310 
Indiana University 
as. President Johnson passed thru the state in his famous 
“swing around the circle'’. A short stop was made at Terre 
Haute where the President and his party were greeted by a 
crowd of fifteen thousand people.^^ On the evening of the 
same day a meeting was held at Indianapolis where President 
Johnson attempted to speak from the balcony of the Bates 
House. The noise and confusion was so great, however, that 
he was unable to deliver his address. The crowd remained 
after the President had retired. A wild scene followed in 
which supporters and opponents of Johnson participated. 
Shots were fired, resulting in one death and the wounding of 
five other persons. One shot entered the window of the Presi- 
dent’s room and barely missed General Grant, who was one 
of the members of the party.-® The following morning, quiet 
having been restored, Johnson delivered a brief address. The 
speech was dignified and patriotic in every way. It was a 
plea to his fellow-citizens to rally around the Constitution and 
to lift themselves above party, in order that the country might 
be preserved, “one and united”.-^ 
In the election, the Republican or Union party carried the 
state by almost fifteen thousand majority. The Democrats 
gained one representative, electing three out of eleven. Schuy- 
ler Colfax and George W. Julian were both re-elected.-^ Not 
only Indiana but practically the entire North rendered a ver- 
dict in favor of the policy of Congress.-^ 
The Indiana state legislature assembled in January, 1867. 
Early in the session the Fourteenth Amendment was submit- 
ted to it for ratification. Its speedy consideration and ratifi- 
cation were recommended by Governor Morton. The ratifica- 
tion of the Thirteenth Amendment by the General Assembly 
had been achieved only with great difficulty, but there was 
much less opposition to the Fourteenth. The discussion was 
brief. At no time was the outcome in doubt. The chief ob- 
jections raised were: the changes proposed were too far-reach- 
ing ; the amendrnent was merely a party measure ; its adoption 
by Congress had been unconstitutional; it violated the prin- 
ciple of State Rights and of local self-government. The oppo- 
'^•nndianajiolis Daily i Journal, September 11, 1866. 
"0 Ibid., September 18, 1866. 
Ibid., September 1;8, 1866. 
“ Tribune Almanac ^or 1867, 60, 61. 
-3 Woodburn, The Life of Thaddeus Stevens, 430. 
