Questions About John Brown

[RJNorton]

(02-12-2016 07:44 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Were there plans in place?

Laurie, Reconstruction is not my area, and I am like you when it comes to the questions you ask - I do not know. However, IMO Lincoln was not set on a definitve method of Reconstruction when he died. You ask, "Were there plans in place?" As of April, 1865, I would say "nothing set in stone." At the very least if Lincoln were devising a plan I do not think it was something inflexible. I do not think he was set on any one plan in April, 1865.

I own a copy of Bill Richter's Historical Dictionary of the Civil War and Reconstruction. In the section titled, "Reconstruction, Theories of" Bill writes:

"But Lincoln and Johnson saw the Presidential Plan differently. Lincoln envisioned it as a proposal, not excluding Congress from input, but nothing to be inflexibly tied to forever. Johnson thought of Reconstruction just the opposite. He expected Congress to go along with his plan and fought with them over modifications that Congress thought would make the South pay for the war, like freedmen's rights. The real problem was that neither president could get the people seated without the concurrence of Congress. That body alone is charged in the Constitution with ensuring that each state has a republican form (the theory of government, not the party). Lincoln knew this would give Congress ultimately a voice in Reconstruction, while Johnson seemed to find this reprehensible - odd coming from a constitutionalist such as he was. The result was a bitter fight between legislative and executive branches over policy, with the Supreme Court caught in the middle."

Prior to this Bill writes, "Lincoln had previously put forth his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction as a method to undermine the Southern will to fight."

My guess is that Lincoln's plan would have been relatively mild (although his previous plan was in wartime, and a peacetime plan may have been stricter than what folks might think). Also, he planned on involving Congress in the plan in contrast to Johnson, as Bill says in his book. And, I think Congress was not scheduled to go back into session until December 4, and Lincoln was assassinated in April. Thus, Lincoln IMO was in no rush to come up with a set plan when Congress was not in session for the next 7 months. He knew he had time to talk to many folks, get advice, etc.