is Senate the
first day it is taken up for consideration."

"If the measure will not bear argument," said Mr. Hendricks, "then let
it be passed in the dark hours of the night. I think it is becoming,
when despotism is established in this free land, that the best blood
that ever ran in mortal veins was shed to make free, that that
despotism shall be established when the sun does not shed its bright
light upon the earth. It is a work for darkness and not for light."

"He talks about establishing a despotism," said Mr. Henderson, "and
gets into a perfect fret about it. Why, sir, the Southern States have
presented nothing but a despotism for the last six years. During the
rebel rule it was a despotism, the veriest despotism ever established
upon earth; and since the rebel rule ceased, the President of the
United States certainly has governed the Southern States without ever
consulting Congress on the subject."

The Senate held an evening session for the consideration of this bill.
Mr. Hendricks proposed to modify the pending amendment so as to
provide for impartial rather than universal suffrage. He thought that
States should be allowed to limit suffrage. Mr. Saulsbury would not
vote for this amendment because he was unwilling to "touch, taste, or
handle the unclean thing." On the other hand, Mr. Davis could vote for
it because he preferred a "little unclean thing" to "a big one." Mr.
Hendricks finally withdrew his amendment.

Mr. Doolittle hoped that the majority would seriously weigh this
question because on it might depend whether the people of the South
would accept the Constitutional Amendment, and accept the proposition
necessary to get rid of military despotism.

"Make them," said Mr. Wilson.

"I ask," said Mr. Doolittle, "if that is the true language of a
statesman, to say to a people who have been educated in the largest
liberty, a people in whose veins the Anglo-Saxon blood is flowing,
which for a thousand years has been fighting against despotism of
every form, 'You must accept this position at the point of the
bayonet, or forever live with the bayonet at your throats?' Is that
the way to make peace?"

"I think it is statesmanship," replied Mr. Wilson, "to settle this
question of reconstruction upon the solid basis of the perfect
equality of rights and privileges among citizens of the United States.
Colored men are citizens, and they have just as much right as this
race whose blood has been fighting agai