The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-02-04
VOLUME X.---NO. 90.
President LincOln's Plan to Reconstruct the
Southern States.

Southern States.
We give below the speech of Hon. Frederick
". Seward in the New York Assembly ON
the Louisiana resolutions. In publishing 1t
the Albany Journal says that Mr.. Seward gives
the first public and full account of most IN
teresting historical event-the plan of recon-
structlon agreed upon at a meeting of Presi>
dent Lincoln's cabinet on the very day of the
Presidents assassination. In the illness of his
father, Mr.. Seward was himself present on that
occasion as the representative of the State De-
partment, and participated in the council. Mr..
Seward spoke as follows
The questions about Louisiana are not new
ones. On the contrary, they are very old ones.
They arose Immediately upon the close of the
war. On the morning of the 18th of April,
1865, when Richmond and Petersburg had
fallen, and Sherman was holding Johnston's
army at bay everything betokened that peace
was at hand. President Lincoln called cab-
net meeting at the Executive mansion, and in.
vited to participate in it the victorious general
to whom Lee had surrendered at Appomattox.
At such meeting, in such time, there could
be but one question, and that question Of
transcendant mportance-the question of re-
construction, restoration or re-establishment
of the seeded States in their former relations
as members of the Federal Union The con-
ference was long and earnest, with little di-
versity Of opinion, except as to details One
of the difficulties of the problem was, who
should be recognized as State authorities.
There was loyal Governor in Virginia. There
were military Governors in some of the other
States. But Southern Legislatures were, for
the most part, avowedly reasonable. Whether
| tha1, ho oil fO
committed some new act of hostility whether
the Governors should be requested to order
new elections whether such elections should
be ordered by the General Government-all
these were questions raised. Among many
similar expressions of the President, in that
| terse and homely mode of speech, the memory
of which still fingers pleasantly in the hearts
of the American people, he said: eve can't
undertake to run State governments in all
these Southern States. Their people must do
that, though reckon at first they may do it
badly" The Secretary of War, Mr.. Stanton,
produced some sheets of paper on which he
had drafted the outlines of plan of recon-
struction, embodying the Presidents views,
other members of the cabinet In substance
it was, that the Treasury Department should
take possession of the custom houses, and pro-
ceed to collect the revenues; that the War De-
partment should garrison or destroy the forts,
take possession of arms and munitions, and
maintain the public peace that the Navy De-
partment should in like manner occupy the
harbors, take possession of navy yards, ships
and ordnance that the Interior Department
should send out its surveyors land, pension,
and Indian agents, and set them at work. that
the Postmaster General should reopen his
postoffices and establish his mail routes; that
the Attorney General should look after the re-.
establishment of the Federal Courts, with their
judges, marshals and attorneys; in short, that
the machinery of the United States Govern
should be faithfully executed and vigorously
enforced, and that everything like domestic
violence or nsurrection should be repressed;
but the public authorities and private citizens
should remain unmolested, if not found in
| actual hostility to the Government of the
Union. In word it was plan based upon
the Constitution of the United States. That
night Abraham Lincoln passed from earth.
Through the madness Of an assassin, the
Southern people lost 8 lenient judge, 3 just
and generous friend The plan for their peace
and safety, upon which the morning hours of
his last day had been spent, WIS taken up by
his successor; but the calbittered public feel
ing which followed his murder rendered both
Congress and the people far less ready to
acquiesce in its adoption. From that time to
this the efforts that have been made to carry
it out have met with an amount of opposition
and p degree Of success and failure that arc
now among the familiar facts Of history.
still think that this first plan for the recon-
struction of the Southern States was the best
and wisest one of all. 1t would have been
fortunate for the South and the Union if it
had been adopted then. 1t will be fortunate
for the South and the Union if it shall be adop-
ted now. But it is not TO be accomplished By
mere denunciaton of what is or has been done
wrong 1t is not enough to denounce the
wrong &; it is necessary 10 find out and apply
the remedy. That remedy is not now within
the power of political parties or of public
meetings. 1t is not within our power on this
floor. Its not even within the power of the
President 1t is only within the power of the
people of the United States, through their
representatives in Congress assembled. 1t is
right and proper, therefore, that our resolutions
should be addressed to them, invoking their
remedy9 You have it in the pending resolu-
tions Congressional action to define and en-
force the faithful adherence of all concerned
to the respective duties therein enumerated
and prescribed by the Constitution of the
United States. In the case under discussion
the presence and aid of Federal military force
seems to have been solicited by both parties of
State Legislative controversy. Clearly
condition of affairs so anomalous and so extra
ordinary is one requiring early Congressional
attention, to declare what are the respective
rights, duties and obligations, in Louisiana to-
day of soldiers and of citizens.
THE REPUBLICAN, LossEs,-The New York
World publishes official returns of the elections
since 1872. which show that in the course of
Two years the Republican party, which elected
its President by majority of over 100000
votes, has been put in minority of over 500,-