Sir, on that issue I invoke the sentiments of mankind and posterity when all of us have passed away. I know that it will be then written, that the National Constitution is the Charter of a mighty Republic dedicated to Human Rights, dedicated at its very birth by the Great Declaration, and that whoever fails to enlarge and ennoble it by the interpretation through which Human Rights are most advanced will fail in his oath to support the Constitution: ay, Sir, fail in his oath! The debate was continued successive days: Mr. Thurman of Ohio, Mr. Ferry of Connecticut, Mr. Corbett and Mr. Kelly, both of Oregon, Mr. Hill of Georgia, Mr. Stevenson of Kentucky, and Mr. Tipton of Nebraska speaking against Mr. Sumner’s bill; Mr. Harlan, of Iowa, in favor of it; and Mr. Frelinghuysen, of New Jersey, declaring his support, if Mr. Sumner would modify its provisions as to “churches.” The substitute of Mr. Carpenter was rejected,--Yeas 17, Nays 34. A motion of Mr. Frelinghuysen to make the bill inapplicable to “churches” was carried,--Yeas 29, Nays 24. The next question was on a motion of Mr. Carpenter to strike out the clause relating to “juries.” This was earnestly debated by Mr. Edmunds, of Vermont. Before the vote was taken, Mr. Sumner remarked:-- There is a famous saying that comes to us from the last century, that the whole object of government in England--of King, Lords, and Commons--is to bring twelve men into a jury-box. Sir, that is the whole object of government, not only in England, but in every other country where law is administered through popular institutions; and especially is it the object of government here in the United States; and the clause in this bill which it is now proposed to strike out is simply to maintain that great principle of popular institutions. This amendment was rejected,--Yeas 12, Nays 42. Other amendments were moved and rejected. * * * * * The question was then taken on Mr. Sumner’s bill as an amendment to the Amnesty Bill, and it was adopted by the casting vote of Vice-President Colfax,--the Senate being equally divided, Yeas 28, Nays 28, as follows:-- YEAS,--Messrs. Ames, Anthony, Brownlow, Cameron, Chandler, Clayton, Conkling, Cragin, Fenton, Ferry of Michigan, Frelinghuysen, Gilbert, Hamlin, Harlan, Morrill of Vermont, Morton, Osborn, Patterson, Pomeroy, Ramsey, Rice, Sherman, Spencer, Sumner, West, Wilson, Windom, and Wright,--28. NAYS,--Messrs. Blair, Boreman, Carpenter, Cole, Corbett, Davis of West Virginia, Ferry of Connecticut, Goldthwaite, Hamilton of Texas, Hill, Hitchcock, Johnston, Kelly, Logan, Morrill of Maine, Norwood, Pool, Robertson, Saulsbury, Sawyer, Schurz, Scott, Stevenson, Stockton, Thurman, Tipton, Trumbull, and Vickers,--28.