St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-07-10

.ozo.S'77a S 3 P9Aha
HON. GEO: W. JULIAN,
:" %l' ..-.,' ~" @ OF : INDIANA, 4a..,J
1NTHE HOUSE OF FnRPREsENrAT1vEs
Ia q H.: Friday, May asd, 1885, a'ia7E
~ .---@5i s:rj}.:ut y IL
The House having h,i i, under "a, consideration
the bill to condscate The property and free
from serivitude the slaves of rebels->.:.
T. Mr. JULIAN said: :...
Mr.. SPEAKER: Before closing the de-
bate on the measures of confscation and
liberation now before us, I desire to submit
some general observations WHICH I hope
may not be regarded Il irrelevant to these
topics, or wholly unworthy Of considera-
tion. I do not propose to discuss these
particular measures. I deem itwhol1y un-
necessary. I believe everything has been
said, on the one side and on the other,
which can be said, and far more than was
demanded by an honest search after the
truth: Certainly, Ishall notargue, at any
length, the power Of Congress- to ;confs-
F cate the property Of rebels. T take 1t for
granted: I have not allowed myself, for a
single moment, to regard the question as
open to debate, nor do l. believe it would
ever have been seriously controverted, had
| it not been for the infectious influence of
slavery in giving us false views of the con:
stitution of the United States. It was or
dained Ito form more perfect union, es-
tablish justice, insure domestic tranquility
provide for the common defence, promote
I the general welfare, and secure the .bles-
sings Of liberty to ourselves and our pos
terity." l take it for granted that our
fathers meant to confer, and did confer up
on US, by the terms of the Constitution,
the power to execute these grand purposes
and made adequate provision for the ex-
crcise Of that power. I feel entirely safe
in indulging this reasonable: e:intendment in
their favor; and I hand over to other gen.
tlemen on this floor, and in. the other end
Of the Capitol, the ungracious task Of deal
ing with the Constitution as cunningly
devised scheme for permitting insurrec-
tons, conniving at civil war, and render
ing treason to the Government safer than
loyalty. .,
Sir, I have little sympathy for any such
friends of the Union, and I honor the Con-
stitution too much, and regard the memo
ry Of its founders too sacredly, to permit
myself thus to triae with the work Of their
hands. The Constitution is not shield
for the protection of rebels against the
| Government, but sword for smiting them
to the earth, and preserving the nations
life. Every man who has been blessed
with moderate share of cormon sense,
aud who really loves his country, will &C.
cept this as an obvious truth. Congress
has power
'To declare war; to grant letters of marque
and reprisal; to make rules concerning cap
lures on land and water; to raise and support
armies; to provide and maintain navy to
make rules for the government and regulation
| OF the land and naval forces to provide for
calling forth the militia to execute the laws
OF the Union, suppress Instructions and rebel
invasions; and to make all laws which shall be
necessary and proper for carrying into effect the
foregoing poscers."
Here we find ample and express author
ity for any ond every measure which Con.
gress may see fit to employ, consistently
with the law of nations and the usages OF
war, which fully recognize the power OF
con6scation: And yet for long, weary
months we have been arguing, doubling,
hesitatiug, .deprecating.
AS t. what is called slave property, We
have been most .fastidiously careful not to
harm it. We have seen lion in our path
at every step. We have seemed to play
the part of graceless stipendiariestof slave.
holding rebels, seeking, by technical sub:
terfuges and the ingenious arts of pension.
ed attorneys in desperate cases, to shield
their precious interests from all possible
mischief: So long have we been tugging
in the harness Of our southern taskmasterl
that even this horrid conspiracy of rebel
slaye-masters cannot wholly divorce us
from the idea that slavery and the Consti:
tuition are one and inselarable. Sir, while
| honor the present Congress for its grea,
labors and the many good deeds it has per:
formed, i must yet count.it shame and q
reproach that We did not promptly enact
an efficient con6scation bill in Deccmbe,
last, which would have gone hand in hand
with our conquering legions in the worl
Of trampling down the power of this rebel
(lion, and, restoring our bleeding and dis
tracted country to the blessings Of peace
Many thousands of dear lives and many
millions Of money would thus have been
spared; for which poor atonement, in
deed, can be found in the learned consti
tutional arguments against confsoation
which have consumed so much Of the time
ofthe, present session of Congress. "o:i u.
L. Mr.. Speaker, this never ending gabblt
about the sAeredness Of tho Constitution