“This Committee proposes in this Amendment to sell out four million (radical count) negroes to the bad people of those States forever and ever. In consideration of what? I am asked. O shame, where is thy blush? I answer, in dust and ashes, For about sixteen members of Congress. Has there ever been before, Sir, in the history of this or any other country, such a stupendous sale of negroes as that? Never! never! It is saying to the Southern States, You may have these millions of human beings, whom we love so dearly, and about whom we have said so much, and for whom we have done so much,--you may do with them as you please in the way of legislative discrimination against them, if you will only agree not to count them at the next census, except as your sheep and oxen are counted; waive your right to sixteen members of Congress, and the great compromise is sealed, the long agony is over, the nation’s dead are avenged, the nation’s tears are dried, and the nation’s politics are relieved of the negro.” March 7th, Mr. Sumner spoke at length in reply to Mr. Fessenden and others who had opposed his substitute. This speech appears in the present volume, according to its date.[199] He was followed by his colleague, Mr. Wilson, who was strenuous for the House Amendment. “Mr. President, there are indications, not to be mistaken, that this Amendment is doomed to defeat. To me this result will be a subject of sincere and profound regret. My heart, my conscience, and my judgment approve of this Amendment, and I support it without qualification or reservation.” March 9th, Mr. Fessenden spoke again, criticizing especially Mr. Yates and Mr. Sumner. Mr. Sumner followed Mr. Fessenden in a brief reply, which will be found under its date.[200] Mr. Wilson declared again his adhesion to the pending Amendment, saying: “I would go to the scaffold joyfully before the sun goes down, if I could put this proposed Amendment into the Constitution of my country; for, if it were there, there would be but one result and one end to it, and that is the enfranchisement of every black man within the bounds of the United States.” The voting then commenced on the various substitutes for the Amendment adopted by the House of Representatives. First came the counter proposition of Mr. Sumner, altered, in conformity with the original draught,[201] so as to be applicable only to States that had lapsed, being “lately declared to be in rebellion,” without republican government. Mr. Henderson moved to strike out all of the counter proposition, and in lieu of it insert a Constitutional Amendment securing the suffrage to colored citizens:--