, 1862-09-20
THE REBEI. INVASION OF THE
NORTH.


NVH1 1AA
Interesting Debate In the Confederate
CouKross.
The Richmond NAig, Of Saturday last, the
18th inst, contains the following report Of u
discussion in the Confederate House of Re-
presentAtives Of the preceding day upon the
propriety Of an inva*ion Of the Northern
States. At the present time this debate viii
attract very general interest:
HoUsE or REPRESENTATIVES.
The House met at 10 o'clock IN.
MI. Hilton, OF Florida, from the committee
on military aiJai7s, to whom WAS referred tue
meteage OF the president communicating the
dispatches Of Gtn. Lee re1afiy. to the late vic
t1rle:, and the resolution of yesterday in rel1-
Potomac, reported the following substitute
for said resolution:
Resolted. That the thanks OF congress and the
couItry are smiIent.y due and are hereby tender
cd to General Robert +. Lee, and the officers aud
nen undtr his command. for their late brilliant
vic orr, eliminating in The signal defeat Of the
ctnnired :olces II the enemy IN the two great
battles of Manassas.
satisfaction Of the Triumphant crossing Of the Po
tom. c By our victorious army, and assured Ut the
wtedGm Of thHt mastery movement. could repose
with entire confidence on thu distinguished skill
Of the commanding general and the yalor Of his
t1ot pr, under favor Of the Great Ruler of nations,
70 achieve new trinups 10 relieve oppressed
Mars lard, and advance our STANDARD Into the ter
1itory OF the enemy.
RtsGIred, That the president be requested to
t'sltnIt copy Of the foregoing RESOLUTIONS TO
Gen. Lee and the oflcets and men under bis com.
n4and.
Mr. 3on Of Virginia moved to strike out
that portion OF the resolutions which re-.
fers 10 tie advance Of our standard into the
eLeme's country. Be approved the move;
ment of our armies thus lar, and thought q
resolution Of thanks eDinent1y proper; but
be stricken ont, It would be an Invitation.
from Congress to advance into the enemy's
country, aid that wns responsibility which.
for one, he was not prepared to assume.
Mr. Miles Of South Carolina, said that the
whole country had literally rung With the
cry Tor the onward movement; the press had
been loud in, he might almost say, denuucia-
tio16 Of our officers for net pursuing an aY-
gretsive policy, And now that 1t Wis COM
mecced, there ought to be some general e1-
PRESTON Of opinion, wiEh the greatest warmth
"htch We are capable, Of our cooperation IN
pursuing the enemy to bis III combines, and
with strong AIMS pluck fortune from the enc
m5's eoil. Shall We not retaliate upon an
ensm my who have outraged all the laws OF q
ctzt'fzed commuEitye In the prosecution OF
tnso MIL tAe4 AAa ofelsu III our [effltofF, and
pursued course Of barbaritg unprecedented
in the history Of warfare: and are We to hest-
tate when We have the power to ret,liate aud
int1ict upon the injuries which they inflicted
upon US? Mr. Miles did not expect the armies
to accomplish, inposs!bilitics. We will re-
arn,ies viii march onward into the territory
If tic foe. u.s." said the speaker, us there
heart here that will not bound with exu1ta-
tion at the very tsought?' Shall We under
take the policy and then pause because We
mig hit not he able to carry It ont? Our gen-
erals are trayc'y pressing onward, and We
tugat to back them up IN their resolutions.
If gentlemen are anxious to make this test
question, I am p'epars to meet the Issue.
Let us, then, give that meaning to the resolu-
luiltn =. am ayerse ase any. man to have Con-
Ete6s 10 indicate hat ehsn be the conduct of
The war. think j: would be most unwise, it
| would be most impolnic in the legislative
| br1Ich Of the government to attempt to con-
duct the war. But it is eminently juat and
proper, 1t is p:e-eminently our duty IS repre-
eentatiyes OF the people, to indicate what are
the wishes and desires of tie people, and
| what is the determination of the people. It
! is the determination Of the people Of the Con-
fe6erate States to retaiate, 20 free themselves,
| to drive their opprcssors back into their oTn
| Territory, ard let our swords CLEAN and ban-
bleed and strike their dagger to their hearts.
We do not propose war Of conquest, but we
Co propose war Of invasion. lido believe it
| is tie true policy Of war to strike wherever
you fnd weak pcint within your own limits
Or On tie soil OF the enemy.
A1r- Lyons-Do sou belIeve that we could
Eafs y 60 into the hea't Of the North?
Mr. Mi'es-lsay P. p.omp:ly, yes! Twas told
by = general, for whose opition know the
gt1t;enan from Virginia has high regard,
that give Jackson one-half of our present
army, and although there were GOO, 600 men in
tie field, be would drive them all before him.
Etlicye row Is the time to strike the blow,
The regular armies Of Pope and Mcclellan are
unable to make oned:th Of the number they
ought to he. 1.-THE House IL induced to strike
| the public and The country, the erroneous idea
Tat Congress does not favor what believe
the country desires-au aggressive policy.
Alr. Conrad OF Louisiana had hoped TINT the
cry OF "rcpular sentiment would never be
brought into this House. He hoped that no
praeTskc to carry on tie war. Il we allo +
politicians and gentlemen on tnf3 floor to car
| r. on the var, defeat ard disaster Inevitably
eyer:ake us. do hope that popular clanol
will not find It's way into this hall.
Nr. Miles-Wc DO not undertake to 1esis
late rs to the conduit Of tue war-the policy i
Il very different matter. The conduct OF tht
war belongs to the generals, while the policy
belongs to the statesmen. do not want .
gentsal to tell me what the objsct Of war il
-LE ID7Ey Is tHE purpose 01 k1G WAT
3lr. Conrad said he congratulated himsel
that the gentleman was not In command O.
Gen. Jacbson's army. This tody was not ii
TO carry on war or to conduct revolution
AID why undertake it, thiak if we are 60
irg to undertake to conduct this war we had
be1ttngo into the battle with the crowd.
Mr. Ayer OF South Carolina-I simply dc
sire to esy that this House will but express
the popular desire in reference to the war b1
the passage OF the resolution; and, having
expressed that desire, they will leave the res
TO llc discretion OF the var department ant
to the generals in command. It is the desirs
Of the people that the war should be carrlei
lrto the eneuy's country. Miraoeau, tht
F1erch philosopher, said tnat the only way Il
conduct successful revolution was ITO dare
10 dare again, and still to dlre!" aud I wisl
this army, this people OF ours, the executive
and dare at once. We have tried the opposit
Lolicy long; it has been partially successful
But now Is the time to make the enemy sutfe
to make them bleed, and feel tho iron hee
OF w3r.
Mr. Fcote called the question on Mr: Il
on's molten to strike out the words "ad
val &c our baurers into the enemy IS county.
The 4us st!on was ordered, the yeas an
, ra5ss lc'ng called, resulted as folluHs: Yeaz
20; nays, IT,.
So the motion was lost.
Dir. Smith Of Alabama, said that ha tool
the hoor with great reluctance; but as b
Ronld be compelled to vote agalnst the resu
in'ion In its present form, he must enter hi
protest Of djsapprobation against this policy
. 1t Is tafd that the policy ought to have beel
cLenEtd before, that the people We're clamoe
ous. The opinion Of the people is not Away
wise; The yoice OF the people is not alwaY
. lhe right voice; The people aTe ye1y of.el
. w1cng. II he was informed by every man Il
the ate OF Alabama that the onward polio,
vas The right policy, be would tell him tha
be wss wrong, and he would take the conse
, qus nee OF telling him that. Our troops has
already achieved great victories, aud the Erea
, SUCCESS CT our arn;s las been marked by tri
un fhs unparalleled in the history OF na'fons
Yet the IL use WAS told by the geu'1ema'
, fn n. South Carolina that it. must back up tn
resolution OF the administration. Il IL que:
! ton Jet a6 to whether We shall be a5le to hOI
Mar3lsld. We bare never been Invited 4
, tnter Mary lsDd, and G do no: know how #
, | shs Il be received. When our armies entere
+ Kentucky, where We had hecn invited to sc
| We had IL meet kentucktans steel to steel ,aa
| ktee to knee, aud We were driven out By kcu
, tu. k'ans. This lll-tated move lost us Nast
vile, andlcd to series ofother disasters unt
, ttc crest valley Of the mississippi was lost
1t "ss an old saying that whom the God
vonld dcstrcy, they first made mad" TIL
ptep!e 60 mad twice year, when they hay
anything TO 90 mad about. No war OF Inv
scn had ever been successful except 1t va
l FOR The PURPOSE Of coioDlztug the copntr
f vlfch they invaded. If 1he policy WAS cor
tinued We might look for the second d.
| which tried ntn's souls.
Mr. Hodge of Kentucky stated the posit1o
<,fL ff1t7,t @YJ11