It certainly may appear from this language that while Mr. Lincoln regarded it as convenient and desirable that the new "State" should be considered a continuation of the old "State," yet that he did not look upon it as absolutely necessary. Still, it seems more probable that this was only his cautious habit of leaving open a way of escape out of any position when necessity or prudence might require its abandonment than that he doubted the correctness of his idea of the indestructibility of the "States" in spite of the rebellion of a part of their population, or even of the whole of their population. [Sidenote: Seward's idea of Reconstruction, and the views of Congress and the Court.] Mr. Lincoln was not alone in this view of the nature of the "States" of the Union and the problem of Reconstruction. His able Secretary of State certainly agreed with him; the resolutions and acts of Congress down to that time may be better explained upon this theory than upon any other; and so far as the Supreme Court had dealt with the question, its dicta, if not its exact decisions, had indicated the same trend of opinion. The President felt, therefore, no hesitation in applying his plan in the specific cases that were in a condition for its realization. [Sidenote: Virginia not in need of Reconstruction according to President Lincoln's view.] Before treating of his reconstruction of Louisiana and Arkansas under this plan, however, there are two points of the proclamation which should be briefly noticed. {13} The first is the omission of Virginia from the names of the "States" to which the proclamation should apply. The reason for this is simple, and easily understood. The President had always recognized what was called the Pierpont Government at Alexandria as the true government of Virginia. Virginia, therefore, according to his view needed no reconstruction. It belonged in the class with Kentucky and Missouri. [Sidenote: Ten per centum "State" governments.]