The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-24

When President Lincoln returned from a
hurried visit to Richmond he left there
orders upon which the proclamation reaa
from an upper window of the White House
on the night of April II, 1866. was founded.
From the office of General Weitzel. COM
manding the evacuated city, he sent out
runners far into the mountains to hnd
Governor Smith. If the governor was
not to be found, when the lieutenant
governor. 1.-THE government that took
Virginia out of the union is the govern
ment to bring her back" exclaimed the
President to Judge John A. Campbell on
the spot On April II and ID the Rich
mond papers published a call from many
members of the legislature. who hap
pened to be in the city, notifying those alb
sent that the body would assemble on
the 18th day of that month. The call
was countersigned by General Weitzel. 1t
will be remembered that Johnston had not
surrendered to Sherman in North Caro-
lima, and that Richard Taylor was then
fighting Candy near Mobile.
The President told MIR. Bibb. face to
face, on the 18th inst, that it was polite
in him to listen to his advisers and to
suppress the publication of the proclama-
ton 'for a few days, but it will be pub
lished." he added.
In the forenoon of the 18th he sent for
Stanton, Secretary of War, to come to the
White House. Stanton, Gen. b. f. But
> sef and other radicals, bitterly opposed
the recognition of the southern states gov
ernments. They demanded that those
states should be held indefinitely as con-
quered provinces. Lincoln argued that
the federal government had no authority
to do more in the premises than suppress
rebellion" that the rebellion had been
suppressed and the states must be re-
stored to their rightful places In the
union. The conference left the Secretary
of War in a great anger.
The same afternoon the President
walked over to the war office. He took
seat at the secretary's desk and wrote
telegram to General Weitzel, revoking
his order to permit the government OF Vir-
gnia to be restored. Handing the paper,
so fraught with terrible consequences, to
stanton, he exclaimed: There. | think
that will suit you.' mo- replied the
secretary, ut does not go far enough.
Stanton now dictated and Lincoln wrote.
Weitzel issued an order that every men,
Der of the legislature of Virginia found
in Richmond in a given number of hours
would be lodged in jail. The next even
ing, April IA, the President was assas-
sinated at a playhouse.
The provisional governor of Alabama
was absolute. He was heartily welcomed
as the choice between him and the sole
power OF the garrison commanders, here
and there; everywhere. He came endowed
not by law, but by usurped power at
washington, to dismiss every civil officer
and to appoint others at discretion. He
might call out the militia and appoint
the officers. He was expected NY the
President to name foy appointment the
collector at the custom house. the inter-
nal revenue officers, the federal judges.
He told all In a manly way. He notified
the county officers, from constable to pro-
bate Judge, that they should retain their
places at his pleasure. None could hold
office who could not take the oath of
allegiance; none could take the oath who
had not been generally or specially par
doned by the President: none would be
specially pardoned who were not recon-
mended by the provisional governor. The
state laws. not in conflict with the pro
visional governors proclamation. would be
retained. All others were abolished.
Circuit Judges and chancellors would
retain their Offices but If loyal citi
zens" complained of them, they. all oil
any, would be put out and new men ap-
pointed.
December 3, 1858, President Lincoln is
sued proclamation, known as the am.
nesty proclamation" 1t received the rid
icue of the southern people and armies
on all sides The proposition of the Pres
ident was that in all or any of the states
of the Confederacy, whenever one-tenth o.
the voters should so request, he woule
send a governor to that state and sup
port him by the army TO restore loyal
government there. Full pardon would
issue to all rebels exceptions named
Civil and diplomatic officers of the Con
federacy, officers of the United States
army and navy who had taken service
under the Confederacy; those who hat
treated negro troops of the United State
or their white officers otherwise than al
prisoners of war.
President Johnson seriously enlarged thu