102 



CONGRESS, UNITED STATES (1864). 



this oath, held to answer for a capital crime, 

 225 ; the act repugnant to the second section 

 of the second article of the Constitution, 225 ; 

 of the nature of an ex post facto law, 226 ; is a 

 Senator a civil officer ? 226 ; case of William 

 Blount, 226 ; definition of loyalty, 226. 



What trouble was intended in some manner 

 to be corrected by these laws ? 226 ; how can 

 the country be secured against its repetition ? 

 226; how are such men to be kept out? 227; 

 the former oath furnished no security, 227. 



Whoever comes here duly elected and with 

 the qualifications prescribed by the Constitu- 

 tion is entitled to his seat, 227 ; this act is for 

 the most part retrospective, 227; could the 

 Senator who introduces this act have taken an 

 oath, which the majority of the Senate might 

 have prescribed when he first entered it ? 228 ; 

 to deny a man having the constitutional quali- 

 fications a seat, is to break the Federal com- 

 pact, 228 ; does the act in question embrace the 

 case of a Senator ? 228 ; is a Senator a civil 

 officer ? 229 ; is it in the power of the Senate by 

 a rule to require an additional oath ? 230 ; what 

 is the oath required by the Constitution ? 230. 



The simple question is, Will the Senate obey 

 an existing statute ? 231 ; is a Senator an officer 

 what says the dictionary? 231; what say the 

 constitutions of various States ? 231 ; Massa- 

 chusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jer- 

 sey, Pennsylvania, New York, 231 ; the Blue 

 Book, 231 ; the case of Mr. Blount has no ap- 

 plication, 232 ; the oath has been prescribed 

 by Congress, 233. 



Does the act embrace a Senator? 233 ; reso- 

 lution adopted, 233 ; yeas and nays, 233 ; Mr. 

 Bayard of Delaware takes the oath, 233 ; his 

 reasons for this action, 233, 234, 235. 



In the Senate, a bill to repeal the act pro- 

 hibiting colored persons to carry the mail con- 

 sidered, 235 ; amendment proposed to admit 

 them as witnesses, 235 ; not legal in many 

 States, 235 ; rules of evidence in a State gov- 

 ern United States Courts, 235 ; origin of the 

 legislation proposed to be stricken from the 

 statute book, 236; letter of Gideon Granger in 

 1802, 236 ; the legislation a part of that sys- 

 tem which Congress has so long imposed upon 

 the country, under the domineering influence 

 of slavery, 236 ; passage of the bill suspended, 

 236 ; the amendment added to an appropria- 

 tion bill, 236 ; passed, 236 ; yeas and nays in 

 the Senate, 236 ; do. in the House, 236. 



In the Senate, a bill to provide a temporary 

 Government for Montana Territory considered, 

 237 ; moved to strike out the words " white 

 male inhabitant," and to insert "male citizen 

 of the United States," etc., 237; if, as is con- 

 tended by those who now administer the gov- 

 ernment, a negro is a citizen, the amendment 

 makes him a voter in the Territory, 237 ; bet- 

 ter amend by saying "all black men," 237; 

 nature of the Dred Scott decision, 237 ; Con- 

 gress as good an authority in its interpretation 

 as the Supreme Court, 237 ; many men think 

 that decision was any thing but an outrage, 

 237; facts of the case, 237; God forbid that 

 Congress should consent to wear the straight- 

 jacket of the Dred Scott decision, 238 ; the 

 decision was an outrage upon the civilization 

 of the age, a libel on the law, but not a dis- 

 grace to the Supreme Court, 238; bill passed, 

 238 ; yeas and nays, 238 ; House refuse to con- 

 cur, 238 ; endeavor by one branch of Congress 

 to establish negro political equality, 238 ; Con- 

 ference Committee report to the House, 238 ; 

 report rejected and further conference asked, 

 with instructions to committee to agree to no 

 such proposition, 238 ; Senate decline to agree 

 to a committee in the manner asked, 239 ; mo- 

 tion that the Senate insist on the amendment 

 and agree to a conference, 239 ; not a negro 

 in the Territory, 239 ; one of the most practi- 

 cal questions ever presented to the American 

 people, 239 ; the amendment will have no prac- 

 tical effect, 239; motion adopted, 239; Con- 

 ference Committee report in the Senate, 239 ; 

 free white persons to be authorized to vote, 

 239 ; hope the Senate will adhere to its origin- 

 al position, 240 ; why detain the Senate fixing 

 a principle that can have no application ? 240 ; 

 the principle is much more important than the 

 bill, 240 ; report of the committee agreed to, 

 240; yeas and nays, 240; report adopted in 

 the House, 241. 



In the Senate, a bill to amend the charter of 

 the city of Washington considered, 241 ; moved 

 to insert the word "white" before "male" 

 relative to voters, 241 ; another amendment 

 moved that those who have paid a tax and can 

 read and write be electors, 241 ; would admit 

 negroes to the right of suffrage, 241 ; is it na- 

 tional to make color a test ? 241 ; the principle 

 is objectionable strike the chord here and it 

 will vibrate to the limits of the republic, 241 ; 

 opposed to granting the right of suffrage at 



