“All men of common sense must now see that there can now be no loyal civil governments in these States, if the negroes are not permitted to neutralize with their votes the votes of Rebels. On this account I do hope the joint resolution recently introduced in the Senate by Mr. Sumner will prevail. Whatever may have been our former notions in regard to the negro, it is now very evident that practically they are better citizens than the majority of whites, in some portion of the Rebel States. The Declaration of Independence is the true and just basis upon which these State governments must be founded.” Such is the voice of a Unionist of Alabama. He looks to Congress. God forbid that Congress should abdicate its beneficent powers! They are all needed for the safety and welfare of the Republic. I cannot, I dare not, help in any such abdication. The history of the debate and its result appear in the Appendix to the Speech of February 5th and 6th.[271] NO MORE STATES WITH THE WORD “WHITE” IN THE STATE CONSTITUTION. SPEECHES IN THE SENATE, ON THE BILL FOR THE ADMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO INTO THE UNION, MARCH 12 AND 13, APRIL 17, 19, AND 24, AND MAY 21, 1866. March 12th, in the Senate, the bill for the admission of the State of Colorado was taken up for consideration, when Mr. Sumner commenced an opposition, in which he persevered. The question was, in his judgment, of peculiar importance, as involving the true principle of Reconstruction; so that, while insisting upon equal rights in Colorado, he was contributing to the same cause. In a speech of some length he set forth “three distinct objections at this moment to the admission of Colorado as a State,” which he considered in their order: first, the irregularity of the proceedings, ending in the seeming adoption of the Constitution; secondly, the smallness of the population; and, thirdly, that its Constitution was not republican in form, and consistent with the Declaration of Independence, according to the requirement of the Enabling Act. In the course of his remarks on the two latter heads, he said:--