The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-29

terms which it imposed on the seeded
states We're too lenient. and CD there
was not a sufficient guarantee that
even these terms would be observed IN
good Gath. To remedy these defects,
| OF supposed defects the Republican
majority in congress, under the leader
ship Of Henry Winter Davis in the
house. and Benjamin u. Wade in the
senate. Dreoared q BILL which was
taken I'D in the house on March %, 1864,
passed that body on May 4 by a vote
of 70 to 20. and the senate passed 1t
on July by is to II, all the affirmative
votes in each house being Republicans,
and nearly all the negatives Demo-
Gratis. The bill provided that the pres
ident should appoint provisional gov
errors Cor the insurgent states, who
were to enroll the white citizens of
each state, and after a majority of
these took the oath of allegiance they
were to hold a state convention. to
which eX-confederateS were ineligible
as delegates. This convention was to
frame a constitution regulating the
confederate debt abolishing slavery
and excluding the higher military and
civil officers OF the confederacy from
the governorshiD and legislature. If
congress accepted this constitution the
state was to be restored to it's old re-
lations to the Union by presidential
proclamation.
The Davis Wade bill reached lincoln
only a few hours before the end Of
the session. on July 4, 1864, and he
killed it by the pocket veto. In a proc
lamation on July s. giving his reasons
for Withholding his signature, he said
he was 'unprepared to declare that the
free state constitutions and govern
ments already adopted and installed in
Arkansas. and Louisiana shall be set
aside and held for naught, or to de
clare q constitutional competency in
congress TO abolish slavery in states
but he said he expected a constitutional
amendment abolishing slavery through
out the country to be adooted. He
stated. however. that he was not in
fieXibly committed to any plan of res
toration." and that he considered the
system crowded in the bill as "one
very proper plan for the loyal people
of any state choosing to adopt il"
Davis and WAGE in long letter in
the New York Tribune on Aug. 8,
fiercely attacked Lincoln. saying that
''he has greatly presumed on the for
bearance which the supporters of his
administration have so long practiced,'
declared that "he must understand
that our support is of a cause, and not
of man: that the authority Of con-
gresS IS paramount and must be re-
Srected. and if he wishes our
support he must confine himself TO his
executive duties-to obey and to exc
cute not make the laws-to suppress
by arms armed rebellion, and leave po-
litical organization to congress-" In
these bitter words was foreshadowed
the conflict precipitated when, in the
following year. johnson. without any
of Lincoln's tact and influence with
the Republican party. attempted to
carry out Lincolns policy. This ended
all practical attempts by congress to
frame a reconstruction policy until
after the war ended. Meanwhile the
work OF reconstruction was simDlified
by the passage of the thirteenth
Lincoln's proclamation of
Jan. /. 1863. enianciDated the slaves in
the region of rebellion at that time.
The thirteenth amendment abolished
slavery as an institution throughout
the country. 1t passed the senate April
s. 1864, by SO to 6, failed to get two
thirds IN = vote in the house June Is.
but received a vote of 119 as against
SO in that body on Jan. 81, 1865. was
ratified by 81 out of Sc states, and was
declared in force Dec. 49, 1865 The
contest between the Republican ma
jority in CONGRESS and Johnson began
a few days before that date
In carrying out the Lincoln pro-
gramme of reconstruction, President
Johnson had. by the time congress met.
on Dec. 4, 1865, recognized all the Sc
ceded states on their ratification of the
thirteenth amendment. All had eho-
sen senators and representatives eX-
cept Texas, whose convention did not
meet until the following March, and all
demanded admission to representation
in congress. By an agreement of the
leaders of the house, which was over
Republican, the house
clerk, Edward Mcpherson, in calling
the roll, omitted the seeded states,
Schuyler Colfax was Immediately re-
elected speaker and then Thaddeus {
Stevens, who was the most influential
parsonage in the house from this time
IN to his death in 1868, presented d con- |
current reSOlution-made concurrent so /
is not to need the presidents signature |
that, in the shape in which it was /
inally adopted, provided for a joint /
committee of nine representatives and |
six senators to inquire whether the Sc
ceded states ought yet to be represent
I'd in congress. The senate. likewise |
strongly Republican but not quite so
in its opposition to John |
son. also adopted the resolution. Sena-
or Fessenden was made chairman of |
he committee, but its master spirit
vas Stevens.
The chief reasons why congress re-
used admission to the representatives
# the seeded states were these: % 1t
believed the adequate protection of the
LIBERATED negroes could not be secured
Inder the Lincoln ohnson plan. (2)
All the seeded states, beginning with
on Nov. "a, 1865, enacted
black laws against vagrancy which
we're very Objectionable to the north.
3 Nearly all these states elected
eading eX-confederates to congress. In
10th of these particulars the south s
curse was natural, but was unwise at
hat critical juncture. The vagrancy
avs, by their terms, applied to both
aces alike, but it was plain to be seen
hat they were directed against the
egroes. Many of the laws were, in
act, close copies of enactments ~
orce in some New England and other
orthern states. Moreover, the laws
n most cases were needed. Neverthe-
esS, prudence would have dictated
heir postponement. as it would also
ave suggested the postponement Of
he election of the confederate leaders.
BY these two courses the south played
nto the hands of the extremists, who
we're still in a minority i'm the Repub-
can party, strengthened the Sumner
nd Stevens contention that the ballot
-as necessary to the negroes for their
and give impetus to the
lovement for impartial suffrage"
hitch was slowly gathering force in
he north at that time. and which
breed itself into the reconstruction act
March 2, 1867.
Shartly after the fight by congress
gainst Johnson began in the winter
1866 Johnson. came ably to the as
stance of his enemies. In a speech,
Washington on Feb. %, 1866, he
a