five "Radical" Senators with six
"Conservatives," elected as Republicans, whose vote, added to the
regular Democratic strength, prevented its adoption by the required
constitutional majority of two-thirds.

The advocates of constitutional reform, though foiled in this attempt,
were not disheartened. Their defeat taught them the important lesson
that pet measures and favorite theories must be abandoned or modified
in order to secure the adoption of some constitutional amendment to
obviate difficulties of which all felt and acknowledged the existence.

Meanwhile other measures, designed to lead to the great end of
reconstruction, were demanding and receiving the consideration of
Congress.

CHAPTER XVI.

REPRESENTATION OF THE SOUTHERN STATES.

Concurrent Resolution -- A "Venomous Fight" -- Passage in
the House -- The Resolution in the Senate -- "A Political
Wrangle" Deprecated -- Importance of the Question -- "A
Straw in a Storm" -- Policy of the President -- Conversation
between two Senators -- Mr. Nye's Advice to Rebels -- "A
Dangerous Power" -- "Was Mr. Wade once a Secessionist?" --
Garrett Davis' Programme for the President -- "Useless yet
Mischievous" -- The Great Question Settled.

It was understood when the Committee of Fifteen introduced the joint
resolution proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the basis
of representation, that this was only one of a series of measures
which they thought essential to the work of reconstruction, and which
they designed to propose at a proper time.

In pursuance of this plan, on the 20th of February, the day after the
veto of the Freedmen's Bureau Bill, and while the amendment of the
basis of reconstruction was pending in the Senate, Mr. Stevens brought
before the House, from the Committee of Fifteen, a "Concurrent
Resolution concerning the Insurrectionary States," as follows:

"_Be it resolved by the House of Representatives_, (the
Senate concurring,) That in order to close agitation upon a
question which seems likely to disturb the action of the
Government, as well as to quiet the uncertainty which is
agitating the minds of the people of the eleven States which
have been declared to be in insurrection, no Senator or
Representative shall be admitted into either branch of
Congress from any of said States until Congress shall have
declared such State entitled to such re