Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-04-07
CONGRESSIONAL.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SENATE
Extracts from Our Daily Reports.

MT POWELL moved TO take up the following resolu
ton, offered by him some days ago:
Resored That the Secretary Of War be directed TO trsns
NIT 10 the Senate all orders have been issued from hi
department or by generals Of the army United States
or Dedicated q the woho
do OF houses property belonging any home foreign
Christians the sssIsf
Senate now prop srty and what
Of said orders and where the same is sused and to
longed - A - = -
After opposition the Senate agreed to take IN the
resolution provided no debate took place upon it,
MT CONNESS then moved to lay the resolution on the
table, which was carried by the following vote: ~
fEAsnMsssrs Anthony, Clark, Colamer, Conness, Dix
Harlan, Harris Howard Howe Lane Of Indiana Lane 81
Kansas, Morgan, Morrill, Ramsey Sherman Sprague Sum
NAYS-Messrs Buckalew Carlle Covau. Davis John.
sSn pomsr"y Powell Riddle. salisbury Van Wrinkle and
ABOLITION OF SLAVERY
The Senate resumed the consideration of the proposed
amendment OF the Constitution TO abolish slavery
MT; JOHNSON, OF Maryland, addressed the Senate at
considerable length in favor of the proposed amendment
He said that the passage of this MEASURE which
TO emanclPate four millions Of s&ves ut once and Who
because OF the bondage in which they have been kept
IN state OF absolute gnorance would be event of
which the worlds history furnishes parallel Whether
tho present effort il it succeeds will be attended by veal
or woe, only the future decide. That it will not be
followed either by uumixed good unmxed evil is per-
haps almost certain.
The only question for statesmen to consider was whe-
tner the easure OF emancipation right independent
OF It's consequences if those consequences such as to
render 1t expedient at this time There was period in
our history when there but one opinion about the
question of right The who fought through the Re-
voluton and recommended the adoption by the American
people, Of our thought that slavery was not
only az ev but evil of the character which it
was the duty OF all Christian people to remove The his
tory OF these times would bear him out in the assertion
that the by whom the Constitution was framed and
w adj ntaH had anita
present troubles they would have provided constitutional
enactment at unremoe period revoke the clause
Pei tting slavery Almost every of reflection at
that time was satisfied that later the country
would be- involved in trouble on account of it, and thew
looked with dence to the time when it should be era
dcsted TIE provisions in the Constitution protecting
slavery were adopted upon political and material
ard not upon grounds of morality or religion and because
they believed it would be difficult to have Union at all
without slavery Whether they right wrong it
impossible to say If they had voted 10 adopt our
Constitution without the recognition Of slavery no one
now spectator OF the around would regret it
lie entertained the opinion of slavery now that he
mad from the time that he first studied the subject Of hui
man rights In advocating this he was not de-
parting from his earlier CONVICTIONS and would appeal to
the Constitution itself in justification of the vote he should
give for the measure
Mr. JOHNSON said for himself that the opinion he now
held IN regard to slavery he had entertained ever since he
was capableof forming judgment Of what he saw even
in his own State But in the situation which he had
stood heretofore and in the situation which be stood now
legations, without reference to his views of morality and
private judgment He had always recognised the bind
ing authority of the Constitution and the course which
ne was now to take he should also rely upon that nstu
ment itself His honorable fiiend from New Hampshire
Mr CLARK had thought proper to charge that whatever
injury had inflicted the Government in the past it was at
tributaoie to this institution However that was, and
however those sfctions might have been avoided il
different policy had been pursued in time he was
satisfied that later the present conden of
things would have been inevitable. If there be justice in
~ At Eka~Sx,
that He will abandon men and suffer their fate TO be
workt d out without His INTERCHANGEABLE never could
that the day would come when human slavery would
be ended by convusve effort, by that higher and
elevated morality which Christianity teaches He con.
CURED with the authoro the Constitution that in con-
test between the bondmsn aud his mater the God of
Justice weud take part with the latter His opinion
OF the int tuition not for the time announced
In l857 when Mr. Calhoun here that able man. with
all the soPhistry with which he capable endesvored
to satisfy the Senate that Republican freedom and African
slavery could only exist together and proclaimed his sd
herence 10 the Union aud the Constitution because of the
recognition Of hst fact In replying tehat great man.
who 10 all the relations of private life most excellent
gentleman he Mr j. declared to the Senate that be was
one OF the Southern who had departed from the
teachings OF their fathers This when Territorial
bill was here in which it was proposed to incorporate the
Wimot proViso. And Mr. JOHNSON read from his speech
OF that day declaring that slave labor was the dearest
species of labor; that the institution wns one pregnant
with fearful peril and that in his state, il it
not for active agitation and interference outside measures
would have been taken within that period for emancips
ton, &c
Mr. JOHNSON said he should not stop to inquire now
whether slavery the Of the war-bu thing
was certain the country could have peace
again without the extinction Of that institution And pro-
ceedng the positions taken by some Senators on
this subject be contended that there could be no effective
and general emancipation by Presidential procamations or
through legislative eBsctments under the power He
epeed the idea that the Government could treat the peo
pie OF the South as begerens when prosecuting the war;
and heo # successful afterwards change ground and treat
and punish them Dsurgent citizeuslaw breakers He
held ha, there hundreds and thousands OF citizens n
the Souhbut noe SO many bere wound been had
the policy OF conducting the been dlerentwho are
"a much devoted u the Union any member of the Sc
nate but they in the midst of community under
de tdcto Government and have power other than to
support IL. This should be considered in this Senate
The President he said uttered truth moro abso.
luely sound than when said proclamation issued By
himself would have effect in emancpatDg the slaves Of
the enemy than the Popes bull against the comet Slaves
property when they exist aud are as
such by the local law IL the President take the pro-
perry in slaves by proclamation, lie obiteats any
other property in the way il ia Just futile to at
tempt to berae slaves by proclamation where our armies
are not present TO make 10 effective 10 would be futile
b declare by proclamation that s those in arms against
the Government to be considered captured and the
rebellion at an end
And so regard to legislative enactmeuts If the
war should terminate without any constitutional
being made for the abolition of slavery 1t i just as GER
tam that the courts will decide that those slaves who did
,o come within the power of armies are not free az
my thing human b. The President says in effect that
hough he requires to subscribe the sustaining of
us emancipation proclamation he s still willing that the
question involved should be decided udicaly by the courts
which shall have jurisdiction IL 10 the future
Mr.. FESSENDEN asked what would be the gen le-
mans opinion OF the effect Of the proclamation on slaves
q territory which was not in our army lines when the
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