Mr. BINGHAM. I will not object if it be not taken out of my time. Mr. Speaker, Tennessee todayis as republican as h assachusetts on the principle that the majority of the law abiding citizens of a State who have not forfeited their privileges by treason have the right to control its political power. That is the principal principle of American institutions, and that is the principle which the Gentfrom Massachusetts comes here today to f piidiate. The restoration of the State of Tennessee in the mode proposed to her proper relations in the Union is no surrender ct that principle unless you set up here the right of the rebels lately in arms to govern the loyal (people, the rebels whom you undertake to isfranchise by the constitutional amendment, and which amendment I trust in God the American eo ple will ratify and thereby disffanchise tiose who compassed the nation's life and filled the land with the graves of the nation’s defenders. If the rebels are to be excluded from political power then, sir, the men who speak this day from Tennessee are the majority, overwhelmingly the majority of its free population, black and white included. But, says the gentleman, they exclude from the elective franchise loyal black men who bore arms for the defense of the Republic. I admit it. So does Ohio, so does Pennsylvania, and so, also, do a majority of the States of the Union. Is that any reason, sir, that Tennessee should be denied representation in this House? It would be better if justice, equal and exact justice, were established in every State. We are all for equal and exact justice, but justice for all is not to'be secured in aday, and he is the wisest statesman and the most faithful to duty who will seize the opportunity this day presented to restore a State to its proper ‘place in the Union; and thereby add one ad itional vote of a free people in aid of the final ratification of that amendment to the Constitution which provides for the protection of each citizen by the combined power of all; which disfranchises traitors and repudiates all obligations contracted in aid of treason and maintains the nation’s plighted faith inviolate, and secures to every human being in every State the equal protection of the laws. I read this amendment for the consideration of gentlemen who declare a State not republican which ratifies it: " ARTICLE XIV. “Sec 1. All persons born or naturalizedin the U.S and subjectto theiurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the U.S and of the States wherein they reside. N 0State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizensof the U.S.; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person lwithin its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. “Sec. 2. Representatives shall be apportioned amongthe several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State. excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electorsfor President and VEEP Representatives in Congress.the executive and findicial officers of a State or the members of the legislature thereof.is denied to any of the male inhabitants ofsuch State.being21 yearsof a e and citizensof the U.S., or in any way a ridged.except for articipntion in rebellion or otber crime, the basiso representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such malccitizens shall bearto the wholcnum '81:; of male citizens 21 yearsof agein such to. “Sitp. 3. No person shall be a Senatorpr Representative in Congress, or elector of Presidentand VEEP or hold any ofice, clVll. Of military, under the U.S or under any State who having preViously taken an oath as a member of Congress.oras an officer of the U.S or as a member of any State Legislature or as an execu tive or judicial offioer of any State. to support the Constitution of the U.S shall haveengaged in insurrection or rebellion against thesame, or given aid or comfort to the enemiesthereof. But Congress mu. by a vote of 2/3rds of each House, remove lue disability. "Ssc. 4. the validity of the public debt of the U.S. authorised by law. including 'debts incurred for payment.of pensions and bounticsfor services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion shall not be questioned. But neither the U.S.nor any tote shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the U.S or any claim for the lossor emancipation of anyslavo; but.all such debts, obligations, and claims shall beheld illegal and void. "SEC. 5. That Congress shall have powe r to enforce. by appropriate legislation. the provisions of this article. There stands the amendment ratified by Tennessee, who comes with this new evange, “no State shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." et this provision become the supreme law of every State of the Republic by the omnipotence of the ballot and justice will thereby have achieved a triunipb long waited for and prayed for by the oppressed of all lands. Oh, sir, I am ashamed that a man should 'stand here and tell me that nothing is done to establish justice when a State late y in rebellion ratifies such a provision as an amendment of the Constitution and conforms its own laws tto its requirements. No one who believes that amendment essential to the safety of the lie public, and that it is the highest possible duty is owes to himself and the country to carry that amendment. into the Constitution, can stand here and taunt me as having surrendered by its advocacy and the restoration to power of a State which in good faith ratifies it, the rights of loyal colored men or of any men. Without this amendment incorporated in the constitution of the U.S. where will you find the power given to the American people to throw the shield of the law of the land over these unfortunate human beings, lately slaves, now emancipated citizens, who with their ancestors have through many generations and many centuries been the victims of cruelty, outrage, oppression, and wrong? Would gentlemen esteem it nothing if a majority of the loyal people of the other ten States lately in insurrection should imitate the example of Tennessee, declare secession treason, declare slavery abolished and forever prohibited and solemnly ratif the amendment declaring that no State shal deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, and congess shall have power, by the nation’s will an the nation’s law, to enforce this righteous decree? I pity the man who would not hail such a result with jo and restore at once to their place in the Union States which should give such evidence of respect for the laws and such security for the safety of the Republic. I repeat, sir, that amendment has been indorsed and ratified by that people, a majority of the loyal people of the State, and yet we are told to deny their iright to representation until they grant colored suffrage. I tell gentlemen that the American people will no more tolerate vassal States here after in this Republic than vassal men. If the majority of the people of Ohio have the right to control the political power of the State the majority of the loyal people of Tennessee have the same right; and I ask gentlemen to weigh well the question when they come to vote, whether Tennessee shall be rejected only because the majority exercise the same power as to colored suffrage claimed for and exercised by all the other States. Whenever Congress attempts to restrict this right of the majority to rule in the State it will attempt usurpation, and whenever the majority of loyal citizens surrenders that right into the hands of the minority it surrenders the cardinal principle of representative government. One great issue has been finally, and I trust forever, settled in the Republic: the equality of all men before the law. Another issue of equal moment is now pending, and it is this: the equality of the States and the right of the majority of loyal free men to rule. That is the issue between the gentleman and myself; it is the whole issue, and I am glad he sees fit to make it. I want to know upon what principle, if you deny the equality of the State, and the right of the loya. majority to rule, we can maintain intact our institutions, secure the just/fruits of the triumph of our arms, or escape the reproach of securing to the rebellion itse f the fruits of the great victory. I respectfully demand to know upon what principle you can deny the people of Tennessee representation on this floor, without denying the vital spirit of our free institutions, the right of the people to self government. “ Oh, ” says the gentleman, “we have not reapportioned representation. ” Sir, the American people are not going to palter in this supreme moment of trial about small things. They have not seen fit to require reapportionment since the disintegration of the States. Gentlemen know that when the Representatives from Missouri apeared on this floor to be sworn in there he been no new apportionment. And yet, who challenged any of her Representatives on the ground that 1/2 of her people had forfeited their right to representation by treason? Missouri, like Tennessee, had disfranchised rebels and denied suffrage to colored citizens. Yet, who chal lcn e her right to representation here?