Based on the information presented in the journal entry, it seems that the author is discussing the issue of Reconstruction and the policies implemented to readmit Southern states to the Union after the Civil War. The author discusses the different views that emerged at the end of the war, with moderates favoring a more lenient approach, and radicals advocating for stricter punishment for the South.
The author also highlights the discriminatory laws and practices that existed during Reconstruction, such as the black codes that limited the rights of freedmen and the violence perpetrated by groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Despite some progress, discrimination persisted, and historians have questioned whether Reconstruction would have been more successful had Abraham Lincoln lived.
In terms of rules for the South to be readmitted to the Union, the author does not express a clear position. However, the journal entry provides information about the policies that were implemented, such as Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan and the Freedmen's Bureau, as well as the constitutional amendments that were passed to further the rights of blacks.
~~~Harsha~~~