The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-07-25
Senator CoIlamer on Slavery.

| Below we PRINT the report " VIC
Senator Collamer on the Militia BIZ. we iu'
such papers as the Rutland Courier ""1 Dur
lington Sentinel who have 50 pra's'i -Se"a'"
Coilamer for his conservative view, VII give
their readers All opportunity 10 read ai' opinion
of slavery as Christian institution
| COW come 70 another topic, ana thi~ i '"e
second action pi the ameod hentpropJ>t1 oy lh9
Senator from Iowa The irst section provides
that the President may receive INTO the Set''ce
OF the ultcd States, Ur tie puTpO5e OF Cohs.Fu1-
Ing lnt!enCAnants or performing camp service
and 30 on, r-DpIe OF African d'scent, ana that
they shlI De enrolled and 0rGhniz'4 under suc1
regulations consistent with the Constitution and
laws, as the President mag prescribe. l have no
Objection 70 make to that, though do NOT wish
to leave it precisely with that statement. new.
er could understand, and do not now unders and
why the Government of the United States has
not the right to the use OF every man In It,
black or white for its defense, and every horse,
every particle OF property, every dollar ID mon
ey Of every man in 1t. That is the eminent do
main. The details OF laws are only the mode OF
carrying the power into effect but as to the
power ITSELF [ cannot conceive that there is any
l.
re lily suggested any. As to she using Of colored
men, that is entirely question of expedency,
whether you need them, whether you can use
them to advantage and that depends on so
many contingencies that have always supposed
the Presidents, the generals, the men who are
managing the war, actually engineering it along,
if you please, would lay their hands upon and
use all means and appliances to the enc which
than nd If tlamap think a
any better to put 1t INTO law that the Presi-
dent may do that, ii that will help the matter,
| nave no sort OF objection
Mr. Wilson, Ut Massachusetts. 1t is necess-
airy.
Mr.. Colsmer Then have no objection Ill
Is n mere detail OF a mode OF getting at it. |
have not much To say about my confidence IN
colored men making good soldiers | do not
know much about it. | can only say that we
did use them in the last war with England. Il
saw very near one whole regiment Of them in
the sels.ce of the United States in 1929. r
cannot exaactly say that served with them,
shough WAS very near tAom.
The second section OF the amendment provides
that when any man or bDy OF African descent
who by the la~s OF any Safe owes service OF
labor 70 any person who during the recent re-
Or adhered ro thcir enemies by giving aid or
comfort, shall render 10 the United States any
such service AS is provided in the preceding sec.
ton he, hs mother and his wife and children
shall forever thereafter be free, any law to the
contrary Notwithstanding. | have u word to
say about that. | ain constrained to say, wheth-
or 1t IL 70 the honor Or dishonor of any country,
THAT, III the land Of slavery, no male slave has
Child none Is known as father to ~ child no
slave has wife, marriage being repudatsd in
the slayesystem. This Is the condition of thing
and wonderful as 1t may be, we are told that
this Is II Christian institution
Mr.. " lson OF Massachusetts A Christian
lzing institution
Mr. Collamer. LII iS said to be Christian
institution, sustained by, countenanced oy the
system OF Christianity That is what is
Claimed, MIR President, if understand any
thlnS about the philosophy Of Christianity, /
view 1t TO DE divine revelation, condesceudng-
~ made to US from the Supreme Being and |
shaped 30 as to address Itself to US in our social
capacities.
IL Is SAID to us, God says to US Son, give
Inc tiny heart. He says, - AS father pitleth |
ms chlidfen so God ptieth those that fear nlm -
he says that . he Is more ready to give good
g'its To them that ask hun than earthly parents
are to give gifts TO their chlldren' He tells us
10 address him Us " our Father which art IN
heaven NOW, SIT, can we not see in all this,
IAat II Is addressed to US in infinite condesccn-
eoh 10 our social relations. 1t is revelation
only W those who understand those relations.
ana II man on earth can be found who does
not understand those relations, to him 1t is no
revelation, 1t is dead letter We come, then,
to mass OF people in this country-four mil
lions OF shem-among whom no child knoweth |
his father, AMI all this revelation addressed to
him IN the ia relationship of child to pa
rent Is dead letter. When he il told as a |
iathef pitieth his children, 80 God pitoth them
that rear INN he may say, s. never knew u
father DO not know what yon mean by u
father giving gifts to his children | have no
father | know not how to ad iress God as INV
rather IN heaven, who have not father upon
earth, and never had" And yet we are told
that 1t Is Christian snstitution So. too, sir
In condeocenslon to our limited faculties, the
relationship between the Church and its Head !
Is ilkened to that OF the bride and the bride !
groom, thing unknown, unrealized, in apable |
OF being understood by four millions of our
people. And yet II is Christian institution
speak OF the system according to its theory
and what that makes it. Christianity with the
connublal relation left out, lie II paradox. Such
Is the theory of the slave system, and 30 far AN
that theory is practically realized, SO far It
renders the slaves incapable of experimenting or
approaching The divine revelation. He is only
saved from such consequence to the extent that
practice Is in violation of the theory.
Mr. President, do not wish to pursue sh,s
pons any further. have simply to say that
these people have no children, and this uroyis.