pproval of it. "If my views," said he, "had
been concurred in, the country would be in a more prosperous condition
to-day, both politically and financially." He then proceeded to
re-state the question, and to sustain it with the argument which he had
presented to Congress in 1870 and 1871. His last words were: "I do
not present these views now as a recommendation for a renewal of the
subject of annexation, but I do refer to it to vindicate my previous
action in regard to it."

Though the Reconstruction measures were all perfected before General
Grant's election to the Presidency, the necessary Acts prescribed by
them had not been completed by all the States. The three which had
not been admitted to representation, and had not taken part in the
National election,--Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas,--had by the
spring of 1870 fully complied with all the requirements, and were
therefore admitted to all the privileges which had been accorded to the
other States of the South. Virginia was admitted to representation
in Congress by the Act of Jan. 26, Mississippi by the Act of Feb. 26,
and Texas by the Act of March 30 (1870). It was their own fault, and
not the design of the Government, that prevented these States from
being included in the same bill with their associates in rebellion.

The reconstruction of Georgia, supposed to have been completed the
preceding year by the admission of her representatives to the House,
was taken up for review at the opening of the Forty-first Congress.
Neither her senators nor representatives were permitted to be sworn,
but their credentials were referred in each House to the Committee on
Elections. In the judgment of the majority the conduct of Georgia
justified this severe course. Her Legislature, after complying with
every condition of reconstruction, took an extraordinary and
unaccountable step. That body decided that colored men were not
entitled to serve as legislators or to hold any office in Georgia.
They were therefore expelled from their seats, while white men, not
eligible to hold office under the Fourteenth Amendment, were retained.
The Fifteenth Amendment was then rejected by the Legislature, composed
exclusively of white men. These facts were ascertained before the
senators from Georgia were admitted to their seats, and before the
Fifteenth Amendment had yet been ratified by the requisite number of
States.

Congress took prompt cognizance of this condition of affairs