." The third mode was "the
immediate action by Congress in superseding the governments of those
States set up by the President in 1865, and establishing in their
place governments founded upon loyalty and universal suffrage." The
policy last mentioned was advocated by Mr. Pike. "It has got to be
time for action," said he, "if we are to fulfill the reasonable
expectations of the country during the life of this Congress."

On the 7th of January Mr. Stevens proposed to amend his bill by
inserting a provision that no person should be disfranchised as a
punishment for any crime other than insurrection or treason. He gave
as a reason for proposing this amendment that in North Carolina, and
other States where punishment at the whipping-post deprives the person
of the right to vote, they were every day whipping negroes for trivial
offenses. He had heard of one county where the authorities had whipped
every adult negro they knew of.

On the 8th of January a speech was made by Mr. Broomall advocating the
passage of the bill before the House. "Can the negro in the South
preserve his civil rights without political ones?" he asked. "Let the
convention riot of New Orleans answer; let the terrible three days in
Memphis answer. In the latter city three hundred negroes, who had
periled their lives in the service of their country, and still wore
its uniform, were compelled to look on while the officers of the law,
elected by white men, set their dwellings in flames and fired upon
their wives and children as they escaped from the doors and windows.
Their churches and school-houses were burned because they were their
churches and school-houses. Yet no arrest, no conviction, no
punishment awaits the perpetrators of these deeds, who walk in open
day and boast of their enormities, because, forsooth, this is a white
man's Government."

On the 16th of January the discussion was resumed. Mr. Paine first
addressed the House. He opposed the second section of the bill, which
recognized the _de facto_ governments of the rebel States as valid for
municipal purposes. "I am surprised," said he, "that the gentleman
from Pennsylvania should be ready, voluntarily, to assume this burden
of responsibility for the anarchy of murder, robbery, and arson which
reigns in these so-called _de facto_ governments. He may be able to
get this fearful burden upon his back; but if he does, I warn him of
the danger that the sands of his life will all run out before he