their conclusions commanded the respect of those who
differed from them, and obtained the almost unanimous approval of the
party which carried the war to a successful close.

Referring to the nature of the work which was required of them, the
committee said:

"Such an investigation, covering so large an extent of
territory, and involving so many important considerations,
must necessarily require no trifling labor, and consume a
very considerable amount of time. It must embrace the
condition in which those States were left at the close of
the war; the measures which have been taken toward the
reoerganization of civil government, and the disposition of
the people toward the United States--in a word, their
fitness to take an active part in the administration of
national affairs."

The first step to be taken by the committee, that of obtaining
required information, and the difficulties attending it, were thus set
forth:

"A call was made on the President for the information in his
possession as to what had been done, in order that Congress
might judge for itself as to the grounds of belief expressed
by him in the fitness of States recently in rebellion to
participate fully in the conduct of national affairs. This
information was not immediately communicated. When the
response was finally made, some six weeks after your
committee had been in actual session, it was found that the
evidence upon which the President seemed to have based his
suggestions was incomplete and unsatisfactory. Authenticated
copies of the constitutions and ordinances adopted by the
conventions in three of the States had been submitted;
extracts from newspapers furnished scanty information as to
the action of one other State, and nothing appears to have
been communicated as to the remainder. There was no evidence
of the loyalty of those who participated in these
conventions, and in one State alone was any proposition made
to submit the action of the convention to the final judgment
of the people.

"Failing to obtain the desired information, and left to
grope for light wherever it might be found, your committee
did not deem it either advisable or safe to adopt, without
further examination, the suggestions of the President, more
especially as he had not deemed it expedient to rem