Mr. FESSENDEN. Mr. President, we hav: so many independent minds in the Senate that it seems nobody can give a reason for voting one we or the other that is satisfactory to anybody e so. I avail myself, therefore, of that state of things to give my own reasons. This proposition to admit the State of Tennessee was originally reported to the HoRep from the ComReconstruction. At that time nothing had been done with regard to passing an constitutional amendment, and it was deeme necessary that certain reasons should be giVen why we admitted the State of Tennessee, as she stood in an entirely different position from all the other confederate States in order that it might not be drawn into a precedent for the admissron of others, in order that it might not be said, “ You admitted Tennessee, and why not admit the others? ” There was something very distinct in the condition of Tennessee, because before the downfall of the rebellion she had organizedaState government, which was adoptedTiy a large vote of the people, perhaps not by a majority, but by a large popular vote, and had manifested a disposition which denoted loyalty to the Union. It was deemed best to state those facts in order, as I said before, that the admission of Tennessee should not be construed into a precedent for the admission of other States which did not stand in the same relations to the Union that the State of Tennessee did. I think the amendment proposed by the ComJudiciary does not very much vary from the preamble of that resolution. They naturally prefer their own phraseolo and their own collocation of words; but I think there is no addition of substance except that it states the fact that Tennessee has adopted the constitutional amendment. It does vary somewhat in phraseolo. As I drew the original preamrhlemyselTyI naturally prefer that, and think it could not he very much improved and has not been very much improved. But the House has chosen to throw that aside, cable peculiarly to the State of Tennessee, in.ple vote of ndmission, giving no reasons at all, and to give substantially but one reason; and i that is. that the State of Tennessee has adopted the constitutional amendment which was proposed to the several States by this Congress; and it has also added some other words, which l think (it not have, in the way they are ex: pressed, my very great meaning, namely: And hasalso shown to thesatisfaction of Congress. ya proper spirit of obediencein the body of her:.iIlcLo'lllrll, tfahwesr, return to her allegiance to the Govern and authorityof the U.S." At the time the committee ori reconstruction reported a resolution for the admission ofTen nessec we also introduced a bill, which there seems to be little chance of getting at this session, providing that whenever the amendment to the Constitution which we have proposed should be adopted and become a part of the Constitution, we would then admit anyof these States which were found to be in a condition to be admitted. It was not proposed to admit anyone particularly simply because the amendment which was proposed was adopted by it; it. was deemed safer to wait until it became a part of the Constitution. Now, sir, this resolution ignores that. It stands substantially on the fact that the State ofTennes' see has adopted the amendment to the Constitution proposed by this Congress. I am willing to take it, so far as [am individually concerned, with regard to the State cfTennessee, because there are other reasons, as stated in the former preamble, which operate very decidedly in my mind for the admission of the State of Tennes sec. I have been in favor of it from the be ginning. But what I wish to come at is this: I do not wish to pass a preamble which will substantially admit that any State that adopts the constitutional amendment shall be entitled to he represented here before that amendment has been adopted by a sufficient number of States to make it a part of the Constitution. I think this preamble from the House is so weak on those points that it will not stand ubstnntially as a reason for the admission of fcnuessee. The State of SCarolina, if it should happen to adopt the constitutional amendment, might claim to be admitted immediately, and Ifmight be unwilling to admit the State of SCarolina until the COI‘lillltionul amendment had been adopted by a sufficient number of States to make it a part of the Constitution. Now, therefore, this logic brings me to one of 2 conclusions. Either amend this preamble and state the reasons which are appli order that we may not form a precedent with regard to others; or else strike it out altogether, and let Tennessee stand upon the sim and then everybody Will be at liberty to give his own.