Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-16
Speech Of n Republican ON the Com
script BiIl.


Hos. B F. Thomas. Of Massachusetts,. a con /
servative Republican. one OF the able, members 4
Of The last House. whose term Of service has ex
pred. and whose reelection was defeated last
yea! oy Republicans. in a speech upon the con
scription bin said, among other things:
Mr.. Speaker. this is . terrible bill: terrible in
the powers u cOnfers upon the Executive, terri
BILE in the duty and bunlen il imposes upon the
citizen | meet the suggestion b. one obvious
and cogent, and that j. that the exigency . ter
rible one. and CALI FOE ~ the powers With which
the Government IL invested
Some of the features OF the bill my Judgment
condemns. INTERESTINGLY condemns.
The period Tor which tie service j. required i
unreasonably long. think the enrolment should
not include Judges OF the State Courts OF minis
tiers OF the gospel of peace. or members OF Con
gress OF either branch though the inclusion OF
members Of Congress would be. / think. simply
void. earnestly object. also. 10 the provision oi
the bill for the arrest Of civilians by the military
power. but understand the gentlen Ell upon my
right will consent 10 All amendment which shall
strike that feature from the bill. But excepting
these objections | think the bill Is within the
scope OF the Constitution, and necessary.
do not rest the power of Congress To pass this
bill upon the provisions of the Constitution in
relation to the militia. put il upon the simple
and clear provision which gives to Congress the
power to raise and support armies. AID upon
the absence OF any provision OF the Constitution
which limits or restricts that power. In the ia
ture of things. there can be no limitation The
powers OF Congress, within the scope OF the Con
sttutiOn. a'e supreme. and strike directly 10 the
subject and hold him in its firm. its iron grasp. l
repeat that at an early day | asserted upon this
floor, that there j. not hum beng within the
territory Of the United Stares, black or white,
bond or free whom this Government j. not capa-
BILE Of taking ia its right hand and using for its
military service whenever the defense OF the
country requires and of this Congress alone must
Judge The question of use is question of pol
icy only
Having the power TO raise and support armies
and the exigency existing in which the use OF that
power is necessary, the question arises whether
the powers given TO Congress with respect To the
militia quality and restrain the power 70 raise and
support armies. VERY clearly not, Mr.. Speaker
The militia Is "A branch OF service well under
stood in mother country and our own. To be
called forth 10 execute the laws, suppress insur
rections aud repel invasions" II was not de
signed for permanent service. but to meet special
exigenc'es and for brief periods OF time
But the exgency never before arose when il
was necessary to conscIipt men into army
/ The exigency does not confer new powers but
/ evokes them into service Al this moment the
\ question WHISTLER shall use this power l. not
one of policy, not what is best IL is in effect n
| question TO this nation of life or death We lite
| rally have no choice Gentlemen upon my ri ght
! (the Republican side Of the House, know that it
Is my conviction that All the Wanted panaceas for
our troubles have failei, utterly failed ex
pected them to fail | attempted in vain to sat
! isfy the House that il was leaning upon reeds
shaken b, the wind. NV earnest, repeated sug
gestions were of course unheeded But the re
4 suits are too palpabe To be overlooked or
mistaken, and reason is slowly reasCendiag
the steps of its throne Pray God il may not
be too late.
The policy inaugurated on the LIST Of Decem.
I Der ls6l has been frutless of good. Ii has
change the ostcusible IL not the real issue of the
kwar. The policy and the want OF persistent
visor in our military couusels render any further
i reliance upofl voluntary euStments futile The
noStrums have all failed C0niscatiOn, enamel
| patton by Congress. emancipation by the procla-
nation of the President, compensated emancipa
ton, arbitrary arrests, paper made legal tender
negro armies, will not do the mishty work.
| Nothing will save VS. now but victories IN the field
and on the sea; and then the proifer OF the olive
| branch with the most liberal terms of reconcile
alton and reunion We can get armies IN 40 other
way but by measures substantially those in the
| bill before us. unless the Administration will
trace its steps return 10 the way of the COnstltu
ton. for US the strait and narrow way which
| leads unto life At any rate, the paper j.
at an end The people have. for time, been
deluded by it. That delusion exists no longer
If YOU are to suppress the rebellion, all instru-
mentalilies will fail YOU but the power of your
own right arm Mr.. Speaker the measures
and policy heretofore pursued have not been
merely fruitless OF good; they have been fruitful
of evil They have made. or largely contributed
to make. a united South; they have made for
YOU a divided North; they have aenated from
the Administration the confidence and affection
of large portions of the people; they have
paraly wed your arm, and divided your counsels
Gentlemen ilItier themselves this alienation aud
disafecrio are the work of the Democrats; that
the people have been misled and deceived bs
their wiIes Sir, the people OF this country read and
keep their eyes open, and comprehend, and the
plain fact Is you cannot unite them upon the
policy YOU now pursue They do not believe IN
DESTROYING the Union and the Constitution in IN,
hope OF building up better by force of arms You
may unite men the issue of maintaining the
Union and the Government at every price and
i cost, but upon no other.