CONNECTICUT. 



255 



vned boforo the election, and in that liino 

 . >k no action upon the veto by which 



i in >v. 'in. 'lit -i could bo controlled, nor was 

 any opportunity all'ord-d for OOUfloltation among 

 tho lea<! ;-. Tlio net of tin- IVosident was, 

 however, considered to have practically severed 



i uions with tho Republican party, and it 

 was believed that tho election of Hawley would, 

 under thi- circumstances indicate that tho Ex- 

 ecutivo policy was distasteful to the people of 

 Connecticut. During those last six days of tho 

 eanva-s tho ctl'orts of either party to bring out 

 their full strength were redoubled, and, amiuSt 

 aliiu>.-t, unparalleled excitement, tho election 

 took place with the following result : 



The total vote, 87,407, was the largest ever 

 cast in tho State, being 426 in excess of that of 

 1864, and 13,690 larger than the vote for Gov- 

 ernor in 1805. The Republican vote was 719 

 less than that of 1864, and the Democratic vote 

 1,115 greater, showing a net gain to the latter 

 of 1,864 votes. Tho Republican candidate for 

 Lieutenant-Governor received a majority sev- 

 eral hundred higher than General IJawley, and 

 the remaining candidates of tho party were 

 elected by majorities of 1,200 and upward. 

 The average Republican majority was therefore 

 about 1,000. The political complexion of tho 

 Legislature, returned at the same election, was 

 as follows: 



Senate. House. Joint ballot 



Republicans 13 141 154 



Democrats 8 95 103 



Rep. maj .... 5 46 51 



Tho Legislature convened on May 2d, and 

 was organized by tho choice of John T. "Wait 

 as president pro tern, of the Senate, and David 

 Gallup as Speaker of tho House of Represent- 

 atives. On the same day Governor IJawley 

 and the other State officers elect were inducted 

 into office. In his inaugural address, Governor 

 Hawley entered somewhat fully into national 

 affairs, declaring that, though tho nation 1< 

 forward with impatience to the tune when all 

 the late insurgent States should bo restored to 

 their relations with the Union, it would never 

 consent that any but loyal men should receive 

 its favor, or sit among its rulers. u When States 

 declare themselves," he said, "out of tho Union, 



and bring their chi/ons with groat unanimity to 

 make desperate war during fou: >)n tho 



ropiiMic, and tln-n tailing only through lack of 

 ph vMcal force, dt-<-l:uv themselves in tho Union, 

 truly devoted to its prii.oiples and entitled im- 

 mediately to tho exercise and enjoyment of all 

 their previous powers and rights, we may and 

 do give honorable heed to their words ; bnt it 

 nation'* right and duty to examine fully 

 the new organization of those States, learn the 

 purposes of the new rulers thereof, and test the 

 whole by the legislative action they take, and 

 by tho security and happiness enjoyed by the 

 steadfastly and unquestionably loyal among 

 them. * * * The war having been a suc- 

 cess, we must affirm that it effected the destruc- 

 tion of slavery in fact as well as in name, the 

 abandonment, as a rule of action, of the per- 

 petually disorganizing doctrine of secession, se- 

 curity against any taxation to pay debts con- 

 tracted in aid of treason, and full protection, 

 safety, and honor everywhere for tho rights 

 of all loyal citizens, without distinction of race 

 or color. These things were fairly won ; they 

 look to security for the future, and are not a 

 part of any idle claim to indemnity for the past ; 

 they are not selfishly sought for a class or a, 

 party, but demanded for all mankind ; and they 

 are essential to the success and glory of a Chris- 

 tian democratic government." 



Governor Buckingham, upon retiring from 

 office, after seven years' tenure of the guberna- 

 torial chair, sent a valedictory message to the 

 Legislature, giving some account of the expen- 

 ditures of tho State during the war, and of the 

 means taken to settle the outstanding claims 

 against the General Government. He declined to 

 accept the sum of $3,000, voted to him by a pre- 

 vious Legislature, in consideration of extra per- 

 sonal services rendered by him during the war. 

 He took strong grounds against President John- 

 son's policy of reconstruction, urging that the 

 reorganized governments of the rebel States 

 should secure to every citizen equal rights and 

 equal protection before the law, and that theso 

 governments should be administered in such a 

 manner as to give liberty to each member of 

 the body politic in accordance with tho advan- 

 cing spirit of Christian civilization. 



The Legislature adjourned on June 30th, after 

 a session of fifty-nine days, which was fourteen 

 days longer than that prescribed by law, during 

 which the members are entitled to receive pay. 

 On May 23d, Orris S. Ferry, late a brigadier- 

 general of volunteers, was elected a United 

 States Senator, to succeed Lafayette S. Foster, 

 whose term would expire on March 4, 1867. 

 The chief competitors of General Ferry, in the 

 Republican caucus, were Senator Foster and 

 Governor Buckingham. On June 25th the Con- 

 stitutional Amendment, adopted by Congress, 

 was ratified by tho Senate of Connecticut by a 

 vote of eleven to six, and on the 27th by the 

 House of Representatives, by a vote of one 

 hundred and twenty-live to eighty-eight. The 

 vote was a party one in both branches of tho 



