The war would thus have practically injured the negro, for after taking from him that form of protection which slavery afforded, it would have left him an object of still harsher oppression than slavery itself--an oppression that would be inspired and quickened by a spirit of vengeance.
The bill was debated at full length, nearly every prominent man in the Senate taking part.

Mr.Hendricks of Indiana and Mr.Garrett Davis of Kentucky opposed it in speeches of excessive bitterness, and Mr.
Guthrie of Kentucky with equal earnestness but less passion.

It was sustained with great ability by all the leading Republican senators; and on the final passage, in an unusually full Senate, the vote in its favor was 37; those opposed were 10.

There were only three absentees.
Even those Republican senators who had given strong evidence of sympathy with the Administration did not unite with the Democrats on this issue.

Mr.Cowan declined to vote, while Messrs.