CONGRESS, UNITED STATES (1870). 



131 



Constitution belongs to the political depart- 

 ment of the Government, 123; there is no 

 coercion about it, 124 ; no excuse or apology 

 for the action of Georgia, 124 ; eminently de- 

 sirable to obtain the free adoption by that 

 people of the fifteenth amendment, 125 ; the 

 ratification by three-fourths absolutely null 

 and void, 125; let us test it, 125; important 

 that the fifteenth amendment should be rati- 

 fied, 125 ; important that we should require 

 Georgia to ratify this amendment, 126; an 

 explanation, 126 ; without this requirement 

 Georgia will not ratify, 126; what power is 

 legitimate to organize a government for Geor- 

 gia, 127; shall Congress divest the people of 

 Georgia of this power? 127; if the State will 

 come under the radical banner, all will be 

 right, 127; attempt to justify these proceed- 

 ings, 128 ; the provisions of the bill, 128 ; it is 

 not Georgia alone that is interested, 129 ; what 

 a spectacle to present to the world I 129 ; vote 

 on the amendment, 129 ; agreed to, 130 ; Geor- 

 gia did all that your acts under the fourteenth 

 amendment required, and now it is proposed 

 to take her in hand again, 130; two reasons 

 given, 130; proceedings of her Legislature, 

 130; no member disqualified, 131; can you 

 reinstate the negroes? 131 ; bill passed, 131. 



In the House, the bill from the Senate passed 

 after a brief debate, 131 ; vote, 131. 



In the House, the bill to admit the State of 

 Georgia to representation in Congress consid- 

 ered, 132 ; the features of the bill, 132 ; facts 

 respecting Georgia, 132; admission of mem- 

 bers to this House, 133 ; hesitation of the Sen- 

 ate, 133 ; their report, 133 ; theory upon which 

 this bill is urged, 134; object to prolong the 

 term of office of the men who now control the 

 State, 134 ; its avowal, 134; design to establish 

 a principle that will authorize Congress to seize 

 any State, 134; the bill passed, 135 ; the vote, 

 135. 



In the Senate, the House bill considered, 

 135; an additional section moved, 135; the 

 Bingham amendment objected to, 135 ; its 

 adoption by the House has been regarded as a 

 rebel victory, 135; position of the Senator 

 from Illinois, 136 ; position taken by the Sen- 

 ator from Vermont, 136 ; when does a State 

 government of a new State go into operation ? 

 136; the true doctrine, 137; shall men take 

 advantage of their own wrong? 137; shall the 

 Bingham amendment, prohibiting the State 



government to continue in office, be stricken 

 from the bill ? 137 ; progress of reconstruction 

 in Georgia, 137, 138; it is claimed that the 

 State Legislature may continue its existence 

 for two years, 139 ; on what ground ? 139 ; the 

 act of admission relates back, 139; estopped 

 from accepting any such doctrine, 139; no 

 case in the world can be clearer, 140 ; as plain 

 and flagrant an attempt at usurpation in Geor- 

 gia as ever marked the course of any men 

 seeking power by illegitimate means, 140 ; the 

 Bingham amendment words of despair to 

 loyal men, 140 ; sources of power in Congress, 

 the two constitutional amendments, 140 ; also 

 three other sources, each of which is overflow- 

 ing, 140 ; necessity of the case, 140 ; guarantee 

 clause, 140 ; e pluribua unum, 141 ; this guar- 

 antee invoked for the protection of Georgia, 

 141 ; act of March 2, 1867, 141 ; several courses 

 open to Congress all equally within its powers, 

 142 ; Congress a High Court of Equity with 

 Georgia at its bar, 142 ; what is the meaning 

 of all this wild talk about the Constitution 

 being construed in the light of modern prog- 

 ress ? 142 ; can Congress do any one of these 

 things which the provisions of the Constitution 

 say it shall not do ? 143 ; we are engaged in 

 the transaction of grave and important busi- 

 ness, 143 ; features of the bill, 143 ; can Con- 

 gress deny to a State, in the form of a condi- 

 tion contained in the act of admission, a power 

 secured to the State by the Constitution of the 

 United States? 144; fundamental principles to 

 be borne in mind in every constitutional dis- 

 cussion, 144 ; can they point out the provision 

 which confers the power in this case? 144; 

 views of Senators, 144; amendment offered, 

 145 ; lost, 145 ; another offered, 145 ; substi- 

 tute proposed, 145 ; adopted, 145 ; other 

 amendments moved and adopted or rejected, 

 146 ; bill passed, 147, 



In the House, the bill reported with amend- 

 ments of the Senate, 147 ; amendments added 

 and the bill passed, 147 ; the Senate refuse to 

 concur, 147; conference, 148. 



In the Senate, a resolution offered to admit 

 Virginia to representation in Congress, 148 ; 

 she has complied in all respects with the re- 

 construction acts, 148 ; were the members of 

 the Legislature required to take the test-oath ? 

 149 ; amendment moved, 149 ; remands the 

 State to its previous condition on a certain con- 

 tingency, 149; manifestly improper, 149; no 



