In Part Two, Bogue looks closely at the debates in the Senate in order to ascertain the nature of disagreements between radical and moderate Republicans in such policy-making areas as slavery, taxation, human rights, punishment and rehabilitation, and legislation affecting the border states. Taking issue with the idea that the Republicans were essentially unified on the issues of the day, he finds that their differences were widespread and important. A major study of the Senate in one of its most productive periods, is a remarkable combination of systematic analysis and narrative history.