Reminiscences of Sixty Years in Public Affairs, Vol. 2

A political memoir recounts the author's decades in public life, describing congressional service during the Civil War and Reconstruction, debates over constitutional amendments and Black suffrage, and the political conflicts that shaped readmission of Southern states. It details investigations and the impeachment of the president, Treasury and mint administration including controversial financial legislation and panics, international bond transactions, and episodes like Black Friday. The memoir offers personal observations of administrations and leading politicians, assessments of public men and policy controversies, and later reflections on issues ranging from abolition-era maritime slave traders to imperialism and commemorative speeches.