it stands.
The provision that 'until such report shall have been made and finally
acted on by Congress, no member shall be received into either house
from any of the so-called Confederate States,' is a provision which,
by law, excludes those eleven States from their representation in the
Union. Sir, pass that resolution as it stands, and let it receive the
signature of the President, and you have accomplished what the
rebellion could not accomplish, what the sacrifice of half a million
men could not accomplish in warring against this Government--you have
dissolved the Union by act of Congress. Sir, are we prepared to
sanction that? I trust never.

"The Senator from Michigan talks about the _status_ of these States.
He may very properly raise the question whether they have any
Legislatures that are capable of electing Senators to this body. That
is a question of fact to be considered; but as to whether they are
States, and States still within the Union, notwithstanding their civil
form of government has been overturned by the rebellion, and their
Legislatures have been disorganized, that they are still States in
this Union is the most sacred truth and the dearest truth to every
American heart, and it will be maintained by the American people
against all opposition, come from what quarter it may. Sir, the flag
that now floats on the top of this Capitol bears thirty-six stars.
Every star represents a State in this Union. I ask the Senator from
Michigan, does that flag, as it floats there, speak the nation's truth
to our people and to the world, or is it a hypocritical, flaunting
lie? That flag has been borne at the head of our conquering legions
through the whole South, planted at Vicksburg, planted at Columbia,
Savannah, Charleston, Sumter; the same old flag which came down before
the rebellion at Sumter was raised up again, and it still bore the
same glorious stars; 'not a star obscured,' not one.

"These people have been disorganized in their civil governments in
consequence of the war; the rebels overturned civil government in the
first place, and we entered with our armies and captured the
rebellion; but did that destroy the States? Not at all. We entered the
States to save them, not to destroy them. The guarantee of the
Constitution is a guarantee to the States, and to every one of the
States, and the obligation that rests upon us is to guarantee to South
Carolina a republican form of government as a State in this