The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-09-06

r1se Of Interpretation, the sasssge of sfns bia
can conflict wSfs that nstnsDea- The Seq
stor from Illinois, [Mr. BROWNING, Ifos whose
juiicisG orinisns have q ,sry profoazS res
pect, expires sed the opinion, as understood
him, that the emancipation OF the black re
crut ss reward for faithful sevise IN sfpcI
armies Of the country, woWd conflict with
tire constitutional rights Of ms master; that
black men might be employed in the u'iIitsry
service, but that provision should be msfe
for their restoration 10 tfseir masters at the
end of the war. ..,...
Mr.. BROWNING. What said was,
that IN freeing the slave OF . rebel mastet,
whom we received into our. service, that
clothed Us with no power to marrumTt hrs
mother, wife ana children, if they were
the property Of a loyal man. That is what
said. said nothing about an inability to
confer freedom upon the slaves or rebels
whose services we accepted.
Mr.. HARLAN. l did not, think, mrsap.
prchcnd the Senator, but must have been
very unfortunate in my statement of my
comprehension Of his position. | do not,
however agree with the Senator in the propo-
sition which he has just stated, that we are
bound to inquire whether the black recruit
has loyal or disloyal master. II he is
sound, healthy man, capable Of performing
military duty, the Government is under no
obligatious to inquire whether he has or has
not a master, or whether the master
is loyal or rebel Whenever it becomes
necessary for the defense of the Government
you,have a right to coerce the service ofevery
able bodied inhabitant, withnt reference to
color or position in society. As have asked
on this floor before, what better is a negro
than white boy? Your son or mine may
be taken as volunteer or a con.cript before
he is twent-one years Of age, and while h,
owes his parent the whole Of his service.
The Government does not inquire whether
the father is loval or diSloyal; the only ques-
ton pronounced is, is the hoy capable of per-
f.rming the service the Government needs?
II they find him physically and mentally
competent, they enroll him and place him in
the ranks. as apprchend we have right to
do in relation. to black men. Without inquir-
ing whether they are slaves or fIeemen,
whether their masters ale loyal or disloyal;
and if we ascertain that any of them are sla-
YES. and il in our opinion they would become
o, account of such provision, more valuable
as sO,riiers or as laborers, we may offer them
their freedom. and provide also for the. frec-
dom of their families. will not enter into
an examination Of the question whether the
loyal owner may not demand and receive
just compensation for the services Of such
slaves from the Government. An investiga-
ton of that question is not pertinent to the
issue juined. We propose to enlist these
colored men. and put them in the trenches
to dig bitches and to erect Notifications, and
when found necessary, and when the parties
are found competent, to arm them in the
defense OF the country.
They are. then. il we act wisely, to be
taken wherever they can be found, whether
their services are needed, without any in
quiry as to the loyalty or disloyalty Of those
who claim to be their owners No slave
holder can have stronger or higher claim
to the services of his negro slave than have
to the services of my minor son. You dis
regard my claim; you enlist him in the SER
vice without consulting me, and without in
qniry into my loyalty or disloyalty. The
| relation of master and slave is surely no
more sacred than that Of parent and child.
Ifyou may coerce the service If the child,
why not of the slave? But if you have the
constitutional right to do so, has it not be-
come solemn duty, so as to relieve our
white troops, now so much prostrated by
the hard labor and fatigue of camp life, in a
climate to which they have not been accus-
toned? These troops are among our very
best and most patriotic citizens. They are
intelligent men. They know perfectly that
the defamation of their ranks by hard labor
and toll in the bitches was unnecessary
They know that they have endured all this
useless toll on account of the blind infatua.
ton of these commanding generals, in ex-
Guiding from their lines healthy men, accli.
mated. capable of performing all this druid.
gerry and toll, without serious danger to
themselves. 1t tappears to them and to me
as il these generals had higher.'regard for
the welfare of the negroes and their rebel
master than for their own troops and then
loyal families at home This bill and pend
ing amendments are proposed to secure q
change of policy on this subject. l would
be an unfaithful representative Of the brave
volunteers serving in our armies il failed
to give it my earnest support. They need
the assistance Of these contraban ds to pre-.
serve their own healths and to save Their
lives. now imperiled to secure the supremacy
Of the laws. And they demand that We
shall preserve the Union, and let slavery
take care Of itself, If it can. Ifir should
perish during the struggle for nationality, il
the opinion ola large majority Of them i
win be blessing to the country, and tent
to promote the welfare Of the human race.
sE The disastrous affair at Richmond ny