Excerpt from National Union Free Convention’s “How shall We End the Rebellion—Shall We Coax It, or Crush It?” 1864

Question

AMERICANS! Here you have two plans for ending the Rebellion, restoring peace, and preserving the Union. They differ in every essential feature. They agree in scarcely anything. Here are some of their points of contrast:

1. The Chicago platform says not one word in condemnation of the Rebellion or of those who have wrapped the nation in the flames of civil war. The Baltimore platform brands the Rebellion as a gigantic crime, and demands the punishment of the rebels and traitors who have brought it on. With which do you agree?

2. The Chicago Platform proposes that the Rebellion be stopped by IMMEDIATE EFFORTS FOR A CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES on the part of the Government. The Baltimore Platform proposes to "quell it by FORCE of ARMS." The first is Surrender—the last VICTORY! Which do you prefer? . . .

4. The Chicago Platform says not a syllable against the rebellion, but denounces, with intense bitterness and venom, everything the Government has done to put it down. The Baltimore platform applauds and upholds the Government in its efforts to subdue the rebels, and promises continued support in this endeavor. Which is the most patriotic? . . .

7. The Chicago Platform has not a word to say against slavery, which has caused the war, and which is to be the cornerstone of the new Confederacy the rebellion seeks to establish. The Baltimore Platform brands it as a curse to the country, and calls for its complete extirpation from the soil of the Republic, at the hands of the people, through an amendment of the Constitution. Which is the wisest and best for the country?

Use the excerpt to answer the question.

Which plan for Reconstruction would the author of this excerpt most likely agree with and why?

A.
the Wade-Davis Bill, because it was harsher on the rebels

B.
the Ten Percent Plan, because of its focus on reconciliation and leniency

C.
the Wade-Davis Bill, because it aimed to conclude peace without more bloodshed

D.
the Ten Percent Plan, because it demanded an immediate end to the war

PLEASE, ALSO EXPLAIN WHY ITS THE CORRECT ANSWER, DO NOT GUESS, USE THE EXPERT.

Answer 1

The author of this excerpt would most likely agree with the Baltimore Platform, which calls for the punishment of the rebels and traitors who have brought on the Rebellion, demands that it be quelled by force of arms, applauds and upholds the Government in its efforts to subdue the rebels, and calls for the complete extirpation of slavery from the soil of the Republic. This is in contrast to the Chicago Platform, which does not condemn the Rebellion or those who have caused it, proposes that the Rebellion be stopped by immediate efforts for a cessation of hostilities, and does not mention slavery. Therefore, the author of this excerpt would not agree with the Ten Percent Plan or the Wade-Davis Bill, as they both focus on reconciliation and leniency, and do not demand an immediate end to the war.