of the whole country, there
has been a good deal, much too much, of progress made."

Of President Johnson Mr. Davis said: "He seems to be the man for the
occasion; and his ability, resources, courage, and patriotism have
developed to meet its great demands. If this ark which holds the
rights and liberties of the American people is to be rescued and
saved, he will be one of the chief instruments in the great work, and
his glory and fame will be deathless."

On the 8th of June, the last day of the discussion, the constitutional
amendment was opposed by Messrs. Johnson, McDougall, and Hendricks,
and defended by Messrs. Henderson, Yates, and Howard.

"Let us bring back the South," said Mr. Johnson, in closing his
remarks, "so as to enable her to remove the desolation which has gone
through her borders, restore her industry, attend to her products,
instead of keeping her in a state of subjection without the slightest
necessity. Peace once existing throughout the land, the restoration of
all rights brought about, the Union will be at once in more prosperous
existence than it ever was; and throughout the tide of time, as I
believe, nothing in the future will ever cause us to dream of
dissolution, or of subjecting any part, through the powerful
instrumentality of any other part, to any dishonoring humiliation."

"I went down once on the Mississippi," remarked Mr. McDougall, "at the
opening of the war. I met a general of the Confederate army, and I
took him by the hand and took him to my state-room, on board of my
gun-boat. Said he, 'General,' throwing his arms around me, 'how hard
it is that you and I have to fight.' That was the generosity of a
combatant. I repeated to him, 'It is hard,' and he and I drank a
bottle of wine or two--just as like as not. [Laughter.] This thing of
bearing malice is one of the wickedest sins that men can bear under
their clothes."

Speaking of the third section, which had encountered great opposition,
as inflicting undue punishment upon prominent rebels, Mr. Henderson
said: "If this provision be all, it will be an act of the most
stupendous mercy that ever mantled the crimes of rebellion."

"Let us suppose a case," said Mr. Yates. "Here is a man--Winder, or
Dick Turner, or some other notorious character. He has been the cause
of the death of that boy of yours. He has shot at him from behind an
ambuscade, or he has starved him to death in the Andersonville prison,
or he has made him lie at Be