The age-herald., 1898-03-08
what to do in such an event, and they did

what to do in such an event, and they did it.
 Then came the war and reconstruction, the history of both of which periods is that the political fight, from beginning to end, was between the republican and dem- ocratic parties Notwithstanding the not able triumph of the republicans In the first, they had the disadvantage in the last of eontending against the inevitable. Their counteractions of Johnsons vetoes and slow process of retaining the states that had forfeited their right of representation in no way prevented, but merely postponed the restoration of the democratic party in congress. Its principles were as vital as ever and on them the two divisions came together at the first opportunity and re- gained in time some of the prestige they had lost. When the Thirty-eighth con- gross assembled in December, 1S63 there were ten new members in the senat, but tn political balance was in wise changed, as in the states where senators were displaced by those of the opposite party, the democrats and republicans each lost and gained two. The house elected Colfax speaxer by 101 votes against S1 for other candidates, Cox receiving 42. The vote for CofaX was the distinctive repuD- lican strength. The next congress, the Thrty-ninth, which met in December, 1s6o, was largely republican in both branches' Colfax was reelected speaker of the house, receiving this time 139 votes to 36 for the democratic candidate, James Brooks, or New York who died that session. Nine months before. the Thirty-eighth congress had closed with the clouds of war still low ering. To-day" said the speaker in his address, from shore to shore in our land there is peace." He acknowledged that the task of reconstruction would be great, and recommended the wisest possible states manship. In the same year Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and the two Carolinas all sent senators and rep resentatives to congress- who were refused admission. Sumner, in the senate, and Thaddeus Stevens, in the house, were con ducting the fight against the policy Of the president Near the close of the first ses- sion of the Thirty-ninth congress Ten nessee was admitted and at the second session the same delegations from the states just mentioned again applied and were again refused, as were also senators from Texas.
 The Fortieth congress, at it's second session, in December 1867, extended the privilege of representation to all the south- ern states except Mississippi, Texas and Virginia, whose application for admission was again rejected by the next congress, the year of Grants inauguration. But the second session of this, the Firty-first, con- gress opened with every state represented in the house, and before its close the sen- ators from Mississippi, Texas and Virginia qualified, After only five years the dem- ocrats elected a speaker by a vote Of lf3 to 106, showing a reversal Of party strength in the house, and in the next con gress the Forty y-fifth, only four republican representatives were elected in the south After two years by the elctions that made the senate democratic that party's restora- ton in congress was effected. J. C. T.