amendment of the Senate."

Mr. Bingham maintained that in the bill, as it passed the House, they
had voted as extensive powers to the President as were conferred upon
him by the bill as amended by the Senate. The former bill provided
that the General in command of the army should detail army officers;
but all officers of the army are under command of the Commander-in-chief
as constituted by the supreme law of the land. "For myself," said he,
"I had rather that my right hand should forget its cunning, and that
my tongue should cleave to the roof of my mouth, than to find myself
here so false to my own convictions, and so false to the high trust
committed to me by that people who sent me here as to vote against
this bill."

"This bill," said Mr. Farnsworth, "provides a platform ten steps in
advance of the platform upon which we went to the people last fall. We
then only expected the ratification of the amendment to the
Constitution proposed by Congress at its last session, and the
formation of Constitutions, republican in form, which should give the
people there the right to send loyal men here as Senators and
Representatives. But by this bill we extend impartial suffrage to the
black man--universal suffrage."

"I am one of those who believe we ought to do something," said Mr.
Schenck. "I believe we ought to declare to these rebel States, as we
do by this bill, that they shall be put under martial law, and held by
the strong hand to keep the peace until they have complied with
whatever conditions are imposed upon them. But while we do this, I
think it equally important to announce to them, to announce to the
country, to announce to our constituents as the completion of the
whole platform upon which we go before the nation, the terms which we
require of them."

Mr. Garfield favored the Senate amendment. "There are some gentlemen,"
said he, "who live among the eagles on the high mountain peaks, beyond
the limit of perpetual frost, and they see the lineaments in the face
of freedom so much clearer than I do, whenever any measure comes here
that seems almost to grasp our purpose, they rise and tell us it is
all poor and mean and a surrender of liberty."

"These terms embrace, in my judgment," said Mr. Thayer, "every
guarantee, every safeguard, and every check which it is proper for us
to demand or apply. Upon these foundations we can safely build, for by
them we retain the final control of the question in our own hands