Question

...With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to seethe right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations. - President Abraham Lincoln, 1865

What disagreements with Congress followed Lincoln's speech?

Answer 1

Following Lincoln's conciliatory second inaugural address, disagreements with Congress primarily concerned the Reconstruction approach and the treatment of the South. The Radical Republicans sought stricter measures against the Confederacy and more protections for freed slaves, contrasting with Lincoln's lenient perspective. After Lincoln's death, these debates continued with Vice President Andrew Johnson's contentious presidency.

Step-by-step explanation:

Disagreements with Congress following President Abraham Lincoln's speech, specifically his second inaugural address in 1865, centered around the approach to Reconstruction and the treatment of the defeated southern states. Lincoln's conciliatory tone, as expressed in his famous quote, "With malice toward none, with charity for all," suggested a lenient approach to Reconstruction.

He hoped for a swift healing of the nation's wounds and a return to union without harsh penalties for the former Confederate states. Meanwhile, the Radical Republicans in Congress aimed for more stringent terms, including protection and enfranchisement of freed slaves, punishment for the Confederacy's leaders, and a transformation of southern society.

The direct disagreements became moot with Lincoln's assassination in April 1865, after which Vice President Andrew Johnson took office and began to implement his own version of Reconstruction, often clashing with Congress.

Significant conflicts between President Johnson and Congress occurred, leading to the eventual impeachment of Johnson. This struggle set the stage for a Reconstruction period that would be marked by strife and varying policies until the Compromise of 1877.