Mr. MORRILL. I understand the question now is between one and the other; an amendment is proposed to the preamble reported by the House. Now, sir, what is the principle of legislation? When we legislate simply in a legislative act, we do not or inarily accompany the act with the reasons for it. The reasons are so posed to lie in the mind of the legislator; they are the current events of the times; they are the history out of which the law grows they are all the surrounding circumstances, i you please, which accompany the act and which induce the act. N ow, is that this case? Is this a legislative not having the force of law? I understand it is. It is not a mere declaration; it is not a mere resolution of this body; but it is ablegislative act of the highest legislative tribuua in the land; it is designed to have the force oflaw; and the ground that we put it on is that it is necessary to put this State in its practical relations with the Government of the U.S. That is our ground. That is the ground on which the committee report it. Sir, as a legislative act ordinarily you do not accompany it with your reasons. It is not necessary, Ineed not say, to give it legislative force; and that is not the legislative propriety of the thing, either. The legislative propriety of the thing is, that you make your law to meet the exigency, and your justification rests in the history of the times, not in the reasons you proclaim. If that is our condition, the question arises whether it is wise for us to assign the reasons. There are many reasons why I think it would not be; and the chief one is that it is not an ordinary act of legislation to declare your reasons. Others might. be assigned why it is not necessary. But there are reasons in this case why it may become necessary for us to assign our reasons; and if we do not assign them we are liable to be misunderstood by those who oppose us. I hear it said in this discussion already the Senfrom Pennsyl vania [Mr. BUCKALEW] announces it and some others on this side of the Chamber that they will vote for the declaration that Tennessee is entitled to recognition as a State and to representation, on the ground that she has always been, on the ground that she has never been otherwise than entitled to representation, rebellion, insurrection, war to the contrary not withstanding; there never was a day or an hour when she was not entitled to recognition as a State. Well sir, if that is the law