wing their allegiance to the United States, to
resume their functions as States of the Union; but it is a risk that
must be taken, and in the choice of difficulties, it is the smallest
risk." He urged very earnestly the adoption of the Thirteenth
Amendment in order that the negro should be freed, and with equal
strength maintained that, as respected the qualifications for suffrage
in each of the States "the General Government should not interfere, but
leave that matter where it was originally left,--in the Federal
Constitution." But the most partial friend of the President could
hardly claim that he frankly communicated the proceedings or the
spirit of the Southern conventions and Legislatures. He chose to
ignore that subject, to hide it by fluent and graceful phrase from
public criticism, and thus to keep from the official knowledge of
Congress the most important facts in the whole domain of
reconstruction. It was a great mistake in the President to pass over
this subject in silence. Such a course enforced one of two
impressions, either of which was hurtful to him. He must, according
to the common understanding of Congress, have thought the character
of Southern legislation so offensive that he could find no excuse for
it and therefore would not mention it; or he must have regarded it as
outside the line of his observation and beyond the pale of his power
of review. Either construction was bad, but the second and more
probable one was especially offensive.

The leading men of the Thirty-ninth Congress were mainly those of the
Thirty-eighth, though there had been a few important changes. The
eminent senator from Vermont, Jacob Collamer, died on the 9th of
November (1865); and Luke P. Poland, afterwards a member of the House
of Representatives, appeared as his successor. Mr. Solomon Foot, who
announced Judge Collamer's death, survived him but a few months. On
the 28th of March Mr. Sumner announced his death to the Senate; and
eight days later--on the 5th of April (1866)--George F. Edmunds was
sworn in as his successor. His first speech was in eulogy of his
predecessor. Mr. Edmunds rose rapidly to prominence in the Senate and
after the habit of his State has been maintained for a long period in
his position.

Honorable James Guthrie of Kentucky, who had been Secretary of the
Treasury under President Pierce, now entered the Senate as the
successor of Lazarus W. Powell. He was a man of strong parts,
possessi