Lincoln Presidency against that of Johnson - Essay Example

Evaluating Lincoln presidency against that of JohnsonIntroductionPresident Abraham Lincoln was sworn in on 4th march1861 and was in office through a war-ridden period until his assassination on 15th April1865[Article]. These two were great men who left their marks in history that saw the United States go through some massive revolutions. However, one of the two presidencies was unlike the other and bared disparities in dealing with the issues that they distinctively prioritized. This paper’s discourse will be addressing these gaps and an analysis of which presidency was more deserving of praise and the reasons behind the decision that the author makes.

Precisely the paper will argue out if the Lincoln administration was worthy of more praise than the Johnson’s presidency.The first crucial policy enforcement that Lincoln is highly accredited for over his predecessors and successors was the Emancipation of Slaves who hugely consisted of African Americans. President Buchman, Lincoln and Johnson all believed that the Constitution protected the institution of slavery[Last].However, Lincoln alone understood that the constitution and the union that it had created would be preserved only by redefining the principles on which the country was cemented upon, such as all men are created equal.

This led to passing of the second confiscation act in 1862 in a move to weaken the rebellion that opposed Lincoln by freeing the slaves since most of the rebellion leaders were slave owners. Furthermore, the emancipation declaration that Lincoln brought into effect was to free slaves even in states that were not under the union control. As one of Lincoln’s officials pointed out Lincoln was the first great man, who talked in the United States in a manner that suggestively deemed that there was no difference between any two people, especially on the differences of color[Last].

In respect to domestic policies, Lincoln led to a myriad of substantial changes in the government policies that faced an impetus force of resistance. Lincoln created the first income tax in an attempt to finance the war and implemented military drafts that led to huge uproar and riots in the New York City. These and many other policies that Lincoln incorporated during his rule were meant to restore the union, which happened to be an overwhelming priority during his term. On the other hand, Johnson’s first priority was the restoration of the state and some of his notable contributions include, the halting of the construction of Bozeman trail, sending a peace commission to end fighting and later set two large districts where the tribes would settle.

In addition most of the policies enforced over the period of Lincoln’s period included policies that reflected on more essential issues other than the Johnson presidency that more often was involved in reinforcing Lincoln’s policies that had been ignored in the period leading to Lincoln’s assassination. One such policy is the writ of habeas corpus that was brought into act during Lincoln’s term and then reinforced during Johnson’s term. The second such policy was the Homestead Act that was similarly brought into being while Lincoln was in power and later reenacted during Johnson term as president.

ConcusionAn evaluation of these two presidents is seemingly more of a question whether a period of civil wars through which many imperative policies were assented to, overweight a more peaceful error through which restoration was the main agenda. I believe it is fair to praise Lincoln presidency more since it was during this period that laid grounds for any meaningful recovery to take place. In addition Lincoln was the first United States president to recognize the full worth of life wherever it lies and did not find the essence of subjecting slaves to conditions as those they faced which led to his enacting of an emancipation proclamation that made his legacy resonate through history.

ReferencesArticle: , (Paludan, 1994), Last: , (Jones, 1999),