156 a short history of the united states
to him for individual pardons, and only those with amnesty or pardons
could participate in reconstructing their states.
Immediately, the Radicals recognized not only that the President
planned to undertake the Reconstruction of the South on his own but
also that he intended to complete it before the Thirty-Ninth Congress
reconvened. This realization greatly angered those who believed that
Congress, not the President, was the lawful, constitutional body to re-
unify the country.
Thaddeus Stevens wasted no time challenging Johnson’s actions.
From Philadelphia he wrote the President and expressed his dis plea-
sure. “I hope I may be excused for putting briefs on paper,” he declared;
“what I intended to say to you orally. Reconstruction is a delicate ques-
tion.... It is a question for the Legislative power exclusively.”
Exclusively! That stated the Radical position exactly. “Better call an
extra session,” Stevens instructed, “than to allow many to think that
the executive was approaching usurpation.” He also advised the Presi-
dent to stop the wholesale pardoning of former rebels. The presump-
tion of Stevens in speaking this way and dictating to the chief executive
what he should or should not do was unbelievable. Stevens followed
through on his return to Washington by confronting Johnson and
insisting that if he, the President, persisted in executing his plan of
Reconstruction, he could expect no support or cooperation from Re-
publicans in Congress.
Johnson remained calm throughout the interview. He appealed for
understanding and harmony. The people of this nation need to put the
war behind them in order to restore peace, he said. And that was what
he was trying to do. Indeed by December every one of the remaining
seven Confederate states, except Texas, had done exactly what he had
instructed them to do, and he had recognized them. Four months later
Texas complied with the requirements.
When Congress convened on December 4 , Johnson informed the
members in his first message that the Union was restored, but they re-
sponded by disregarding his announcement and establishing a Joint
Committee of Fifteen on Reconstruction with nine members from the
House and six from the Senate to report on whether the rebel states
should be represented in Congress. Moreover, until this committee
issued its report and was approved by Congress, “no member shall be