End of Confederacy and Efforts of Lincoln and Johnson - Essay Example

The uniformity in fundamental rights and ensuring the rights of freed slaves should be ensured by the federal government itself. But at the same time, there were views favoring the solution based on the limited role of the federal government in restructuring process while ensuring unity and nationwide healing policy. This suggestion was against the policy of Radical Reconstruction which was being viewed as the one based on hatred against the Southerners. The main concern of the government was that of defining its role in shaping the political, economic, and social integrity of the southern states as the union forces had freed nearly four million slaves.

The possibility of co-existence of freed slaves with the rest of the white population in a resentful environment was more problematic than the war as it was the issue of slavery that spurred secession among southern states.In Congress, Democrats and moderate Republicans were favoring the lenient policing while the Radical Republicans were pushing for the harsher program and complete intervention of federal authority in the restructuring process that should include total equality of newly freed slaves with the remaining white population.

But President Lincoln was in favor of the lenient approach as he was in believe that the war itself has changed the states dramatically and more punishment would actually hinder the healing process and forward movement of the nation as a whole. As per his plans, the federal government would grant amnesty to any Confederate who renewed its support and faith towards the Constitution and federal government and readmit those states to the Union. But Lincoln was assassinated and was succeeded was Andrew Johnson.

President Johnson carried out some of Lincoln's Reconstruction Policy but made considerable changes to the earlier plan of following a lenient approach and included the punishment factor. Radical Republicans equivocally supported Johnson's policies. But once in office, Johnson too adopted a lenient approach and declared that it's the responsibility of the states to set policies for the newly freed slaves and to ensure equal rights. This approach was countered by Radical Republicans and was later opposed by other moderate Republicans as Southern states were not showing enough willingness to ensure policies of the federal government and allowing the blacks to access equal rights.

The lenient approach of Johnson was also criticized by moderates and Congress as democracy dictated by the federal government backfired with the passage of Black Codes and the election of several former confederates to public office as well as Congress. Radicals later proposed greater federal intervention and Congress' Reconstruction Act of 1867 was enacted which removed the Confederates from power and the districts of South was put under military rule. Johnson vetoed several bills passed by Congress and hence the split between the Presidential Office and Congress became evident as Congress overrode Johnson's veto of Civil Rights Bill and later Freedmen's Bureau Bill.

Congress in its new session with the Republican majority passed the First Reconstruction Act of 1867. The act created five military districts out South and stationed around 20,000 troops to ensure a peaceful transition of South into mainstream national policies.