his armies and
naval ships with orders to his commanders to
strike only the disease, and to protect the
healthy part Of the body. Hence the armed
traitors were pursued and routed, and killed
and wounded, and cities, towns, and villages
were captured until we conquered whole
States. As fast as this was done sufficiently
to warrant the constitutional convalescents
to go alone, Mr.. LINCOLN gave them permis
sion to put on their easy robes of peace
and walk forth in stately attitude, though
pale and sickly did they appear
Thus Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, ant
Virginia, were recognized as having suffi
GENTLY recovered from the reasonable infec
ton as to be able severally to resume thu
functions of States in the Union, not out o
the Union; nor as so much loose territor!
laying around unorganized.
Mr.. LINCOLN always discarded the doctrin
that traitors could break up this Union. tn
moment it is admitted that the rebellion ha
taken State out Of the Union, that momen
it is conceded that the Union has been di'
solved, and that traitors have done it.
The disease was scattered through tn
rebellious States to destroy the Union. Th
remedy now attempted to be applied by hon
est but impracticable men is worse than tn
disease, for it recognizes the power Of rebel
to break up this Union whenever they please
Mr.. LINCOLN never believed in such an absur
doctrine. In all his state papers he speaks G
restoring the STATES. When he dispatche
his SECRETARY OF STATE to Fortress Monro
TO confer with the agents of the arch-traito
Mr.. LISooLN's first indispensable require
ment was "THE RESTORATION OF THE sATIoNA
AUTHORITY THROUGHOUT ALL THE STATES"
With these hastily-written remarks we no
ask the careful attention Of our readers
President LINcoLN's last legacy to the Ame
lean people, printed upon our outside.
aOas delivered one year ago to-day.
tLoughtfully prepared, carefully written, an
with unusual particularly did he revise II
the proof with the writer Of this article, as
appeared in the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN I"
days before he was assassinated. We repr!I
it again at this time to freshen the memor
OF those good men who have forgotten II
words Of the Great Liberator in the midst
their fears and endeavors to find present di
fculties in the way of the restoration Of tn
Union, which we do not believe exists
Mr.. LINCOLN shows when, where and no
the work of reconstruction commenced. Al
DREW JOHNSON was assisting him in the gre'
effort as Military Governor OfTennessee. H
assistance was of such great value to Mr.. Ii
coin that when it was indicated to him tn
the Presidential Nominating Convention
1860 might succeed Mr.. HANILS with mt
man, Mr.. LINCOLN distinctly and unhesit
tingly expressed desire that ANDREW Jon
SON, Of Tennessee, should be the man selecte
sIo pnuT