Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-12-21
CONGR ESSIONAL.

GIonclusioa Of Nonday's Senate Procesdings.l
Mr. Doolittle said the piratical expedi-
tions by land which might be organized and
carried out, If things were permitted to go
on as they had on the Canadian frontier,
would be disastroust to the lives and proper
| ty of our citizens; but any land expeditions
that could be organized were as nothing
compared with what might be the result
should the rebels be able to gethold ofvessels
on the basins around Lake Huron, put men
on board of them, and all the enginery of
war, to destroy our cities on the lakes. 1t
would enable them to lay the city OF Chi
cago in ashes, and the city of Milwaukee
and other cities. There was no way in
which we could prevent their passage
through the straits of Mackinaw. There
fore the Senate ought to put it in the power
of the President to build floating batteries
| to defend the straits OF Mackinaw and the
commerce of the lakes.
Mr.. Dooltte continued: hope for one
that the Canadian Government and authori-
ties are interested in the determination to
prevent in future any further hostile or
piratical incursons from these provinces
into the United States; but if they do not
prevent them we all know what the conse-
quence will be-war. God grant it may be
averted. hope and trust it may. l will
ldUOI ullu uO III pOWCI.
with the honor and integrity of the coun-
try, to prevent it and to preserve the
peace of the Government and to
save civilization and the world from
the great shock which must follow war be-
tween 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 question when
it does come, by perfect free trade between
the United States and Canada, and put an
end to the Jurisdiction of Great Britain in .
any of her provinces of North America. L
desire no war; on the contrary, would do
all that reasonably can be done to prevent
it. | believe it can be prevented; but the
wisest way to prevent it is to be prepared
for any contingency that may arise. hope
the resolution will be referred to the COM
mittee on Foreign Relations.
Mr.. Sumner-The question before the
Senate is simply in reference to the bill. 1t
is question of the order of business
Looking at its character, it Is plain that it
concerns primarily and essentially foreign
relations. 1t is this circumstance that
gives it a peculiar interest. If it concerned
merely an additional levy of troops, or the
building of new 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. Albans. assume then, that it relates
to our foreign relations, and therefore, ac-
cording to usage, it should be referred to
the committee having charge of that sub
ject. This Is all have to say on the sub
ject of reference; but the Senate will par
don me If glance for one moment at the
outrage to which the Senator referred. Only
a few weeks ago the village of st. Albans,
in Vermont, was disturbed by band of
murderers, high-famed house breakers,
horse thieves and robbers coming from
Canada. After breaking open the banks
and obtaining a certain amount of spoil by
the murder of citizen, 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 Government
were moved to their enterprise merely by
considerations of plunder? that they risked
everything merely to rob bank or steal
horse? No such thing. Their object was
much higher and more far-reaching. In
one word, it was to embroil the Government
of the United States with the Government
of Great Britain. cannot doubt that this
was their object, to my mind as plain as
day. These agents, or rather the men be-
hind them, who set them on, knew the
sensitiveness of our people and how
naturally they would be aroused
against the foreign country in which the
enterprise had its origin. They saw ex-
citement, anger and passion on our part,
were inevitable; that out of these some
complication or collision might ensue; that
any such complication or collision must
necessarily help the rebellion more than
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 this country. 1t was
hoped that in this way the rebellion would
gain that powerful British Intervention
which would help to restore its fallen for
tunes. For myself, sir, / 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
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 foreshadowed In the &