"i believe, on my conscience, that on the continued ascendency of the republican) party depends the safety of this great nation. if there is not african american suffrage) in the rebel states then
every one of them is sure to send a solid rebel representative to congress, and cast a solid rebel electoral vote lam for negro suffrage in every rebel every man, no matter what his
race or color, every earthly being who has an immortal soul, has an equal right to justice, honesty, and fair play with every other man; and the law should secure him those rights."
thaddeus stevens, member of congress, speech to the house of representatives, 1867
which of the following pieces of evidence could best be used to refute stevens' claim in the excerpt that the union had done little for formerly enslaved people by 1867?