8

people of the rebellious States was that of abject submission.
Having appealed to the tribunal of arms, they had no hope,
except that by the magnanimity of their conquerors, their
lives, and possibly their property, might be preserved." But
the committee found evidence of a great and sudden change
in the feelings of those people. They say "the general issue
of pardons to persons who had been prominent in the rebel-
lion, and the feeling of kindness and conciliation manifested
by the executive, and very generally indicated through the
Northern press, "had the effect to render whole communities
forgetful the crime they had committed, defiant towards the
general government, and regardless of their duties as citi-
zens. The conciliatory measures of the government do not
seem to have been met even half way. The bitterness and
defiance exhibited towards the United States, is without a
parallel in the history of the world. In return for our len-
iency, we receive only an insulting denial of our authority.
In return for our kind desire for the resumption of fraternal
relations, we receive only an insolent assumption of rights and
privileges long since forfeited."

"The conclusion of the committee, therefore, is, that the so-
called Confederate States are not, at present, entitled to rep-
resentation in the Congress of the United States; that before
allowing such representation, adequate security for future
peace and safety should be required; that this can only be
found in such changes of the organic law as shall determine
the civil rights and privileges of all citizens in all parts of
the republic, and place representation on an equitable basis,
shall fix a stigma upon treason, and protect loyal people
against future claims for the expenses incurred in support of
the rebellion and for manumitted slaves, together with an ex-
press grant of power in Congress to enforce those provisions."
To this end they offer a joint resolution for amending the
Constitution of the United States, and "the two bills de-
signed to carry the same into effect before referred to." They
admit that they are "sensible of the imperfections of the
scheme," but submit it to Congress as the best they could
agree upon, in the hope that its imperfections may be cured
and its deficienc.es supplied by legislative wisdom; and that
when finally adopted it may tend to restore peace and har-
mony to the whole country, and place our republican institu-
tions on a more stable foundation."

We have thus a brief history of the proposed amendment
to change "the organic law." The avowed purpose is, to
punish "insurgents, rebels and traitors," "public enemies of
the United States," "enemies conquered in war" as the re-
port describes them, in order to future peace and safety.

There are several striking incongruities in this proposition.
The first is, that while this demand for additional powers to
be conferred upon the Federal Government, is presented in