on,
possible to, and the late Rebellion did in fact, so overthrow and
usurp, in the insurrectionary States, the loyal State Governments, as
that during such usurpation such States and their people ceased to
have any of the rights or powers of Government as States of the Union,
and this loss of the rights and powers of Government was such that the
United States may, and ought to, assume and exercise local powers of
the lost State Governments, and may control the re-admission of such
States to their powers of Government in this Union, subject to, and
in accordance with, the obligation to guarantee to each State a
republican form of Government."

Upon the broad proposition thus laid down by Mr. Shellabarger, he
proceeded to submit an argument which, for closeness, compactness,
consistency and strength had rarely, if ever, been surpassed in the
Congress of the United States. Other speeches have gained greater
celebrity, but it may well be doubted whether any speech in the House
of Representatives ever made a more enduring impression, or exerted
greater convincing power, upon the minds of those to whom it was
addressed. It was a far more valuable exposition of the Reconstruction
question than that given by Mr. Stevens. It was absolutely without
acrimony, it contained no harsh word, it made no personal reflection;
but the whole duty of the United States, and the whole power of the
United States to do its duty, were set forth with absolute precision of
logic. The Reconstruction debate continued for a long time and many
able speeches were contributed to it. While much of value was added
to that which Mr. Shellabarger had stated, no position taken by him
was ever shaken.

Mr. Raymond had asked repeatedly and with great emphasis _what specific
act_ had deprived these rebellious States of their rights as States of
the Union. Mr. Shellabarger gave an answer to that question, which, as
a caustic summary, is worthy to be quoted in full. "I answer him,"
said the member from Ohio, "in the words of the Supreme Court, 'The
causeless waging against their own Government of a war which all the
world acknowledge to have been the greatest civil war known in the
history of the human race.' That war was waged by these people as
States, and it went through long, dreary years. In it they threw off
and defied the authority of your Constitution, your laws, and your
Government. They obliterated from their State constitutions and laws
ev