Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1865-02-17
The Negro Question m Congress.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE, eoD. III, 1OOO.
Mr.. Barksdale, of Miss, introduced the following
bill:
The Congress of tho Confederate States o,sAnasr-
lea do enact, That in order to provide additional
forces to repel invasion, maintain the rightful pos
session of the Confederate States secure their in
dependence and preserve their institutions, the
President be- and he is hereby authorized to ask and
accept from the owners of slaves the services of
such number of able-bodied negro men, as he may
deem expedient during the war, to perform military
service in whatever capacity the Generalin' Chief
may direct
SEC. 2. That the President be authorized to or
ganiEe the said slaves into companies, battalions
regiments and brgades under such rules and reg
ulations as the Secretary of War may prescribe,
and to be commanded by such officers as the Presi-
dent may appoint.
SECS. That while employed in the service the
said slaves shall receive the same rations, clothing
and compensation as allowed in the act APPROX
ed February II, 1854, and the acts amendatory
thereto, "to increase the efficiency of the army by
the employment of free negroes and slaves in GER
tain capacities, and the compensation allowed shall
be made to the owner or to the slave as the owner
may direct.
SEC. 4. That nothing in this act shall be constru-
ed to authorize change in the relation which the
said slaves shall bear towards their owners as prop
erty, except by consent of the States in which
| they may reside, and in pursuance of the laws
| thereon. -- =
Mr.. Miles, of s. O., objected to the second read.
| ing of the bill; whereupon
The Speaker announced the question to be, shall
! the bill be rejectedP
| Mr.. Hartridge, of Ga, called for the yeas and
nays which being ordered, the vote stood as fol-
| lows:
YEAs-Messrs. Baldwin, Branch, Cruikshank,
Dardsn, DeJarnette, Fuller, Garland Gholson, Gil.
mer, Lamkin, j. r. Leach j. N. Leach, MeMnllen,
Miles, Miller, Ramsay, Sexton, Smith of Alabama,
Smith of N. c., Wickham, WitherspOon, Mr.. Spea-
ker-22
| .NAYs-Messrs. Aiken, Anderson, Barksdale, Bat
son, Bell, BlandfOrd Boyce, Bradley, Il. W. Bruce,
| Carol, Chambers, Chiffon, Clark, Clopton, Clus-
key, Conrad, CODrOw, Dickinson, Dupre, Ewing,
Farrow, Foster, Funston, Gather, Goode, Gray,
Hartridge Hatcher, Hilton, Holden, Holiday,
Johnston, Keeble, Lyon Machen, Marshall, Menees,
Moore, Orr, Perkins, Pugh, Read, Rogers, Russell,
Simpson, j. NJ Smith, W. E. Smith, Snead, Swan,
Triplett, Where, Welsh-53.
So the House refused to reject the bill.
Mr.. Barksdale moved that the bill be referred 70
q select committee of one from each State. After
what had been said by the Chairman of the Military
Committee (Mr. Miles, it was evident that he had
| prejudged the question. All he (Ar. b. desired
was fair investigation of the bill, and such re-
port as its merits and the demands of the country
absolutely required. He did not desire to enter
upon its discussion now, but would say that he had
introduced the bill under a solemn conviction of
duty to his country 1t raised irritating issues.
1t provided simply that the President should accept
the services of slaves, to be used as the General
in Chief, Gen. Lee, might direct, in order to save
our cause Nor does he propose to interfere with
the relation of master and slave. That question
was left by the bill where it properly belongs-to
the owners of slaves by the consent Of the States
and in pursuance of the laws thereof. Are gentle
men unwilling to let the people have the privi-
Tege of contributing their slaves freewill offer
ing to aid in repellpg the savage foe, who is the
common enemy Of both racesP The bill provides
| nothing more.
Mr.. Wickham, of Va, moved to postpone the
matter indefinitely. He hoped if that be not the
pleasure of the House, that the bill would be re-
ferred to the Military COMMITTEE. He preferred,
| however, that his motion should prevail, so that
the question of putting slaves in the army q foot
ing with a white men, might at once be settled in
his opinion, neither the people nor the army would
submit to so monstrous a proceeding, and the day
the order goes forth from the War Department,
carrying into execution the provisions of the bill Of
the gentleman from Mississippi, sounds the death
knell of the Confederacy.
Mr. j. T. Leach, Gin his seat) "That's So"
Mr. Wickham's motion was lost.
Mr. Rogers, of Fla, moved to refer the bill to
the Military Committee Lost
The motion of Mr.. Barksdale to refer it to a &C.
lect committee, was agreed to.
In the Senate, on the same day, Mr.. Oldham, Of
Texas introduced bill on the subject very similar
to the above.
Mr. Graham said he was opposed to the policy Of
arming the slaves, and desired to test the sense
the Senate on the vote to refer but the bill was
referred without any test vote, so far as we car
learn from the Richmond papers.