The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed.
I would describe Lincoln's plans for the South as lenient. Lincoln wanted to welcome the South back into the Union, not by punishing the South by using strict laws.