132 



CONGKESS, UNITED STATES (1870). 



authority under the Constitution for unequal 

 States, 149 ; we have a right to protect our- 

 selves against a recision of the fifteenth 

 amendment by Virginia, 150 ; thus to remand 

 her would nullify her ratification, 150; we 

 have a right to protect a State government 

 after having reconstructed it, 150 ; the power 

 claimed by some States to retract their ratifica- 

 tion, 150 ; the amendment confesses the power 

 of a State to retract, 151 ; the proposed amend- 

 ment of the Constitution utterly void, 151 ; 

 when an amendment is proposed, every State 

 in the Union, must be represented in the two 

 Houses of Congress, 151 ; two-thirds of both 

 Houses are required to propose amendments, 

 151; Congress will have for evermore the 

 power to protect reconstruction, 152 ; amend- 

 ment rejected, 152 ; another amendment 

 moved, 152; amendment to the amendment 

 offered, 152; modified and agreed to, 153; 

 another amendment moved, 153; rejected, 

 153; another amendment moved, 153 ; reject- 

 ed, 153; another amendment offered, 153; a 

 few questions asked, 154 ; what theory is en- 

 tertained by these Senators, 154 ; is a State 

 constitution void because it conflicts with an 

 act of Congress? 155 ; if that act is a compact 

 between Congress and a State? 155; there can 

 be no compact between Congress and a State, 

 155 ; resolution laid aside and House bill con- 

 sidered, 155. 



In the House, a bill for the admission of 

 Virginia reported, 155 ; the bill, 155 ; a com- 

 promise measure, 156 ; is the State entitled to 

 be represented in Congress ? 156 ; some think 

 we should be in no hurry to admit her, 156 ; 

 amendment moved and agreed to, 157 ; a sub- 

 stitute offered and adopted, 157; bill passed, 

 157. 



In the Senate, the House bill considered, 

 158; amendment offered, 158; other amend- 

 ments offered and agreed to, 158 ; Senators 

 decline to vote, on the passage of the bill, in 

 its favor, 159 ; bill passed, 160. 



In the House, the amendments of the Senate 

 to the bill for the admission of Virginia con- 

 curred in, 160. 



In the House, a bill reported for the admis- 

 sion of Mississippi, 160 ; the bill, 160 ; similar 

 to the Virginia bill, 161 ; amendment offered 

 and lost, 161 ; bill passed, 161. 



In the Senate, the House bill for the admis- 

 sion of Mississippi to representation in Con- 



gress considered, 162 ; condition of Mississippi, 

 162 ; votes on the clauses submitted to the 

 Constitution, 162 ; committee recommend all 

 conditions to be stricken out of the bill, 163 ; 

 we have power to put in conditions, 163 ; 

 these States are in a peculiar condition, 163 ; 

 the provisions of the Constitution, 164 ; Mis- 

 sissippi entitled to representation by virtue of 

 the provisions of the Constitution, 164; the 

 argument for State rights proceeds on a mis- 

 apprehension, 165 ; nothing clearer than that 

 the equal rights of all must be placed under 

 the safeguard of one uniform law, 165; two 

 great title-deeds of the republic, 165 ; all these 

 powers essentially national, 165 ; it is for Con- 

 gress to determine in its discretion how repub- 

 lican government shall be maintained, 165 ; 

 human rights, in this land, do not depend on 

 the Congress of the United States, 166 ; the 

 Federal Government is one of limited powers, 

 166; amendments rejected and bill passed, 166. 



In the House, a bill considered to admit the 

 State of Texas to representation in Congress, 

 167; amendment offered, 167; rejected, 167; 

 bill passed, 167. 



In the Senate, the House bill amended and 

 passed, 168 ; House concurs, 168. 



Message of the President relative to the rat- 

 ification of the fifteenth amendment, 168; 

 communication of the Secretary of State de- 

 claring the vote, 169. 



In the House, a bill reported to enforce the 

 fifteenth amendment, 169; the bill, 169, 170; 

 bill passed, 170. 



In the Senate, the bill from the House con- 

 sidered, 171 ; explanation of the bill, 171 ; a 

 bill reported by the Judiciary Committee, 171 ; 

 its features, 171 ; moved to strike out all of 

 House bill after enacting clause and insert 

 Senate bill, 172; the bill, 173, 174; the dis- 

 tinction in doctrine and philosophy between 

 the two bills, 175 ; the idea of the bill, that the 

 enforcement of the rights of persons to be in 

 the United States courts, 175 ; how are troops 

 to act to enforce the provisions of the bill? 

 176; the President may surround the polls 

 with troops, 176 ; what are the troops then to 

 do ? 176 ; if this can be done in a free country, 

 let us talk no more about the one-man power, 

 176; the speech better suited for twenty years 

 ago, 177 ; times have changed if the fugitive- 

 slave law of 1850 is made the model of legisla- 

 tion, 177; what is the language of the consti- 



