Reconstruction is regarded as the phase of struggle for United States after the defeat of confederacy in the civil war in the year of 1877. The phase of Reconstruction experienced a number of resolutions as proposed by Republicans and federal government to make positive effort. In the same era, Abraham Lincoln observed the plans of effort laid by Republicans.
Lincoln stood forward and critiqued the plans along with the proposal of better options to practice during the era of reconstruction. Another major contribution was by Congressional Republicans in the era of reconstruction. In this paper, we shall compare and contrast the concept of Lincoln and republicans with respect to reconstruction.
The Reconstruction idea that appeared the most valid was Lincoln’s idea on Reconstruction. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln planned to reconstruct the south back in to the Union which was the most reasonable plan in contrast with the Republicans. The Republicans were surprised to know that how the Southern states were allowed to be back in the Union.
Later on, the Republicans produced the same idea that had put Lincoln in the direct confrontation and after a little while it was cleared that the idea of Lincoln is more reasonable. Republican plan for reconstruction was to give the control to the American Army and take away the controls from the southerners.
The plan by Congressional Republicans is named as Radical Republican Reconstruction. The plan by Republicans was greatly debated as it was being regarded that Republicans were basically implementing their interest of staying in power through the plan of Reconstruction (Belz, 1998).
On the other hand, the plan by Abraham Lincoln plan was being accepted by masses rapidly and trouble-free. He gave reason that as South did not succeed their economic and political leaders instigated the secession and the war (Belz, 1998). Lincoln sought to harmlessly re- integrate the South back into the Union.
He presented arguments that the government was indissoluble and was for sure politically unfeasible (Belz, 1998). In other words one of the Lincoln plans for the Reconstruction was earlier than a state could be readmitted in the Union 10 percent of the voters wanted to take oath to the U.S.
To stop this plan of Lincoln, the Republicans introduced Wade-Davis Bill of 1864. This design of Republicans gave rise to the voters and it increased 10percent to fifty percent of the number of voters. However, this bill did not get passed because Lincoln, the president refused to sign.
This decision had put Lincoln in a clash with the congress. The drastic Republicans only hunted to help white Northerners. In order to solve the situation of turmoil, Black Code was enacted by the southern governments because Black Code completely restricted the voting rights of black. Black Code was an opinion of northern or whites as they had a fear that if the blacks were to come to the North it would possibly mean smaller quantity of jobs for white Northerners, or even opposing for them.
For a political group to desire something so poorly that they would think about hurting people for their personal benefit seemed cruel. Lincoln’s Reconstruction design possibly did not go into complete effect but it was still extra logical than the Lincoln’s design (Belz, 1998). Republicans understood that the South should be penalized for beginning the war and they wished to guard the constitutional rights of Freedmen.
Moreover, Lincoln’s another plan took place in the period of 1865-1877. In the following duration his government exercised to readmit the confederate states back into the United States.
Republicans panned to divide the South in 5 different districts and then wanted to place them under the military rule. Thirdly, it should be noted that the plan of reconstruction by Abraham Lincoln supported the black and whites altogether that was purely an American vision that was required in the era of reconstruction.
The Republicans of Congress sought to enfranchise blacks and supply economic help in the South for two major reasons. The first reason was to maintain blacks in the South so it would not damage or race with whites in the North and secondly to generate a midpoint for the Southern Republican Party (Belz, 1998).
Through the above argumentative analysis it could be said that the concept of Reconstruction was perplexed by different people through their contributions but the accurate is Lincoln’s Reconstruction design which was reasonable due to facts that he had notion to put into the design or plan as he knew not extra that 10 percent of people would all have a allegiance oath, there was no exceptions in Lincoln’s plan, whatever was assumed was done, and he did generate laws for his own individual benefit.
While the other party Republican had an entirely different perspective of Reconstruction opposite to Lincoln’s Reconstruction plan of re- integrating the South back into the Union, and was for an enrichment of the U.S.
Reference List
Belz, H. (1998). Abraham Lincoln, Constitutionalism and Equal rights in the Civil War Era. New York: Fordham Univ Press.