Again, Sir, I would urge, that, at this moment, when the whole country is agitated by the great question, What shall be done for the protection of the colored race?--to what extent we shall exercise the high powers of Congress to carry that protection into the Rebel States,--it will be hardly decent for us, in reviewing the constitution of a new State, not to apply the highest possible test. It will not do for us now to recognize this constitution of Colorado as republican in form. We owe it to ourselves to set an example, and to require that in a State organized under our influence a good example shall prevail. How many of us heard with regret the result last autumn in Connecticut, and again in Wisconsin, by which suffrage to the colored race was denied! We felt that by those two votes Liberty had suffered, that an enfranchised race was placed in jeopardy, that its rights were dishonored by those who ought to have upheld them; and now, Sir, you have cast upon you in this Chamber that same identical responsibility. You are, with reference to the constitution of Colorado, in the precise position of the people of Connecticut with regard to their own constitution, and the people of Wisconsin with regard to theirs. Some of us have regretted poignantly the policy of those two States: I hope there will be no occasion to regret any similar policy in this Chamber. And now, Sir, in order to bring the Senate to a vote on that question, I send to the Chair an amendment to the bill. The Secretary read the amendment, namely:-- “Insert at the end of the second section the following proviso:-- “_Provided_, That this Act shall not take effect except upon the fundamental condition that within the State there shall be no denial of the electoral franchise, or of any other rights, on account of race or color, but all persons shall be equal before the law. And the people of the Territory shall, by a majority of the voters, at public meetings to be convened by the Governor of the Territory, declare their assent to this fundamental condition; and the Governor shall transmit to the President of the United States an authentic statement of such assent, whenever the same shall be given, upon receipt whereof he shall by proclamation announce the fact; whereupon, without any other proceedings on the part of Congress, this Act shall take effect.” This amendment was similar to that offered by Mr. Sumner on the Louisiana Bill,[273] and was modelled on what is known as the Missouri precedent, which he proceeded to explain, and then said:--