ity of Vicksburg was immediately occupied by the Union
troops, the first division of which was commanded by General John
A. Logan. Jackson, the Capital of Mississippi, defended by General
Joseph E. Johnston, capitulated a few days later to General Sherman,
and the Confederate forces at Port Hudson surrendered to the army
of General Banks. This was the last obstruction to the navigation
of the Mississippi, and the great river flowed unvexed to the sea.

The entire situation was changed by these important victories.
Heart and spirit were given to the people, hope grew into confidence,
the strength of the Government was vastly increased, the prestige
of the Administration was greatly heightened. Could the election
for the Thirty-eighth Congress have taken place in the autumn of
1863, and not in the autumn of 1862, instead of being a close
struggle it would have been an overwhelming triumph for the war
policy which had wrought out such splendid results. The popular
re-action was attested in every State where an election gave
opportunity. Governor Curtin was re-chosen by a large majority in
Pennsylvania over Judge George W. Woodward, who had pronounced a
judicial decision against the constitutionality of the proscription
law; the course of Governor Seymour was rebuked in New York by the
thirty thousand majority given to the Republican State ticket,
which was headed by the brilliant Chauncey M. Depew, then but twenty-
nine years of age; while in Ohio the Democratic party was overwhelmed
by an avalanche of popular indignation which responded to the
nomination of Vallandigham with a majority of a hundred and one
thousand for the Administration.

MEETING OF THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS.

The Thirty-eighth Congress met on the first Monday of December,
1863. The House was promptly organized by the election of Schuyler
Colfax to the Speakership. He received 101 votes; all other
candidates 81. Mr. Samuel S. Cox received 42 votes, the highest
given to any candidate of the opposition. The vote for Mr. Colfax
was the distinctive Republican strength in the House. On issues
directly relating to the war the Administration was stronger than
these figures indicate, being always able to command the support
of Mr. Stebbins, Mr. Odell, and Mr. Griswold of New York, and of
several members from the Border States.

Schuyler Colfax was especially fitted for the duties of the Chair.
He had been a