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The copy of the Constitution of the United States is believed to be strictly accurate in text and punctuation, which, it is understood, can be said of only one other copy in print that in the work known as Hickey's Constitution. The statement of the differences between it and the Rebel Constitution has been made with extreme care. The common index to the two instruments shows, at a glance, wherein they differ, and will be found both interesting and convenient-the whole chapter possessing special value to large classes of persons.

In presenting the facts upon each subject of legislation, the general plan has been: first, to state the result reached, with the final votes; and, then, such proceedings, in the intermediate stages, as are of adequate importance, or necessary to explain the position of Members. This preparation involved constant selection, concerning which there may be differences of opinion-some thinking that too much detail on one subject is given; others, too little of another. In all cases the rule stated, governed. As far as it has been possible to obtain the Rebel legislation on the same or corresponding subjects it has been added, with such of their orders and proclamations as were connected with them. A comparison of the two, and the dates of enactment or issue, will prove of service in dispelling delusions and correcting general misconceptions.

Besides the legislation proper, the volume contains, in a classified form, all the Messages, Proclamations, Orders, Correspondence, and Addresses of the President; the Diplomacy of the Secretary of State; valuable letters and papers from the Secretaries of the Treasury, of War, of the Navy, of the Interior, and from the Postmaster General; Opinions of the Attorney General upon permanent public questions; those of the Orders of Commanding Officers which are within the scope of the work; the Decisions of the Courts; and such other data as properly belong therein-the whole forming a multitudinous mass of facts, to any one of which the classification adopted, and the copious index appended, will, it is hoped, make it easy to refer.

The votes by Yeas and Nays have been carefully compared with the Official Journals of Congress. In preparing these lists, the names of those persons have, for comparison's sake, been italicized, who were elected by, or were at the time generally co-operating with, the Democratic party. All others are in roman.

Under "Our Foreign Relations" will be found much of permanent value, as well as of current interest and dispute.

The chapter on the "Conspiracy of Disunion" contains several very interesting documents, chief of which are the extract from U. S. Senator Maclay's journal of 1789, recording, probably, the first threat of disunion uttered in Congress, and upon a subject which remained a matter of complaint in some quarters down to the period of Secession; and the Minutes of the Proceedings of the Police Commissioners of Baltimore in 1861, one of the most flagrant as well as one of the latest outbursts of treason. Other portions of this chapter will richly bear examination. I greatly regret that want of space has required the omission of many other facts, gathered from

our political history, tending to reveal the true character of this foul conspiracy against Liberty, this crime against Humanity.

The lists of the organization of the Rebel "Provisional" and "Permanent" Government have been made up from every accessible source, and, though not complete, are more nearly so than any other yet published north of the Potomac, and as nearly so as present facilities afford. They are the result of careful and extensive examination. As a matter of interest, the names of those of the conspirators who were once members of the Congress of the Union have been put in italic.

This work was undertaken a few months ago without a realizing sense of the labor it involved. I can scarcely hope to have escaped errors, both of omission and commission, but have striven to make it fair, impartial, and truthful. It deals with the most momentous events of this Century, which will be studied while civil Government exists. I trust that the volume will be of service to those consulting it, and that its general effect will be to help strengthen the purpose of the American people to maintain their Unity, their Freedom, and their Power.

August 11, 1864.

EDWARD MCPHERSON.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

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Action of Conventions in South Carolina, Geor

gia, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama,

Arkansas, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee,

Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri-Insurrec

tionary Proceedings in Delaware and Maryland

-Inter-State Commissioners-Organization of

a "Southern Congress," and Provisional Gov-

ernment-Address of South Carolina to the

Slaveholding States, her Declaration of Inde

pendence, and Debates on them-Speech of

Alexander H. Stephens before the Georgia Legis

lature, Nov. 14, 1860-Extracts from Addresses,

by A. H. Stephens, July, 1859, and Jan., 1861

James H. Hammond, October, 1858; and R. M

T. Hunter, 1860-Extract from the Appeal for

Recognition, by Yancey, Rost, and Mann, and

Earl Russell's Reply-Seizure and Surrender of?

Public Property, from November 4, 1860 to March

4, 1861-Changes in President Buchanan's Cab-.

inet-Correspondence between President Buch-

anan and the South Carolina. "Commission.

ers"-Demand for Surrender of Fort Sumter-

Report on the Transfer of Arms to the South.

in 1859 and 1860-Davis's Bill for the Sale of

Government Arms to the States-How the Tel
egraph aided Secession-Intrigues for a Pacific
Republic Mayor Wood's Message Recommend
ing that New York be made a Free City Per
sonal Liberty" Laws.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE GOVERNMENT IN RE

LATION TO THE ACTION OF THE INSURREC

TIONARY STATES

Names of the Senators and Representatives of

the Thirty-Sixth Congress, Second Session

President Buchanan's Last Annual Message→→→

Attorney General Black's Opinion on the Powers,

of the President-The House Committee of

Thirty-Three and their Proposition for Adjust

ment, together with abstracts of all other Propo

sitions, and votes thereon-Votes on Resolutions,

respecting the "Personal Liberty" Laws, the

Union, Major Anderson's Course, Coercion, Non-

Interference with Slavery, and on the Bills to

Suppress Insurrection, and to provide for the

Collection of Customs-Report of Committee,

upon the Danger of the Capital, and Vote upon

Branch's Resolution to withdraw Troops from

the District of Columbia, with Secretary Holt's

Report-Disposition of the Navy, and Vote of

Censure upon Secretary Toucey-Propositions>

in Congress by Mason, Hunter, Clingman, Craige,

and others-Settlement of the Question of Sla

very in the Territories.

THE CONSTITUTION..........................-.

Constitution of the United States-Points off
Difference between It and the "Confederate"
Constitution, with an Index to both-Speech of
Alexander H. Stephens, expounding, the "Con
federate" Constitution

91

ADMINISTRATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN...... 105

President Lincoln's Inaugural Address-Secre
tary Seward and the "Confederate Commis→
sioners," with Statements of Judge Campbell;
and Thurlow Weed-The President's Reply to
the Virginia Delegation-Commencement of hos

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........... 195

The Confiscation Bills, and Amendatory Joint,

Resolution, and Special Message thereon.

Emancipation in the Thirty-Seventh Congress→→→→→

Proposed Repeal of the Joint Resolution afore

said-Sequestration in the Rebel States-Judi

cial and Military Proceedings under the Confis-

cation Law-Proclamation thereon-President's

Message, March, 1862, recommending Compen

sated Emancipation-Congressional Proceedings,

thereon-Interview of Border State Congress
men with the President-Emancipation im
the District of Columbia-The President's Ap-
peal to the Border State Congressmen, and their
Reply-Extract from the President's Annuall
Message, December, 1862-Emancipation in
Maryland and Proceedings of the Constitutional
Convention thereof-Emancipation Proclama
mations-Votes thereon and Resolutions con-
cerning them-Interview between the Chicago,
Deputation and the President-Address of the
Loyal Governors-Mr. Boutwell's Statement.
concerning the issue of the Proclamation-Let
ters of Charles Sumner and Owen Lovejoy.

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Page.
REPEAL OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAWS, "CON-
TRABANDS," AND KINDRED SUBJECTS....... 234
Votes on the Passage of the Acts of 1793 and
1850-Repealing Movements in the Thirty-
Second, Thirty-Third, Thirty-Seventh, and
Thirty-Eighth Congresses-Census Report rela
ting to the Escape of Fugitive Slaves from 1850
to 1860-The New Article of War-Employment
of Slaves in Government Dock-Yards, &c-Re-
cognition of Hayti and Liberia-Robert Small-
Proposed Removal of the Disqualification of
Color in carrying the Mails-Negro Suffrage in
the District of Columbia and Montana Territory
-Exclusion of Colored Persons from Rail-cars-
Colored Persons as Witnesses-Repeal of Laws
regulating the Coastwise Slave Trade-Orders
and Letters concerning "Contrabands," by
Gens. McClellan and Butler, and Secretary
Cameron-Fremont's Proclamation of Eman-
cipation, and Correspondence with the President
thereupon-"Contrabands" in the District of
Columbia-Gen. Burnside's Proclamation in
North Carolina-Orders and Proclamations by
Gens. Halleck, Buell, Hooker, McDowell, Dou-
bleday and others-General Instructions by the
President concerning "Contrabands"-Gens
Phelps and Butler on Arming Negroes-Pro-
posed Congressional Censure of Gen. Halleck's
Order No. 3-Prohibition of Slavery in the Ter-
ritories-Amendments to the Constitution, pro-
posed in the Thirty-Eighth Congress, First Ses
Bion-Resolutions on Slavery in the States, in the
same Congress-Bureau of Freedmen's Affairs.
LEGISLATION, ORDERS, PROCLAMATIONS AND
PROPOSITIONS, RELATIVE TO THE WAR,
AND TO "PEACE".....

The Enrollment Acts of 1863 and 1864, with the
votes upon all their leading Features and Char-
acteristics-Resolutions relative to the Enroll-
ment-Orders of the War Department enforcing
the Draft of 1862-Gen. McClellan's Recommen-
dation of a Draft in 1861-Colored Soldiers and
their Pay-Opinion of Attorney General Bates
respecting the pay of Rev. S. Harrison, colored
Chaplain of the 54th Mass. Regiment-Rules
and Orders for the Protection of colored Sol-
diers and the President's Speech thereon-Use
of colored men in the "Confederate" Military
Service-Negro Enlistment Act of the Tennes-
see Rebel Legislature-"Confederate" Legisla
tion upon the Treatment of captured Colored
Troops and their Officers-Homesteads for Sol-
diers-Unemployed Generals-Resolutions upon
the Objects and Prosecution of the War, in the
Thirty-Seventh and Thirty-Eighth Congresses-
"Peace" Propositions in the Same-Correspond-
ence between the President and Fernando Wood
-The Niagara Falls Conference and Correspond
ence-Peace Propositions in the Rebel Cons
gress-Correspondence between Governor Vance
and Jefferson Davis-Reported Statement of
Davis to Gilmore.

MILITARY ORDERS RESPECTING ELECTIONS. 308

Orders of Gens. McClellan, Dix, and Schenck-
Governor Bradford's Proclamation of 1863, and
the President's Letter to the Governor-Orders
in Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri-Orders
concerning Impressment of Property-Proposed
Legislation upon Military Interference in Elec
tions.

RECONSTRUCTION OF STATES................

The Reconstruction Bill, with the President's
Proclamation thereon, and Statement of Sena-
tor Wade and Representative Davis-Electoral
Vote of Rebel States-Proposed Commission off
Inquiry-Senators from Arkansas-Process of
Reconstruction in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Vir
ginia-Resolutions by sundry Senators and Rep-
resentatives concerning the Relations of Rebe
States to the Government-Rebel Views of Recon-
struction, being Resolutions by the First "Con-
federate" Congress, and Legislatures of Rebel
States,, with Statements of prominent Rebels

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