Mr. Saulsbury, of Delaware, called for the yeas and nays, which were ordered, and, being taken, resulted, yeas 26, nays 10. So the amendment was agreed to. * * * * * This was the first step for the civil rights of colored persons, but it was limited to proceedings under the Emancipation Act in the District of Columbia. * * * * * July 7th, the Senate having under consideration a Supplementary Bill on Emancipation in the District, Mr. Sumner took occasion to broaden the immunity by moving the following additional section:-- “_And be it further enacted_, That in all judicial proceedings in the District of Columbia there shall be no exclusion of any witness on account of color.” The yeas and nays were ordered, at the call of Mr. Powell, of Kentucky, and, being taken, resulted, yeas 25, nays 11. * * * * * In the House of Representatives, while the bill was under consideration, Mr. Wickliffe, of Kentucky, said: “I have no hope of success; but I feel it to be my duty to move to strike out the words ‘without the exclusion of any witness on account of color,’ where they occur.… I presume it is intended to let a man’s servant come in and swear that he is a disloyal man. I do hope the friends of this bill will not so far outrage the laws of this District as to authorize slaves or free negroes to be witnesses in cases of this kind.” Mr. Thaddeus Stevens said, “I trust that this Committee [of the whole House] will not so far continue an outrage as not to allow any man of credit, whether he be black or white, to be a witness”; and the motion was rejected.[277] INDEPENDENCE OF HAYTI AND LIBERIA. SPEECH IN THE SENATE, ON THE BILL TO AUTHORIZE THE APPOINTMENT OF DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES TO THE REPUBLICS OF HAYTI AND LIBERIA, APRIL 23, 1862. Thereupon Zeus, fearing for the safety of our race, sent Hermes with self-respect and justice, that their presence among men might establish order and knit together the bonds of friendship in society. “Must I distribute them,” said Hermes, “as the various arts have been distributed aforetime, only to certain individuals, or must I dispense them to all?” “_To all_,” said Zeus, “_and let all partake of them_.”--PLATO, _Protagoras_, p. 322 C. _Resolved_, That the independence of Texas [Hayti and Liberia] ought to be acknowledged by the United States, whenever satisfactory information shall be received that it has in successful operation a civil government capable of performing the duties and fulfilling the obligations of an independent power.--RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, _Journal of the Senate_, July 1, 1836.