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"Let me call the Senator's attention to the words 'or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States,'" Morrill said, ending the discussion on that point.

That reply is distressingly cavalier, possibly because Morrill thought the point to obvious to discuss.

But had he said, specifically, "Those words clearly apply as well to the highest offices in the land," that could have settled it. I'm surprised none of his colleagues required the wording of the Amendment to nail that down.