John Sherman: “With such legislative provisions as would maintain its current value at par with gold, its issue was recommended by me.”

Our family of states is already large enough to create embarrassment in the Senate, and a republic should not hold dependent provinces or possessions.

Though my grateful thanks are due to them and have been often expressed, yet I have felt, as they do, that my duty was to the whole country.

The Union already embraces discordant elements enough without adding others.

It was settled by this war that we have a country limited in its powers by the constitution of the United States fairly construed.