[
573]
from that of
Baltimore, excepting in the addition of a passage in the fifth resolution, hereafter to be noticed, and of the two following clauses, viz.:
12. That the question of the reconstruction of the rebellious States belongs to the people through their representatives in Congress, and not to the Executive.
13. That the confiscation of the lands of the rebels, and their distribution among the soldiers and actual settlers, is a measure of justice.
It is to be remarked, that even this radical platform omits the imposition of extra-constitutional conditions precedent upon the revolted States as requisite to their readmission into the
Union even in respect to the institution of slavery; and that its fifth clause relies upon an amendment to the
Constitution alone, as a means of accomplishing the object; that clause being in these words:
5. That the rebellion has destroyed slavery, and the Constitution should be amended to prohibit its re-establishment, and to secure to all men absolute equality before the law.
The reader will not fail to note how subordinate and obscure a position in this platform was assigned to the demand for negro suffrage and citizen ship, which afterwards was made so prominent a feature in the policy of the Radicals.
Thus, if we look to the written terms in which the issues of parties were made up, they were as follows: The Conservatives demanded reconstruction on the sole, simple basis of the
Constitution as it was. The Government party demanded a formal abolition of slavery by the revolted States as a condition precedent to restoration.
The Radicals demanded — if we look to their legislation in Congress — the three conditions of the abolition of slavery by the States, the disfranchisement of the leading rebels, and the repudiation of the rebel debt; and if we look to their
Cleveland platform, they demanded that the whole question of reconstruction should be left to the people of the
North, through their representatives in the sectional Congress, that the lands of the rebels should be confiscated, and that “equality before the law” should be secured to all men.
On paper, the more ready and natural affiliation of parties would seem to have been between the Conservative and the
Government parties; and the real antagonism to have been between the Radical party on one side, and the
Government party and Conservatives, combined, on the other; and this might possibly have been the division, if the war had been already terminated.
For it was apparent, even as early as the summer of 1864, that such would really become the dividing line of parties, when the questions of reconstruction should come immediately up for practical decision.
But the election ante-dated reconstruction by more than a year; and the
