future claims for expenses incurred in support of
the rebellion and for manumitted slaves, together
with an express grant of power in Congress to en-
force those provisions. To this end they offer a
joint resolution for amending the Constitution of
the United States, and the two hills designed 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 deficiencies
supplied by legislative wisdom; and that when
finally adopted it may tend to restore peace and
harmony to the whole country, and place our re-
publican institutions 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 report 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 the report, as
if made upon the so-called Confederate States
only, and as a punishment to them, it is in fact
made upon every State in the Union. If ratified
by the requisite number of States, it is to be
equally obligatory upon all. Secondly, that while
its practical operation would diminish very mate-
rially the representation of these States in the
House of Representatives, unless they conferred
suffrage upon the colored race, Maryland and
other States which stood faithfully by the Govern-
ment, and met every requisition of the war, are
placed in the same category with the so-called
rebel States, and subject to the same punishment.
Let us now consider the questions involved in
the ratification of the proposed amendment as
presented to the Legislature of Maryland. And,
first, has this amendment been proposed in accord-
ance with the requirements of the Constitution of
the United States.
This is a question of the utmost gravity and im-
portance. It is not only the right, but the duty

Report of the
Committee.