Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1863-03-04
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GEa Il. PEiDtEIuH, Or OHIO
4& ON THE
.EAE apYakrAY nE MEa an cssa nara
or NEGRO SOL DER.

ENLISTMENT OF NEGRO SOLDIERS
vi IN THR
r hsaas u Rssrsssmsassvss, xaR, 81. iss'
s The House having under consideratio
bill No. ST5, 10 raise additional soldier
foF the service Of the GsssFnmsnt--.
Mr. PgspLSTos. MF, Speaker, sh
original bill, and tha various Substitute
. for 1t, and all the amendments axcepi
indeed, the amendments offered By fh
CENT lsnan from New Regk, mr. Divea,
the gentlemaa from ,Kensaeky, EMF
WiakIife.l and the gantlemaa from Indi
ANA, dr. Portsr,l however much the
raay differ in phraseology or detail, agrel
IA thiss stat they propose TO raise, organ
ixes and arm body Of negroes, to be re,
ceiyed into the military service of shs
United States. Most of them, I belieY,
all of them, permit, II they do nos enjoin
and esFkaialy contemplate, that this bedy
Of men shall be constituted ~ veil al
slaves as Of free negroes of the Slaves
OF loyal as well a. OF disloyal master
and that recruiting stations for the en-.
hstaaens Of these negroes shall be opened
ia the slave holding IS well as in the non.
slaveaolding States. They all contem-
plasa that manamission will be granted
to she slave after he shall have enlisted.
Some OF them provide that compensation
shall be made 70 the master who shall
have remained loyal. 2..5
Nov, sir, of all the bills and substi-
sases prefer the original bill, introduced
| by the chairman Of the Committee OF
Ways and Means, [sir. Stevens.l Ii is
cAaRacserissic Of him. Il is plain, direct,
aud bold. IL expresses plainly the mean.
nag Of it's author. 1t provides, in so
many words, for the enlistment Of slaves,
and the establishment Of recruiting de-
pots anywhere IN aay of the States. 1t
promises freedom 70 all whs shall enlist,
and compensation 70 masters who may be
entitled to it. II is nos only characters
tic Of the gentleman in this, that II is
frank and straightforward 1t is also
Characteristic OF him ia another respect,
10 which he himself alluded the other
day shss be is the foEerunner of his
pazty-thAs be is always m advance of
bis party friends, but thaa he finds they
sooa eome up 10 the positions which he
takes. .@
These bills have been presented and
urged on the House from various con-
sideEatioDs. They are urged as militia
ry necessity. We are told that the ext
| gencies Of the coRntry now require their
| adoption We are told shat there is a
great body of loyal men who only wait
| to be asked to enter the service Of the
United States. Sir, beg leave to doubt
| the proposition. have no evidence of
| its truth. do not believe thai it is true.
The experience of the country shows that
it is not, The experience of the Govern
| ment in its experiment at Hilton Head,
shows that these men have no desire to
enlist In the military service see by q
statement in the papers to-day, that the
| hrst negro regiment Of Kansas was sworn
into service on the l2Ih day Of this,
month, and that already half of them
have deserted. They we're offered free
dom. They we're offered full pay. They
were offered full bounty. Everything
was done to agitate-to use the phrase
slogy Of the member from Illinois, Mr..
Lovejoy-"shis great ocean of loyal
hearts" But We find that the storm last
ed only until they were enlisted and Or
ganized, and received the advance pay
mens of their bounty then suddenly ii
subsided and with each refuens wave, q
company of these loyal war-loving ne
| groes vanished from the ranks.
| Mr. CONWAY. Mr.. SPEAKER
Mr. pkSDLEToN. If I have misstated
the fact, will be glad TO be corrected
otherwise, prefer not TO be interrupted.
Mr.. CoSWAY. do not propose 70 con-
tradict the gentleman's statement, as
cannot do SO; merely desired 10 ex-
plain tue facts.
Mr., PESDLKToS. That explanation
may very well be made afterwards. The
gentleman will not consider it discourte-
sy, for have no sRtention to be discour-
teous, If decline to yield. He will ex-
case me for the present.
I Nor is it entirely certain that the exi-
| gencies Of the country require a resort OF
this kind. A coatrary opinion has been
very graVely expressed. A contrary
opinion has been very gravsiy expressed.
During this Session, not longer ago than
the early part of December, the gentle
man from Vermont Mr.. Morrill, offered
q resolution in these words:
sf fRssosCed, That at 40 time since the
commencement Of tbs existing rebellion
have the forces and materials in tbs
hands Of the executive department Of she
Government been SO ample aud abun-
dant for she speedy and triumphant term
iaasion Of the war ss ~ the prsssas mo-
msnt." s7s ar a4., i gaGtep& +
For this resolution every leading msnbsl
4 of that party Who was present--and noHf
more eagerly and with more emphasis
than those VITO now most 2eaioniy press
this bill. Have circumstances 90 great
Il ly aud 50 speedily diminished; ez has the
desire to pass this. bill made genslemer
change their opiaiong Perhaps migh'
end 40 answer in sba speech made yestsr.
day by the gentleman from New York
Mr.. Sedgwick, gs f.ys..-.s .sF Al
4 / pass now, Nh. Speaker, 10 another
branch OF this subject. Geatlemsu who
have urged the adoption, OF thsse bills
because the military necessities of ths
eoantry requirs IL, unless am greatly
mistaken, have failed 70 tell "a how the1
sIpropose to organize this body Of negro
troops, Do they propose 70 eonstitas.
them separate and indspeadent aE.
my, WHICH shall opeEsse independently 0i
| al other coEps 10 any department Of sh'
country? oaa hardly think thai tbs
!. would consider thas sitheg practicable O
wise. Do, they intend 10 organise thsu
In divisions "a hsigadesI or regiments %
4 SS.a