The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-12-23

engineering Of war. 1t would enable them to
lay the city of Chicago In ashes and the city OF
Milwaukee, and the other cities. There was
no way In which we could prevent their pass
age through the straits of Mackinaw. There.
fore the Senate ought to put 1t In the power Of
the President to build floating batteries to de-
fend the straits of MackinnW and the com
merce of the lakos.
MIR. DoolIttle continued, 81 hope thai
the Canadian authorities are intercs
ted in the determination to prevent, in future
any further hostile, or piratical incursions from
these provinces into the United States, but il
they do not prevent them we all know wha
the consequences will be,-''wAH" Goo
/ grant 1t may be averted. | hope and trust Il
may l will labor and do ali in nv powc,
consistent with the honor and integrity of the
country to prevent it, to preserve the peace O.
tie government and to save the world and civil
lzatlOn from the great spectacle which must
follow war between the United States and
Great Britain, but if the terrible necessity
through their neglect. or smothered hostility
must come, let it come. We will end the ques
ton, when it does come, by perfectly free
trade between the United States and Canada,
and put an end to the jurisdiction of Great Bri
tain in any Of her provinces of North America.
desire no war on the contrary, l would
do all that reasonably can be done to prevent
1t. believe it can be prevented but the wi.
sest way to prevent 1t is to be prepared for
any contingency that may arise l hope this
resolution will be referred to the committee on
| foreign relations"
Mr.. Wright-I trust the Senate will not be
moved by passion into any hasty action on any
OF the measures now before it, but that each
will be considered carefully and calmly on its
| merits according to the custom of this BODY.
| This surely is the dictate of prudence, and I
cannot doubt but that it is the dictate of pat
| riotism too
Mr.. Summertime question before the Senate
is simply in reference to the BILL it is ques-
| ton Of the order of business Now looking at
| its character it is plain that it concerns pri.
mariIy and essentially foreign relations. 1t is
this circumstance that gives to 1t peculiar in
terest. If it concerned merely an additional
levy of troops or the building of forts or change
in our commercial policy, there would have
been little question with regard to it, nor would
the Senator from Wisconsin have accompanied
| its introduction with remarks calling attention
to the outrage on st. Adams.
assume it then that it relates to our foreign
relations, and therefore according to our usuge
| 1t should be referred to the Committee having
charge of that subject. This is all I have to
say on the subject of reference, but the Senate
| will pardon me if glance for 4 mOmen. at the
, outrage to which the Senator referred.
Only few weeks since the village of st. Al
pans, in Vermont was disturbed by band of
murderers, highwaylnen, hOuse-breakers and
After breaking open the banks and obtaining n
certain amount OF specie. and the murder of
! citizens, they succeeded in making their way
to Canada where they declared themselves to
be agents of the rebel government. Such are
! the main facts. Now, Mr.. President, does any
| one suppose that these agents OF the rebel gov
| eminent were moved to their enterprise merely
| by considerations of plumber; that they risked
| everything merely to rob bank, or steal a
| horse? No such thing. Their object was
much higher and more startling In one word,
! it was to embroil the Government of the Unit
| ed States with the government of Great Brit
ain. l cannot doubt that this was their object
| to my mind as plain as day. These agents, or
rather the men behind them who set them on,
| knew the sensitivenes of our people and how
naturally they would be aroused against the
foreign country in which the enterprise had its
origin They saw excitement, anger and pas.
sion on our part were inevitable; that out of
sue; that any such complication or collision
must necessarily help the rebellion more than
a victory on the field of battle All this they
saw and acted accordingly.
The whole proceeding was trap in which
to catch the Government Of the United States
1t was hoped that in this way tho rebellion
would gain that powerful British Intervention,
which would help to restore its fallen fortunes
For myself, sir, l am determined not to be-
| caught in any such trap
There are many things which Great Britain
has done since the outbreak of our rebellion,
which to my mind are most unfriendly; but l
| am unwilling that anything should be done on
our side to furnish any seeming apology for
that foreign intervention which has been so
constantly menaced and which was foreshad-
owed in the most hasty and unjustfable ces-
sion of ocean belgerants to the rebel slave
mongers, who had not a single port or prize
court.
While never ceasing to claim our just rights,
can forget that We are engaged at this mo.
ment in war for the suppression of a long
continued and most virulent rebellion, which
has thus far tasked our best energies To this
work let US now dedicate ourselves without
| arousing another, through whose alliance the
rebellion may be encouraged and strengthened.
Let us put down the rebellion. Do this. and
we shall DO everything.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.
HoUsE-Mr. Davis, of Maryland, offered
resolution reported by him Thursday, and
! has the constitutional right to an authori-
| tative voice in declaring and prescri-
bling the foreign policy of the United States and
| that it is the duty of the Executive Depart
! ment to exercise that voice, &c.
| Mr.. Farnsworth of Illinois, moved to Law 1t
| on the table-disagreed to. nays 70, yeas 49,
| The House adopted the first branch of the reso-
luton as given above.
| The second branch of the resolution was then
read which is as follows, land the propriety
! of any declaration of any foreign policy by
Congress, is sufficiently proved by the vote
which pronounces it and such proposition
while pending and undetermined, is not fit
topic for diplomatic explanation with any for
| eign power" A vote to lay this on the table
was disagreed to by majority of S.. 1t was
then adopted by vote of 60 against IS.
Mr.. Stevens reported from the committee on
Ways and Means a bill substituting the word
February instead of the ffty.fift section of the
Revenue act of 1864, and providing that in ad-
dition to the duty now imposed by law, all
spirits of domestic production held for sale on
January LIST 1865 shall be subject to duty OF
so cts. per gallon.
Messrs. Stevens and Morrill, explained that
while the committee approved of altering the
time. they merely reported the additional whis-
key tax in obedience to the resolution of the
House, but which they desired to be stricken
out -
Mr.. Washbume, of Illinois, briefly appealed
\ to the House to put on the additional tax
Mr.. Morrill, moved to strike out the addition.
oil whiskey tax. This was agreed to, IS against
GO. The bill was then passed with the tax
stricken out and merely changing the time
from February to January.
Mr.. Spaulding, of Ohio, made speech In
support of the views In the Presidents mes