Did Mr. Lincoln Have any Theory of Reconstruction?--Mr. Lincoln's Plan--Mr. Lincoln's Oath of Allegiance, and the Loyal Class to be Created by the Taking of this Oath--The Proviso in this Plan--Seward's Idea of Reconstruction and the Views of Congress and the Judiciary--Ten Per Centum "State" Governments--Reconstruction in Louisiana under Mr. Lincoln's Plan--The New Orleans Convention--The Election of a Governor--The Constitutional Convention of April, 1864, and the Constitution Framed by it and Adopted by the Voters--Reconstruction in Arkansas--The Beginning of Resistance in Congress to the President's Plans--The Wade-Davis Bill--Analysis of this Measure--The President's Attitude toward the Bill--The President's Proclamation of July 8th, 1864--The Wade-Davis Protest against the President's Proclamation--The President's Message of December 6th, 1864--The Threatened Schism in the Republican Party and the Presidential Election of 1864--The Refusal of Congress to Count the Electoral Vote from any "State" which had Passed the Secession Ordinance--Reconstruction in Tennessee--The Twenty-second Joint Rule--Reconstruction in Tennessee Continued--Civil Government Re-established in Tennessee--The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States--The Proposition of Amendment as it Came from the Judiciary Committee of the Senate--The Passage of the Proposition by the Senate--The House Draft--Rejection of the Senate's Draft in the House--Reconsideration of the Senate's Measure in the House, and its Final Passage. [Sidenote: Did Mr. Lincoln have any theory of Reconstruction?] Some of the ardent admirers of Mr. Lincoln are disposed to dispute the proposition that he had any theory {9} of Reconstruction. It seems, however, that they are unconsciously influenced in this by their desire to escape the conviction that Mr. Lincoln held an erroneous theory of Reconstruction. It does not seem that one can read impartially Mr. Lincoln's proclamation of December 8, 1863, without coming to the conclusion that Mr. Lincoln had a very decided notion on the subject. It is true that he said that it must not be understood that no other possible mode of Reconstruction than that proclaimed by him would be acceptable, but he laid down a very distinct mode, and he said it was the best he could suggest under existing impressions. [Sidenote: Mr. Lincoln's plan.]