▁the ▁Th irty - e ighth ▁Congress , ▁he ▁was ▁un success ful ▁in ▁his ▁effort ▁to ▁repe al ▁the ▁F ug itive ▁S lave ▁Law . ▁( It ▁was ▁table d ▁by ▁a ▁ 6 6 ▁to ▁ 5 1 ▁vote , ▁but ▁a ▁similar ▁bill ▁became ▁law ▁two ▁years ▁later .) ▁Julian ▁also ▁challeng ed ▁the ▁ple as ▁that ▁called ▁for ▁the ▁war ▁to ▁be ▁fought ▁within ▁constitution al ▁limits . ▁T aking ▁the ▁House ▁floor ▁to ▁counter ▁" the ▁never - ending ▁gab ble ▁about ▁the ▁sacred ness ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ," ▁Julian ▁told ▁his ▁colle agues , ▁" It ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁forgotten ▁that ▁the ▁red - hand ed ▁murder ers ▁and ▁th ieves ▁who ▁set e ▁this ▁re bell ion ▁on ▁foot ▁went ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁y el ping ▁for ▁the ▁Constitution ▁which ▁they ▁had ▁consp ired ▁to ▁over throw ▁by ▁the ▁black est ▁per j ury ▁and ▁tre ason ▁that ▁ever ▁contr ont ed ▁the ▁Al m ight y ." ▁▁ ▁As ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁J oint ▁Committee ▁on ▁the ▁Con duct ▁of ▁the ▁War , ▁Julian ▁investig ated ▁military ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁civil ▁conduct . ▁The ▁committee ▁had ▁no ▁policy - making ▁function ; ▁however , ▁it ▁made ▁recommend ations ▁for ▁pro sec ution ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁and ▁served ▁an ▁a venue ▁for ▁the ▁radical ▁Republic ans ▁to ▁force ▁their ▁policies ▁on ▁the ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ▁administration . ▁He ▁investig ated ▁Confeder ate ▁at roc ities ▁and ▁the ▁mist re at ment ▁of ▁prisoners ▁of