The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-02-01

I nRMAnKs o. m. UA1LAN.
4 In the Senate, Thursday last. Mr.. Harla,
made the following reply to Mr.. Davis of Ken
lucky, the ubject under discussion being III,
ever present ..contraband:"
/ Mr.. HARLAN (of Iowa)--Mr. President
do not intend to reply in detail to the some
what extraordinary speech that has Just closed
first place, should hardly hope to equal th,
eloquence and learning that have been display
ed; and in the second place, l agree too fully
with many things that have been said to make
it necessary for me to attempt . detailed re
Spouse to the speech. 1 win say, however
and trust the Senator will pardon me for tht
4 allusion, that it does seem to me that the whole
speech has been little i'll timed, and especially
that part of the speech, which makes it neces-
sary for me to say one word. The Senator has
expressed the hope that the amending Slavery
question may not agitate this body and the
country; and yet, us extraordinary rs it may
| seem in connection with that expression, he
himself has unnecessarily detained the Senate
and retarded the public business Of the country
for more than an hour in the discussion Of that
very question. Sir, what is the question now
before the Senates The propriety or the inn
the sitting Senator from Indiana. Now, ask
what pertinency to that question has been the
whole speech which has occupied the Senate
for more than two hours to-day? l make this
remark not for the purpose, not with the desire
! of Gliding the Senator who has taken his seat,
! but wish the Senator to bear me witness here
and the country to take notice of the fact that
every long labored, excited discussion of the
Slavery question that has taken place in this
Chamber for the last six years, in which have
had the honor to occupy seat here, has been
lugged in in that manner, and by gentlemen
holding seats from Slaveholding States.
Mr.. DAvIS--Will the gentlemen allow me
to say word?
| Mr.. HARLAN-Certainly.
Mr.. DAVIS-I confess to the gentlemen's
| impeachment that great part of my speech
| was inappropriate; but it was designed in some
measure to meet the numerous petitions that
have been presented by the Senator from Mas
| sachusetts, and other gentlemen upon this floor.
Mr.. HARIAN--I will, however, Mr.. Presi-
dent, while | am on the floor, and before al
Jude TO the proper question of discussion, at
tempt to set myself right on the point alluded
by the Senator. When made the remarks to
which he evidently alluded, this body was en-
tertaining and considering Senate joint resolu-
ton No. 20, which proposes to authorize the
commander of the army in the Western Divi
sion, including Kansas, to muster into the
United States service such persons as may pre-
sent themselves for that purposs, and organize
them therefor, and to retain them therein such
length of time as in the opinion of such COM
mander the exigencies of the service may re-
quire. This was opposed on the ground that
the commander of that division of the army
| might, using his personal discretion, muster
iuto the service of the United States Indians
| and persons of African descent. l expressed
| myself in favor Of the proposition, and in reply
! to some remarks dropped by the Senator from
Delaware Mr.. Salisbury, I stated that l, in
dvidually, had no objection to mastering into
the service of the United States men of color,
either indians or negroes, and / attempted, in
a few brief remarks, to illustrate my view on
that subject. l stated that could perceive no
reason why an able-bodied man, native born
in the United States, should not aid in defend
! ing the Constitution and the laws. Nor do
now perceive reason why this should not be
done. | know it is said, in language pathetic
and eloquent, ''What arm the slaves against
their masters?" I might make q truthful APP
peal still more startling and ask, What arm
the children against their fatherss" And yet
that is being done by your mastering officers
every day where the father chances to be q
traitor and rebel. Are you not to permit the
young men of the country to arm themselves
in defense of the Constitution and the laws, be-
cause their parents happen to be traitors?-
You exercise the right to take my son under
the age of twenty-one years and place him be-
| tween your violated Constitution and the coun-
| try's foes, regardless of my rights to his SER
vices or to the control Of his person. Now
| ask the Senator from Kentucky, what better is
| his slave then my son.
Mr.. DAVIS--Not half SO COOL
Mr.. HARLAN-Iw will illustrate what mean
on this subject by supposing that the Senator,
with some of his wel-taught and Christian
slaves, was engaged in personal contest for
life and death between me and my son. As
we gradually become exhausted on the one
side and the other, knowing full well that
the moment I give his slaves the intimation
that | would protect them, they would flee
from their master to my defense, should be
much short of an idiot, much shrot of fool, if
were not to invite them away? The loyal
States of this nation are now engaged in a con-
! test for its very existence On the one side,
we have arrayed the loyal old men, and middle
| aged men of the country. On the other side,
We have the rebel owners Of slaves arraying
their young men and slaves. On the other
there are some hundreds of thousands of color
ed people, native born on the soil on which they
Il
very moment they have an intimation that
they will receive the protection of the Consti-
| ton and laws of the United States, and yet we
| insanely continue this controversy, not permit
ing these strong, armed men to aid US and
save the lives of our brothers and..our sons. But
the Senator from Kentucky said that he thought
| on this subject with horror when he reflected
| what massaeres had occurred of white people
| in some of the West India Islands. Mr.. Pres
| ident, oppressed people in every age, in assert
| ing their right to themselves have committed
| acts of atrocity that civilized communities
| could never justify. II is no more common to
| the African race than to the Anglo Saxon or
| the Caucasian of whatever country. will
ask him, with his perfect knowledge of history
| to compare the scenes Of carnage and blood
enacted there with those enacted but q few
years since in the streets of Paris, the capital
| of one of the most enlightened and refined ma
tions that have existed, and which at this time
stands at the very head of the civilized nations
of the world The proposition which was
made to which was speaking, was PROPOSE
! ton 10 allow the commander of this division of
the army, to muster into the service of the
United States, such loyalpersons as might pre-
sent themselves irrespective of color. What
does thatimplys That they shall be organized,
| that they shall be officered, that they shall be
commanded, that they shall be controlled by
the laws of the United States and by the arti-
cles of war. took some pains to state on that
occasion that would not advocate propo.
sition to arm Unfortunately the mass of the
servie population even in the rebel States,
but that if arms were placed in their hands
they should be organized, disciplined, and
placed under the ordinary restraints Of militia
ry rule. have no criticism to make in regard
to the Senators eulogium of the peaceful con-
dition Of his own slaves, other than this: II
they are of the character which he has deicrib-
ed, and have ever been ready to stand by him
and their masters in times of pestilence and
danger-if that statement of the character Of
his own slave household be correct draw the
conclusion that the alarm of the Senator is to-
tally without foundation. If they are thus
Christianized, are thus enlightened, and will
stand by their masters through every kind Of
calamity that can arise, what will be the dan
ger Of placing them in an attitude not only to
defend themselves but their masters and their
country? But. Sir, all this eulogium Of the
| character of tho housas and clofhinO of fhe