em will only create delay, and postpone the
admission of Tennessee."

"I pay no regard," said Mr. Wade, "to all that has been said here in
relation to the President probably vetoing your bill, for any thing he
may do, in my judgment, is entirely out of order on this floor. Sir,
in olden times it was totally inadmissible in the British Parliament
for any member to allude to any opinion that the king might entertain
on any thing before the body; and much more, sir, ought an American
Congress never to permit any member to allude to the opinion that the
Executive may have upon any subject under consideration. He has his
duty to perform, and we ours; and we have no right whatever under the
Constitution to be biased by any opinion that he may entertain on any
subject. Therefore, sir, I believe that it is, or ought to be, out of
order to allude to any such thing here. Let the President do what he
conceives to be his duty, and let us do ours, without being biased in
any way whatever by what it may be supposed he will do."

Mr. Brown entered his disclaimer. "Republicanism," said he, "means
nothing if it means not impartial, universal suffrage. Republicanism
is a mockery and a lie if it can assume to administer this government
in the name of freedom, and yet sanction, as this act will, the
disfranchisement of a large, if not the largest, part of the loyal
population of the rebel States on the pretext of color and race."

The question being taken on the passage of the preamble as substituted
by the Senate, together with the resolution of the House, resulted in
twenty-eight Senators voting in the affirmative, and four in the
negative. The latter were Messrs. Brown, Buckalew, McDougal, and
Sumner.

The House concurred in the amendment of the Senate, without
discussion, and the joint resolution went to the President for his
approval.

On the 24th of July, the President, not thinking it expedient to risk
a veto, signed the joint resolution, and at the same time sent to the
House his protest against the opinions presented in the preamble.
After having given his objections to the preamble and resolution at
considerable length, the President said: "I have, notwithstanding the
anomalous character of this proceeding, affixed my signature to the
resolution. [General applause and laughter.] My approval, however, is
not to be construed as an acknowledgment of the right of Congress to
pass laws preliminary to the admission of duly-qualif