. I see no discrimination against either in this respect that
does not apply to both. Make the penalty the same on all classes of
people for the same offense, and then no one can complain.

"My object in bringing forward these bills was to bring to the
attention of Congress something that was practical, something upon
which I hoped we all could agree. I have said nothing in these bills
which are pending, and which have been recommended by the Committee on
the Judiciary--and I speak of both of them because they have both been
alluded to in this discussion--about the political rights of the
negro. On that subject it is known that there are differences of
opinion, but I trust there are no differences of opinion among the
friends of the constitutional amendment, among those who are for real
freedom to the black man, as to his being entitled to equality in
civil rights. If that is not going as far as some gentlemen would
desire, I say to them it is a step in the right direction. Let us go
that far, and, going that far, we have the cooeperation of the
Executive Department; for the President has told us 'Good faith
requires the security of the freedmen in their liberty and their
property, their right to labor, and their right to claim the just
return of their labor.'

"Such, sir, is the language of the President of the United States in
his annual message; and who in this chamber that is in favor of the
freedom of the slave is not in favor of giving him equal and exact
justice before the law? Sir, we can go along hand in hand together to
the consummation of this great object of securing to every human being
within the jurisdiction of the republic equal rights before the law,
and I preferred to seek for points of agreement between all the
departments of Government, rather than to hunt for points of
divergence. I have not said any thing in my remarks about
reconstruction. I have not attempted to discuss the question whether
these States are in the Union or out of the Union, and so much has
been said upon that subject that I am almost ready to exclaim with one
of old, 'I know not whether they are in the body or out of the body;
God knoweth.' It is enough for me to know that the State organizations
in several States of the Union have been usurped and overthrown, and
that up to the present time no State organization has been inaugurated
in either of them which the various departments of Government, or any
department of the Governm