It is hoped, however, that the completeness of the Index, both as to subjects, persons, and parties, will enable all, without difficulty, to command ready access to the multitude of facts which will be found in these pages. Part I contains a full statement of the Orders and Proclamations and the general action of President JOHNSON, in the development of his policy of restoring the insurrectionary States to their places in the Union, by calling constitutional conventions in each, on an indicated basis, and by suggesting certain action therein as preliminary to restoration. It also contains the legislation of those organizations respecting the colored population recently freed, and the various Messages, Speeches, Letters, and Proclamations of the PRESIDENT in vindication of his policy and in resistance to that of Congress. This part will also be found to contain the full text of the majority and minority reports of the Joint Congressional Committee on Reconstruction, with the text of the Fourteenth Amendment, as finally adopted by Congress and submitted to the Legislatures for their action. This amendment having been rejected by the Legislatures in the insurrectionary States, chosen under the action of President JOHNSON, Congress subsequently adopted the decisive measure of dividing those States into five Military Districts, providing for their re-organization on the basis of, substantially, Universal Manhood Suffrage, and prescribing the conditions on which they would be entitled to representation in Congress. Part II contains the texts of these various measures, the Veto Messages of the PRESIDENT in disapproval of them, and the various Votes by which they were passed over the veto by two-thirds of each House. Part III contains all the proceedings connected with the proposed impeachment of President JOHNSON by the Fortieth Congress, with the Articles of Impeachment in full, the answer of President JOHNSON, the Replication of the House, and the Judgment of the Senate thereon. It also contains a digest of the Orders of the Military Commanders and their general action under the various Reconstruction acts, with an abstract of the Constitutions prepared by the Conventions called under them. Parts IV and V contain the remaining record of Reconstruction, the final votes in Congress upon the adoption of the Fifteenth Constitutional Amendment, President GRANT's action thereon, the votes of the various State Legislatures, and the final certificate of the Secretary of State announcing its ratification as an amendment to the Constitution. Besides these great measures, the interest in which will scarcely abate as long as our present system of government remains, in this volume will be found all the Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States during this period, on the more important public questions which came before it, such as the Habeas Corpus, the Legal-Tender, and the TestOath cases; the right of States to tax National Banks; the right of the United States to tax State Banks; the right of a State to tax persons passing through it; the validity of contracts in confederate money, and the effect of express contracts to pay coined dollars; and sundry opinions in United States Circuit and State courts. Besides, in it will be found all the votes in Congress upon general questions, such as the Public Credit act, Banking and Currency legislation, the Tenure-of-Office act, the Civil Rights act, Internal Revenue, Tariff, and Landgrant legislation; the various Messages, Proclamations, and Orders of Presidents JOHNSON and GRANT; the votes of Congress on political declaratory resolutions; the platforms of parties, both State and National, from 1866 to 1870; the returns of State and Presidential elections; Tables of Population, Public Debt, Landgrants, Taxation, Registration, Disfranchisement, Expenditures and Appropriations, Revenue receipts and reductions, Lists of the Cabinets of Presidents JOHNSON and GRANT, and of the Members of the Thirty-ninth, Fortieth, and Forty-first Congresses; and an extended political and military miscellany, which will be found to include almost every thing of permanent interest connected with national politics during the period referred to. This volume takes up the thread where it was dropped by that on the Rebellion, and it is naturally a companion to it. That gives the record of the steps by which Secession was accomplished and Disunion attempted, as well as of those by which Secession was resisted and Disunion defeated. This gives the equally portentous record of the means by which, the War over, the Government and people of the United States reaped its fruits, and especially the memorable steps by which four millions of slaves, formerly knows as chattels, became incorporated, first into the civil, and next into the political, body. In the various votes given, the names of Republicans are printed in Roman, of Democrats, and of those who generally co-operated with them, in italic. EDWARD MCPHERSON. WASHINGTON, D. C., April 20, 1871. TABLE OF CONTENTS. I. Constitution of the United States-Mr. Seward's Certificate of the Ratification of the Anti-Slavery Amendment...............................................1-6 II. President Johnson's Orders and Procla Respecting Commercial Intercourse-Triat and Punishment of the Assassins of Abraham Lincoln-Arrest of Jefferson Davis, Clement C. Clay, and others-To re-establish the Au- thority of the United States in Virginia- Equality of Rights with Maritime Nations- The Blockade-Amnesty-Appointing Provis ional Governor for North Carolina, and other Insurrectionary States-Freedmen-Suppress- ion of Rebellion in Tennessee-Paroled Pris- oners-Martial Law withdrawn from Kentucky -Annulling the Suspension of the Habeas Corpus-Declaring the Rebellion Ended-Ap- XIV. President Johnson's Speeches127-1431 On receiving the Proceedings of the Philadel phia 14th of August Convention-In New York XV. President Johnson's Messages.........143-181 XIX. Proclamations and Orders...........194-208 President Johnson's Proclamations on the Re- XXIII. Orders, Letters, Messages, and Votes in the Senate respecting Secretary Stan- Request for Mr. Stanton's Resignation, and Reply-Secretary Stanton's Suspension, and Action of the Senate thereon-Action of Gen- eral Grant-Secretary Stanton's Removal, and votes of Senate thereon-Acceptance of Gen- eral Thomas-Secretary Stanton's Letter "Re- XXIV. The Articles of Impeachment and Vote in House, November 25, 1867-The Final XXVI. Letters, Papers, Testimony, Politico- Military Orders, and Report of General General Grant's Orders respecting Slaves, is- sued in the Field-Letters on Slavery and Reconstruction; on being a Candidate for Po- litical Office; on Results of "Peace on any Votes of State Legislatures on XIVth Amend- ment-Votes by the People on proposed Con- stitutional Amendments in Michigan, Ohio, Kansas, and Minnesota-President Johnson's Telegram to ex-Governor Parsons on Ala- bama's Ratification of XIVth Amendment- Financial Legislation authorizing the 6's of 1881, the 5-20's, the 10-40's, the Consolidated XXXIV. National Platforms of 1852, 1856, Democratic and Whig Platforms of 1852-Re- XXXV. Republican and Democratic Plat- forms of 1868, with the Letters of Accept- XXXVI. Statistical Tables-Elections, Rev- enue, Appropriations, &c....... Election Returns since 1860, and Electoral Col- lege-Taxation (State and United States) of Na- tional Banks-Internal Revenue Receipts of 1867 and 1868-Registration, Disfranchisement, and Elections in the Rebel States-Revenue Receipts since 1860, and Annual Expenditures from 1860 to January, 1869-Expenditures and Appropriations for fiscal years ending June 30, 1858, June 30, 1866, 1867, and till January 1, 1868 together with Appropriations for the year 1865, XXXIX. Political Votes, 40th Congress, 3d Ses- sion-Condemnation of President Johnson's proposition respecting payment of the Public Condemnatory resolutions in the Senate and House-Vote on Minority Representation-Re- moval of Disabilities by General Act-Repre- sentation of Georgia-Counting the Electoral Vote-Bill for further Security of Equal Rights in District of Columbia-Bill to Strengthen both House and Senate-Senate Joint Resolu tion, (S. 8,) and Proceedings thereon in both XLI. Members of Cabinet of President Grant, and XLII. Political Votes in 1st Session of 41st Con- Additional Reconstruction Legislation-Final Votes on Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas XLIII. President Grant's Inaugural Address, and Message on Reconstruction, and Official Proclamations of the Year............................. President Grant's Inaugural Address-His Mes- sage respecting the Reconstruction of Virginia and Mississippi-Final Certificate of Secretary Seward respecting the Ratification of XIVth Amendment-President Johnson's Proclama tion of General Amnesty, December 25, 1868- President Grant's Virginia Election Proclama- |