Mr. SUMNER. I hope the Senate will not take this step without considering its importance. I do not mean to oppose the taking of it, but I do wish to call the attention of the Senate to what I may call its gravity. I am not.aware that a petition has ever before been withdrawn on a motion like that which is now made. A petition once presented comes into the possession of the Senate; it passes into its files and into the archives of the Capitol. I think we are about to make a precedent for the 1st time. I do not, however, say that the occasion does not justif the precedent. I incline to agree with my friendfrom Illinois that it does. We surely owe protection, so far as we can afford it, to these petitioners; and as the Senfrom Illinois suggests that this is the best way, I am dispose to follow his suggestion; but in doing it, I wish that the Senate should take notice of the character of the step, and of the precedent that they are about to make. But this is not all, sir. I wish the Senate to take notice that they are called to adopt this unusual precedent by the abnormal and brutal condition of the social system about these etitioners. The very fact which the Senfrom Illinois now brings to the attention of the Senate, and on account of which he invokes an unprecedented exercise of power, is important evidence as to the condition of things in one of these rebel States. It goes to show that they are not yet in any just sense reconstructed, or preared for reconstruction. such an ab norma fact as this could not occur in any other art of our broad country. Thatit occurs here is to be referred peculiarly to those remains of rebellion which have not yet been subdued, but which on are now called upon, in the exercise of ad the powers intrusted to you under the Constitution, solemnly to subdue. I therefore, sir, regard this transaction in a double light: 1st as an important precedent to be established in the business of the Senate; 2ndly, as illustrating a condition of things in the rebel States to justify every exsrcise of care and diligence on our part to the end that it shall not brin forth similar fruits hereafter.