ssing it was justly held responsible for the manner in
which the country should pass the important political crisis
consequent upon the termination of the war in the overthrow of the
rebellion.

It became an important question for members of the Republican party in
Congress to determine among themselves what line of policy they should
pursue.

The appointment of the Joint Committee of Fifteen on Reconstruction,
was every-where regarded by the constituents of the majority as a most
happy initiatory step. The whole country listened with eagerness to
hear what words would be spoken in Congress to give some clue to the
course the committee would recommend. Words of no uncertain
significance and weight were uttered at an early period in the
session.

On the 18th of December, a fortnight after the opening of the session,
Mr. Stevens announced his opinions on reconstruction with great
boldness and distinctness. At the same time, seeing himself much in
advance of many of his party, and fearing lest his opinions might
alarm the less resolute, he declared: "I do not profess to speak their
sentiments, nor must they be held responsible for them."

Mr. Stevens opened his speech with remarks on the condition of the
rebel States. He said: "The President assumes, what no one doubts,
that the late rebel States have lost their constitutional relations to
the Union, and are incapable of representation in Congress, except by
permission of the Government. It matters but little, with this
admission, whether you call them States out of the Union, and now
conquered territories, or assert that because the Constitution forbids
them to do what they did do, that they are, therefore, only dead as to
all national and political action, and will remain so until the
Government shall breathe into them the breath of life anew and permit
them to occupy their former position. In other words, that they are
not out of the Union, but are only dead carcasses lying within the
Union. In either case, it is very plain that it requires the action of
Congress to enable them to form a State government and send
Representatives to Congress. Nobody, I believe, pretends that with
their old constitutions and frames of government they can be permitted
to claim their old rights under the Constitution. They have torn their
constitutional States into atoms, and built on their foundations
fabrics of a totally different character. Dead men can not raise
themselves. Dead S