[Dr. Franklin]

Since you have decided to resort to insults then I'll merely point out than only an idiot would confuse an enabling act that admits a state to the union with legislation restoring the rebellious state's Congressional delegation to Congress which was required by the Reconstruction Acts.

Which sadly begs the question of how a state can be denied its representation in Congress? In particular equal senate representation in Senate, which is guaranteed in all cases. and prohibited from amendment by Article V of the U.S. Constitution: "no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate." The only way to conclude that Texas and the other Confederate states had consented to their loss of seats in the Senate is that they had seceded. If that were not possible, then they were immediately entitled to them whenever they wanted them to take office in Senate. Again, Chase's argument is counterfactual, and hypocritical.

[DoodleDawg]

Which sadly begs the question of how a state can be denied its representation in Congress?

Easily answered. Article I, Section 5: "Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members..." If Congress sets qualifications for seating members of states that participated in the rebellion then they are within their power to do so.