Governor Perry of South Carolina and the other provisional governors appointed by Johnson—and reputedly Johnson himself—had proclaimed “this is a white man’s government.” That kind of declaration revolted Stevens. “What is implied by this?” he trenchantly asked. “That one race of men are to have the exclusive right forever to rule this nation, and to exercise all acts of sovereignty, which all other races and nations and colors are to be their subject, and have no voice in making the laws and choosing the rules by whom they are to be governed? Wherein does this differ from slavery except in
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