The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-07-25
SENATOR RlCE'S LATE SPEECH.

The remarks of Senator RICE, in favor of
vigorous prosecution Of the war, even to
the employment of slaves against the rebels
in every way possible to relieve our soldiers
and cripple their enemies, have produced so
profound sensation that our readers will
expect republication from the authentic
columns OF the Congressional Globe. We
copy accordingly:
Mr.. RICE. have only few words to
say on this subject. l have not been pres
sent in the Senate Chamber during the
whole debate, and of course l cannot follow
it throughout, but wish in a few words to
express my own views. 1t has DOW become
a certainty with all reasonable men, with all
men, in short, who have thought upon this
subject at all, that not many days can pass
before the people of the United States north
must decide upon one of two questions we
have either to acknowledge the Southern
Confederacy as a free and independent ma
ton and that speedily, or we have as speed.
lily to resolve to use all the means given US
by the Almighty to prosecute this war to
q successful termination. The necessity
for action has arisen To hesitate is worse
than criminal. We are expanding the mo.
ney of our citizens; we are almost daily los
ing by sickness and otherwise thousands of
lives and at the rate at which that has been
going On for the last few mouths, it will
take but few months longer to reduce our
army so that it will be worthless, and to re-
duce the wealth of the country to such an
extent that our credit will be worthless also.
admit that at one time l was not in ia.
vor of employing the blacks. l did not be.
lieve it was good policy; but had no cons
seientious scruples on the subject. But,
sir, the example was set US long ago and
has been continued for years by Great Brit
ain. She has kept in the Canadas one or
more regiments of blacks for years, upon
our frontier, in sight of the American flag;
and who, north or sought, has ever raised
question as to her right to do so, or as to
the moral effect it had upon the communi.
ty? We all acquiesced in it; no one said
it was wrong; and if it was not wrong for
Great Britain to have regiments of armed
blacks to protect her frontier against US, is
it wrong for US to employ the same means
to put down rebels ? Especially when they
resort to Internal machines, to torpedoes, to
assassinations, to poison, shall we, from any
sickiy motives of delicacy and mistaken ten
dern5ss, hesitate? We have not men
enough on'the Potomac to authorize an ad-
vance, and unless we get them soon we must
cease our exertions to maintain the integri.
ty of the Union. God knows we can EN-
ploy no means worse than the rebels have
employed; but l would not follow their bad
example; | would, however, resort to all the
means that are known to civilized warfare
to suppress this rebellion and punish the
rebels. I would not hesitate for a moment.
| will vote for any measure to that end.
: Senator DAVIS of Kentucky having re-
piled at great length to the foregoing and
other remarks by Senators, Mr.. RICE rejoin-
ed as follows:]
Mr.. RICE. Mr.. President, l deeply re-
greet that should have said anything to
pain the honorable Senator from Kentucky.
Whenever | address the Senate eDdeavOr
to express my sentiments with due regard
to the feelings and principles of others; but
l must be permitted to say that the Senator
has travelled far over this continent to hunt
up precedents to show the barbarities of
the negro. regret that he Gid not confine
his remarks to occurrences nearer home.
Iregret that he did not expend bis eIoquence
in condemnation of the leaders of the south.
ern coniederacy 10 arming Indians and
bringing them into battle at Pea Ridge,
where they not only committed the most
atrocions outrages on the Union troops, but
in their frenzed madness turned upon the
rebels themselves. I regret that be did not
come down to still later period, to the last
battle near Richmond, where the confeder.
ates filled the canteens of the privates with
powder and bad whisky to make them worse
than 6ends. There was field in which the
honorable Senator could have dilated; there
he could have used bis eloguence to an ad
vantage that would have awakened every
loyal m in the NortL, and induced him to
spring forth and seize musket 10 defence
of the Union.
MIR. DAVIS. wiz the honorable Sen.
ator allow me to ask him one question?
Mr. RICE. Certainly.
Mr. DAVIS. If the confederates vio-
late tne uSaSes ana customs OF ciVllZed
warfare, does he therefore want our Govern.
ment and our armies to be guilty of the same
violation?
Mr.. RICE. | will answer that question
III very few words. If stranger to our
present difficulties had been here and listened
to the remarkable speech OF the Senator. be
would have supposed that be was embassa-
dor from the southern conlederacy in their
behalf.
Mr.. DAVIS. Mr.. President
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
Senator from Minnesota is entitled to the
floor.
Mr.. DAVIS. / say to the honorable
Senator there is nothing that l have said
that authorizes him to make any such as
sertiOn.
Mr.. RICE. The Senator has spoken as
though the people of the North were war;
ring upon him and upon bis people.
mir. DAVIS. It is not so, Mr.. President.
Mr.. GRIMES. l call the Senator to
order.
Mr.: DAVIS. Let the gentleman pro.
tect h;mcalf cir.