Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by

EDWARD MCPHERSON,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia.

PREFACE.

This Hand Book is a reprint of the POLITICAL MANUALS OF 1866, or 1867, AND OF 1868, and, on the suggestion of others, has been put in this as the preferable form for use in the Presidential campaign, for which it is cepecially designed.

Besides the political data naturally falling within its scope, it will be found to contain the celebrated Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 and the National Platforms of 1852, 1856, 1860, and 1864, all which are b storical monuments of a past which it is instructive to study.

The collection of Votes and Documentary matter of every kind, bearing upon current politics, will be found large, and, I hope, complete-my purpose having been to gather and combine every essential fact involved in the discussion of pending issues.

The Tabular Statements at the close of the volume will be found suggestive and of immediate value; and the whole, it is hoped, will meet the want

it is intended to supply.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PART I--1866.

I. Constitution of the United States-Mr.

Seward's Certificate of the Ratification

of the Anti-Slavery Amendment 1-6

.....7-18

II. President Johnson's Orders and Procla-

mations.....

Respecting Commercial Intercourse-Trial

and Punishment of the Assassins of Abraham

Lincoln-Arrest of Jefferson Davis, Clement

C. Clay, and others-To re-establish the Au-

thority of the United States in Virginia-

Equality of Rights with Maritime Nations-

The Blockade-Amnesty-Appointing Provis

ional Governor for North Carolina, and other

Insurrectionary States-Freedmen-Suppress-

ion of Rebellion in Tennessee-Paroled Pris-

oners-Martial Law withdrawn from Kentucky

-Annulling the Suspension of the Habeas

Corpus-Declaring the Rebellion Ended-Ap-

pointments to Office-Trials by Military Courts

-Against the Fenian Invasion of Canada.

III. Action of the Conventions and Legis-

latures of the Lately Insurrectionary

States..........

....18-28

Proclamations of Provisional Governors-

Elections of Conventions and Ordinances

thereof Enactments of Legislatures-Tele-

grams of President Johnson and Secretary

Seward respecting the Rebel Debt, Colored

Suffrage, Anti-Slavery Amendment, Admission

to Congress of Senators and Representatives

elect-President Lincoln's Letter to Governor

Hahn, March 13, 1864, on Colored Suffrage, and

his Telegram of April 12, 1865, prohibiting the

meeting of the Rebel Legislature of Virginia.

X. Votes in the House of Representatives on

Political Resolutions.......... ..................................................109-114

On Public Debt-Punishment of Treason-

Representation of lately Insurrectionary States

-Elective Franchise in the States-Test-Oath

-Test-Oath for Lawyers-Endorsement of the

President's Policy-Withdrawal of Military

Forces-Legal effect of Rebellion-Duty of

Congress-Writ of Habeas Corpus-Thanks to

the President-Recognition of State Govern-

ment of North Carolina-Trial of Jefferson

Davis-Neutrality-The Fenians.

IV. Legislation Respecting Freedmen......29-44 XI. Votes on Political Bills.........................1.1.4.-1.-1.-

In North Carolina-Mississippi-Georgia-Al-
abama-South Carolina, and General Sickles's
Order relative thereto-Florida-Virginia, and
General Terry's Order suspending the Vagrant
Act-Tennessee Texas-Louisiana.

V. President Johnson's Interviews and
Speeches.........
...44-63

Remarks to citizens of Indiana-Nashville
Speech, June 9, 1864-To Virginia Refugees-
Interview with George L. Stearns-Address to
Colored Soldiers, October 10, 1865--Interview
with Senator Dixon-With Colored Delegation
respecting Suffrage, with Reply of Remarks
to Committee of the Virginia Legislature
Speech of February 22, 1866-To the Colored
People of the District of Columbia.

VI. Annual, Special, and Veto Messages of

President Johnson, with Copies of the Ve-

toed Bills, and the Votes on them...........64-84

Annual Message, December 4, 1865-On the

condition of the late Insurrectionary States,

Suffrage in District of Columbia-Extending

the Homestead Act-Habeas Corpus--West Vir-
ginia Bill-Elective Franchise in the Territo-
ries.