, 1863-02-06
G5ifo9o Uribn'1c.
SHALL Black nlaa be Allowed TO
Fight The Rebels?
Esctssst a.its Of :Rson. W. IReE&ee
ISMMM, OF Indiana.

WASHINGTON, jnn. ~, 1863.
The Question bef''rc tic Hul,s: of Repre-
scutstiscs was the bill to authorize the presi-
Diet to enlist :;G0 regiments of contrablnds.
and officer them with white men, to aid the
Government III putting down the rebellion.
Cox Of Ohio {Copperhead), aud Wickli11 Of
Kentucky (seccssionist), spoke against the
hill. Mr.. Dunn (conscryatiyc) of indiana
look the door, and said:
-Nr. speaker: AN very glad that the gen
II. MIN from Kentucky Mr. Kicklille] has
had full freedom Of lc!Iatcu;,on this OCCASION.
Ilc seems TO b. lingering relic Of thl1 dy-
nasty which for so long period tyraullzcd
over ills country.
The gentleman ascribcs to me a sentiment
which ncvcr entertained, and ncrcr express
cd--that Ind abandoned my faith in the
ability Of the white men Of the North ia
crush out this rebellion.
When tli, rebellion broke out there wae no
man in this Uouse more aycrsc than WAS to
The employment Of negroes in this war. I
thought there MAS loyal sentiment in the
hearts Of tie viii people at the South which
uoull develop itself during the rr;'gress o1
this war, aud make i self efficient III sustain
Ing the power Of this Government in every
State of the Union. In this have been dis
Hl'I'3HfcH rs ~ tlc "uilt !lt!l' DftL Htfc
Madcanrtle7 discovery. | tind tia: there is
i'll all tilnsc Ecbrllious States Il large pupula-
| tion wbicl., although their skius may be dark.
yet lave hearts III sympathy With my Govern
Inent in this struggle. And if they are :sil
ling to bsase the pcri1s of WAT III defense Of
the nation, IL they are willing to risk their
lives in t1is war in which they have 50 deep
.n interest, see no rca:or, why thcy Should
moi take part with us in carrying 1t on
The gentleman puts IL cast, and wish 10
call Iii: attention Of The House to it. Thu
gentleman sa;d tha' if a black captain should
he taken Prisoner Ncwopld wish to exchange
him ter white rebel captain; and lie spcaks
| as if thai would b. IL great Outrage upon the
; rights Of the white population. Sir, be-
!lete that 4 black Mtn, private or officer, who
fights for n,y country, Is better than :, traitor
: to my country, though the traitors Angle.
! Saxon tkih nlay tc SO white aud 50 thin That
Z; YOU n"y See through it the veins Of III. face.
s,e 10 rc;!s9n WY W may not place Tie
HEAR who fights for the country, not only
i nEon the sa1uc platform, and claim for him i
/; position as the equal, but rs the superior c1
! tLc Han ,Slln ngl:ts against my country.
| would suppose, from the remarks Of til.
! gentleman froln Kentucky, that hr would
/ deem j, an especial misfortune ifa rcbcI
slould be shot by IL black man :houl,
| we're lighting III this war, he would r.,.hcl
) that liz should be shot down .y !; white trai
! tor than far his life to be saycd BIZ Il black
man. Now, Mr.. Speaker, lllrca SON ;u tlii.
war; he is fighting on the right eide, sir, and
! would rather tll,t his life should be save.
!; by a true and loyal black man than that lie
should 20 down 10 tile grave beneath thu
stroke Of a white traitor.
/ The gentleman, az l understood lin, pro
posed 10 Introduce a resolution to in1llirt
into the conduct If Gen. Butler Mt New
Orleans. hope when lie does that lc will
! rx.&aAt T.,
! General ]uclson nt New Orleans. Did he moi
lead black iatn there, and did he moi, by ti,ci,
assistance, vii, victory which l.as made Iii:
nan:c immortal, anu did he not thank them
| III his public orders for their excellent con
| duct OIL that occasion? Sir, when yt'u attack
! the conduct Of (icn. Butler as to or5aniz:n:
and armiug negro troors, YOU must go bach
and attack also tile memory Of the hero O
tie tattle Of New Orleans Of 1914.
3fR. WiCKLIFIE-Nill the gentleman allow
! me to Say i word?
Nix. DtNS:-No, sir, 1decIinc to yield.
understand that Gen jackson anu his whit
! volunteers it arms fought side by side at til,
hattie of New Orleans with black men, not il
tn same companies, I'cslals. but on tlv SAM
! t!elh And, -ir, We knew tl1n' Commo1ora
Ferry Won tbs most brilliant victory on LAX,
Eric by thu hclp of black sailors. We know
too, tll:t in the revolutionary war black lnei
were used also 10 light on our side, and tha
eide wien they cvnid be induced to cspous
tic raEsc Of our enemies. We lave the tee
Mory Of Commodore Stringllam Us to til
value Of black men in the naval service, an
his judgment that it is proper to e1nrlo
| them in such service. iou will rccuilec
; Pennsylvania {Afr. Stevens, As to The test
mony Of Capt. Wo.dhu!l in respect to til
! black men under his command, comn.andin!
them for lie spirit with which they handle
thc guns, aud t,r the bravery and .;alaatr
wticll they displayed in hattie. W. know
too, HAT the rebels use this class of person
IN every way Tor accomplishing their pi1rposs
in this rebellion; nnd when they ran,.ut u}
tain their services voluntarily they force then
as they did nj Yorktown, to take a front p!ac
Un the r,r.itar;s.
Now. sir, hare smother object In the .eu
ployncnt of there lutn, anil am Willing her
10 :yow it. II is this: wc have not "nsy
conquer this rsbcl country, hut we have
hold il after II Is conquered. We have fur
tine to hold it by force Of arms; and til
question ARISES whether VIC shall send our mic
, Of the North there I" perish in Soutl,rS
swamps und sickIy localities, or whether n
! f11ull make usc If that population whicl
, frcm their peculiar physical adaptation, c.,
a. brave the malaria OF that climate like :.lliy
turs? Ifthey arr ignorant Of the nse uf arm
instruct 1helii i'll tllat nsr. Teach their '''lant
: tn war, and their fingers to fight" Are thu
; Owl, liberty? Shall We receive tfIcm and ed1
cate them to arms for this ispNrposc, orslall VI
send our own hons there:
But the gentleman says that the emplo
. ll,ent Of these people viii turn this iato
barharons war. Why, sir, is it possible III
G7t' the llG,1anizinS civiiixiuG, cllristia'lf
il;;; influence of slavery, arc still such bari,
rialls that we cannot saftly put arlus III the
= hands tlaughter} without tic commission !
- fhcln Ut barhsFuns ottrngcs upon their brn
fcent 1Anstcr-: Wat has ,ceomc Of Il
christianizing influence Of slavery:
!. No. sir; put arms in the halld> Of the
men, and let them, il they will, shoe: dow
the rebels, who would shoot down our br
Tiers, our sons, md our friends. II you {
not choose to have your son aided by sill
1ncans, do choose - have mine. Ny ss
understand, black men, forced perhaps
It their masters to take up arms against t.
eaus.' they lore, fought in the ranks Of o
/ enemies. Gentlemen rise here aud denOun
= lis bccuuse We propose to secure every 1nea
u wccan to bring this var TO IL successful Il
mina,ion. Whnt II white men can put doS
this rebellion. Shall We not spare this p
9 cious white blood if ne can find black mca
n I the Eunth Who have two-lol1 indncemcnt
take part III this contest: Do you hold t
+, white nan Of the North ut Il lower price III
= The market value ef your slaves? Til,
: blood. the blood Of our soldiers nov in I
- field. il dear to our hearts. Il is above prit
We cannot estimate its value by Ill the tn
sures Of earth.
) Now, sir, shall We hesitate in this matte
We do not hesitate to 1lre into the f,rts
the Suuth. We do not hesitate to drstr
F. their ships, and all of their property VII;
y may be used against u, in this war. We
:. not hesitate to strikv down white ncn
+ :tnls aE;iin@t Us. But VIC must protect sl'
property, a% It Is more precious than t
A.. r. / blood Of ou7 Kindred and friends. IL Il
~ II. properly, as it il called. to be held as 1nt
prccions tla:n the hloud which COURSES in t
CO veins Of the noble SOUS of the North.
- The gentleman said-and it is statelnt
frequently made by hina-tbat the mon
which should have been paid ta our so1lie
OF expended for their benefit. hns been {
p1nycd In feeding and clothing idle and /:
tc contra'ands. tried at The time to corr
him. II is l''lt :. few dnys since that Gcne
Mcigs. The Cua1ternastcr General, told
- that such w:;s not the case. He authori
= le to say so. Negroes are employed
ttanleters and otherwise, sud f.
- their pay the Government dedu,
{. part which goes TO SUPPORT Ill
" in tic contraband camps. lie told n,e Il
that they want morr negro laborsrs than +
can get herr. The navy wants them. j
-, navy las applied to him for them TO serve
Ell our ships of: war and olher vessels ~ ste
st t'orcs, ard for other service, bu: he can
=" furnish them.
- The gentleman said that the rebels had 5
IS. the negro prisoners taken doNn South
NJ. lain]y they have. But these negroes, s
c!E osc, in his estimation. are not men? 7
III sen ire not human beings. They have not
rights Of humanity: When the blacks espc