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598 Reconstruction and Emancipation. [i863-4 the State to the Union, in the complete local destruction of the old order of things. To foster this political regeneration, President Lincoln, acting through his military governors and local commanders appointed to restore and supplement the civil administration subverted by seces- sion, suggested, aided, and promoted the movements to reorganise loyal State governments and adopt new State constitutions by which slavery should be prohibited. Since these three States differed greatly in respect to existing military conditions and local political sentiment, the President, on December 8, 1863, issued a general proclamation of amnesty and reconstruction, granting to all except certain specified classes, on taking a prescribed oath of allegiance, pardon and restoration of rights of property, except as to slaves, and authorising one-tenth of the legal voters of any seceding State to re-establish a loyal State government, which would be recognised by the executive. In his accompanying annual message, he remarked further that "By the proclamation the plan is presented which may be accepted by them as a rallying point, and which they are assured in advance will not be rejected here.... Saying that reconstruction will be accepted if presented in a specified way, it is not said it will never be accepted in any other way." Under the terms of this proclamation, Arkansas and Louisiana organised State governments and adopted new constitutions prohibiting slavery, mainly during the year 1864; Tennessee, where more serious military obstacles prevailed, reached the same result early in 1865 ; while in the loyal border Slave States of Maryland and Missouri the regular political action of their people worked out the same constitu- tional reform at about the same dates. Congress, however, displayed considerable reluctance to recognise these "ten per cent. States" re- organised under the plan of the President, and to approve the admission of their senators and representatives to seats. Discussion of various theories engendered some factional heat among Republican senators and representatives ; but the President carefully avoided the formation of any practical legislative issue on the subject. It was only in the succeeding administration of President Johnson that the divergence developed into bitter antagonism and led to a long constitu- tional struggle between the executive powers of the Administration and the legislative powers of Congress. Meanwhile, however, a yet more radical and far-reaching movement for the complete extinction of slavery was in progress. With the year 1864 came again the quadrennial election of a President of the United States. While the failures of campaigns, the rivalries of generals, and the fierce criticisms of the opposition minority in Congress had created a certain disaffection among a few Republican politicians towards Lincoln^ administration, the people at large recognised and appreciated the unselfish devotion, sagacity and tact which he had displayed in