The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-01

was too busy outgrowing his posi- ton, and becoming big enough and broad enough to handle his chance when it did come. Lincoln was it every sense of the word, a gentle man. He was homely and dressed in homely manner. He never had time to polish up, wax his mustache and visit photographers. The man born to conquer never lets you think of his clothes. Fate. never pinned a medal on the breast of fashion modelv 4
 No President up to Wilson's time, ever had to deal with conditions as difficult as were those which con- fronted Lincoln. His sense of human nature and sound judgement enabled him to control men during great ex- citement which arose with the sud- denness and abruptness of volcano. Throughout the war, he recognized the sincerity and honesty of purpose of the south. At the close of the war, the Confederacy had fallen to pieces and likewise had the various southern states governments which had formed the Confectionery.
 Divided on Secession
 Opinion was divided among the leading men of the north as to tho real position to which the southern states had been reduced by the act or secession and the Civil war There had always been a question whether a state had constitutional right to secede. Even in the north many leading men claimed that under the constitution state could secede: and some of the New England states went so far as to threaten secession as late as 1874. On the other hand, there were those who claimed that n state n nj t...
 haps, both factions had good reasons Tor their claims as were brought out Tn many hot debates, among which was the famous Webster Haynes de- bate on States Rights"
 Lincoln maintained that state could not secede; and, hence. the southern states had not seeded. congress was not so consistent in her policy and claimed that state could not secede; yet the southern states had seeded, and by so doing had reduced the various states which had formed the Confectionery to mere territories, thereby giving Congress right to deal with them as she saw proper. Lincoln was the only man living who was strong enough to carry out his policy. He main talned that the act of secession had simply put these states out of their pi NPNi iSidNiVls to the ndIlOnal gov ernment, and his object and purpose was to get them back into their re- iation as soon as possible and as quietly as possible Lincoln believed that he had the right and power to pardon those who had seeded anu that the people in a seeded state who had thus been pardoned could form state government which wouit, restore this state to it's proper rela- ton to the national government, or that this act would reconstruct the state as it was called
 So, acting upon this theory, he issued proclamation in December, 1863, known as the amnesty Procla- nation, in which, with some excep tionS he promised pardon to all those who would lay down their arm and take an oath to support the con stitution. laws and proclamations of the national government He prom ised to form a new state govern. ment ''as soon as the number of the resident voters taking this oath h. such state would equal one-tenih the number that had voted in tl.at state in 1860, and that such state would be given full recognition by the national government" Does not this appear to be a fair basis upon which the seeded states cou; l regain their former relation to the national government? And is 1t not much easier than most of the states did get back into the union? It is a well-known fact that three states Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana had formed new states governments before the close of the war and Ten nessee complying with all subsequent requirements. thus avoided the long and terrible struggle of the recon struction period which other statis were forced to undergo
 Policy stfi Liberal
 But even two days after the sur render of the army of Northern Vir- ginia Lincoln indicated plainly that he intended to adopt the same libt ral policy in regard to the other Con federate states I cannot understand why it is that any fair and un- prejudiced thinking person who has read of conditions in the south dur ing the reconstruction period could even look like that they wanted to think that the above plan was as bad as that which we received al the hands of the northern people after Lincolns death.
 While President Johnsons plan of reconstruction was not as liberal as Lincoln's, yet he tried to carry out Lincolns policy with some modified tions; and, as Congress was not It that time in session. he isued proc lamation similar to Lincolns amnesty proclamation, and by the time Con- gress met in the fall of 1865. every state had compiled with his requesfs and were fully reconstructed But unfortunately President Johnson did not hold the confidence of Congress as did Lincoln, hence when tha. body assembled it refused to recog- nize the senators and representatives from the newly reconstructed states; which resulted in the passing of series of acts known as 'The Re construction Acts" Thus 1t was Congress, and not Lincoln, which brought so much suffering and il treatment by the carpet baggers to the people of the south.
 As to Lincoln changing his mind relative to the emancipation procia nation. it is said that wise men often change their minds; but p,t erx r,,,ch of q chanpa of heart caused