, 1862-01-06
Shall The War be for Union and Free
dom, or Union and Slavery?

GAaA a1C " aI Ut lVE u10M IM4 E1tt~
dom, or Union and Slavery?
SPEECH OF THE HON. MARTIN r,
CONWAY, OF KANSAS.
Delivered in the House of Representa- /
tives, Thursday. Dee. II, 1851.
--Mr. SPEAKER: It is source Of much regret |
TO the country that the var should not be con- /
dtlcttd with more effect than mas 20 far char
actcrizcd it. While few feel authorized to
question tue further delay Of effective. opera
tions, or deny its necessity, all arc profoundly
dissatisfied with the fact itself. The VAT has
already been protracted beyond tile limit
which the public mind, at the outset, fixed for
its termination, assuming gigantic proper
tIons, and involving expense Of LIE and treas
nTe not apprebended wien the struggle began
The original object Of the country was to
put down rebellion, not to inangurate reg
ular war. The authority to make war being
not with the President, but with Congress, it
was in recognition Of his right to suppress In
surNetlon merely that the volunteer so1diery
Of the country responded to his call, when the
Government was menaced with destruction
The intention OF Congress, in voting such eG-
tfaordlnary supplies OF men and money, Has
the EaIne.
The spirit Of the lancnted Gen. Lyon, man-
Tested in the vigorous and summary manner
in which be snbdued the easlieT Secession
movements in Missouri, was that in which the
; whole nation impaticntlr sympathized 1t
! wanted the authority Of the Government ex-
t erted With decision and effect, SO that rebell-
/ ion should be crushed in the shell, and not
permitted to hatch into revolution. But the
course Of the Government has not CORES
! ponded with the ardor ofthc people. The con-
| hlet has now been progressing nine months,
| and las changed its character from an attempt
| to destroy an insurrrection into deliberate
| and settled war
| Up to the present time VIC have not eucoun-
| tered the enemy in q single engagement Of I'M
| portanee in which nc have won an t1nques-
| tionable victory. At Bethel, ut Manassas at
| Springfield, at Leesburg, and at Belmont, re
have been defeated. Saving two expeditions
| to our Southern coast, the Federal arms have
been eEerywhere oyerborne, withstaudinsg
our volunteers have displayed 5allantry
rarely equa11ed even BY veteran troops.
This fruitless campaign has resulted in de-
feating the original purpose Of the country;
and the rebels have secured, under the recog-
milton Of nations, Z be]ligerent character, in
Federal Union.
The character thus confirmed to the rebel
lions States gives them position they could
not hold under the Federal Constitution. In
point Of fact, It confers upon them = recog~
nized status among nations to raaks a1a1 upon
that Constitution. Why, then, does it not also
eroa.erate Tie Federal Government from any obi
gdtio1 to item dependent upon that insts7fnzent.
How can they have rights under the Consti-
tuition the Government is bound to respect,
while they are enjoying the rights Of belliger.
ezts arising from incompatible relations? It
is impossible to appreciate the logic requiring
us to treat them as sister States, respecting
rights as such, while they art warning upon
; us as foreign enemy. 1t certainly would DC
| more Just as well rs correct to claim them as
! rebel States, with such a be]ligerent character
; US releases us from any obligation to respect
! tleir Federal status.
In fact and principle, their character rs bel
ligcrents fixes their stdtus, and not our com
mon Constitution. Its authority is as regard;
, them suspended. No United States office
has exercised his functions in any OF thost
> Statcs for nine months. During this periot
| We have been powerless there TO give protec
tion in any shape 10 life and property. Throusi
IN organization styled the Confederate Stare
Government" a military power has exhibited
: itself, which embodying the force Of that sec
> | tion, exercises civil administration, and dis
: | putcs our sway The following from Vattcli i
precisely to the point:
> "When nation becomes diriled into two pal
: tics, absolutely independent and no longe
acknowledging common superior, the State.
dissolved, and the war between the two partie
stands upoa the same ground, ia every respect: a
, 3 pnblic war between two different nations -
= Hcok il, Chop. 1ria.,t. asss.
This is in reality tho principle now govern
c ing the case, whatever may appear to the con
i trary. We have established d blockade Of til
: Southern coast as against public enemy ni
c der international Law. We lave been mcetin
n the Confederate authorities for months, an
r holding relations with them through the mt
: diuM Of u Gats Of truce-a symbol authorize
d only by public law. We hold i'll our hand
! hundreds Of their prisoners, including som
d OF their most eminent men, whom VIC do no
;. appear to intend to trT for treason, but whol
; We design to exchange for our own friend
! held Us prisoners Of war by them. We has
e arrested their Ambassadors, under the Brltls
c Hag on the high sea, for which We have 4
s Justification except on the assumstlon th:
J, uized rs euch by tue law OF nations.
The action of our government in all thet
I matters is necessarily based on the theory th
II The Confederate Strtcs $50 casled) are beyol
c, the jurisdiction Of the Union, holding mi
ID die ground, subject to the issue Of the pen
As ing conflict. I do not see that there is ~
possibility Of getting away from this eoncl
! sion.
IL - Tie werk Of the Government, at its prese
stage, is not, therefore, suppression Of 1nsu
er of rebellious power. Its success does II
u signify the execution Of The terms Of IN ext
W inc government in the seeded States--ren
as ting them to their original status in the Unio
u, but implies their snhngatlon to the soyerela
re ty Of the United States, to be held rs Terrll
=, rlce, or military dependencies, or States,
eo anything else VIC plcase- This is clearly t
w present attitude Of the case.
~ ~. PRo-s1AvERT POLICY OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE
IT, Now the evil Of our system is the insti
r., tion Of Slavery. Conflicting with the rigl
ia Of human nature, it is required to grasp, nj
ng opoliZe, and exercise power despatica1lg,
nd order to perpetuate its own existence. 1t !
in been to us prolific source Of nntional d
he 1ster. It is tlc sustaining cause, the obj
3m and chief resource of this rebellion; at
Iks eame time that it is the point at which
me most fatal blow mar be inflicted upon 1t.
| In 0he1if1rt, nF C1runrv 10 ne 1ntlEypr
"eontraband proposition" 1t has been 6
,rt; vated by events into q measure Of wide sprt
OF public Importance, demanding the frvora
fly consideration of statesmen. 1t is no Ion!
5ht the shibboletll of a sect or party, but
5nc overruling necessity Of q nation. To ret
the Slavery, under existing circumstances, in I
to body polite, would, in my Judgment, evi
in the very worst kind Of folly or Wickednt
;Wo TO eliminate it forever should be the un
:es- Ytring determination of the Government.
Get. Nevertheless, tile Administration refuses
ON heed such counsel, and persists il regard
H. the insistitution as shielded by such c
3 to stltutionaI sanction rs it is not ut nbcrt,
irst infract.
the The President, IN his recent message
Of Congress, refers only Incidentally to the {
rill, iect, and indicates no policy whatever
ssi- dealing with the monientous question
pia- 1.-THE speaker here proceeds to review
ra,s ,,n, various orders of the Administration to
,ou- Generals in the field, and pro-slaserJ inst
ron, tions to our Ministers ahroad.1
icW cannot see that the policy OF tho Adj
em, istration, as thus cxempIi1ed, tends, IN
slie smallest degree, to an anttsIgyery result
;ios principle governing it is, TINT the CONSTITUTE
= =. Union, aE it existed prior to the rebellion
lAs ll! mains tntact; that the locn1 laws, nsages
la'e ' institutions Of the eeeeded States, are t.
lsce I'VE ecdulously respected, unless necessity
sup military operations should otherwise dem
tack There is not, however, the most distant
.nation Of giving actual freedom to the
In any event. ~...
10 1t is settled that the status Of slave u:
our system Is fixed By law, or usage, amo
ing to law; and until this Is changed by
from retAnt authority, it adheres, no matter '
jeet, change OF circumstances may occur in Q
thus respects, to the slave. Should the rebe
de- be suppressed tomorrow, the master
The those slaves coming within our lines,
lmis- l,e1ping ns, would have q claim to their r
n as tion, under the fugitive SLAVE law OF the
pnr- law.
Alto While, therefore, the order Of the Trea
y be Department for paying these persons to'
sure vices rendered, and the Feeomnaendatl&
the Nary Department that they be perm
! and 10 trayGLoH, nre good SIS far as they 60,
d the 90 not Effect the vital question st issue.
soon The Secretary Of War suggests s
good | thing nearer TO the point, in saying tin
h has Government ought to confer freedom {
.dicn J s1aYe6 who shall in any military exigency
nc ar der it service.
amp. But nothing which may be said or done