dy known, and to set the government going. No decisions
between existing parties were to be made; no selection of true votes
from false votes, but only an addition of numbers. Individual members
of Congress have undoubtedly in a few instances expressed different
views, but these members have been few, and they have always been in a
hopeless minority. If any one can read the debates, the bills passed
at different times through one House or the other, the joint
resolutions adopted, and the accounts of the votes from time to time
received or rejected, and doubt that the two Houses of Congress have
asserted and maintained, from 1793 until now, their right to accept or
reject the votes of States, and of individual electors of States, all
that I can say is, that he must have a marvelous capacity of doubting.
He must ignore uniform practice as an exponent of constitutions, and
set up his individual misreading of words, reasonably plain in
themselves, against the opinions of almost all who have gone before
him.

The joint resolution of 1865 is of itself decisive, if a solemn
determination of the two Houses of Congress, approved by the
President, can decide anything. That resolution was in these words:

"_Whereas_, The inhabitants and local authorities of the States
of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee,
rebelled against the Government of the United States, and were in
such condition on the 8th day of November, 1864, that no valid
election of electors for President and Vice-President of the
United States, according to the Constitution and laws thereof,
was held therein on said day: therefore--

"_Be it resolved_, by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the
States mentioned in the preamble to this joint resolution are not
entitled to representation in the electoral college for the
choice of President and Vice-President of the United States for
the term commencing on the 4th day of March, 1864, and no
electoral votes shall be received or counted from said States,
concerning the choice of President and Vice-President for said
term of office."

In approving this resolution President Lincoln accompanied it with
the following message, parts of which I will italicize:

"_To the Honorable the