Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-03-29
Report of the Senate Committee on President
..t Davis, Late Messsfse. "

Report of the Senate Committee on President
r. Davis Late Message.
The following is the report Of the Senate Com
mittee on the recent message of President DAVIS
1t was read and adopted in secret session, and the
seal of secresy removed on the 10th instant:
The select committee to whom was referred SO
much of the Presidents message Of the 18th instant
as relates to the action of Congress during the pre-
sent session having duly considered the same, re-
spectfully submit the following report:
The attention of Congress is called by the Presl'
dent to the fact that for carrying OF the war sue
cessfully there is urgent need of men and supplies
for the army.
The measures passed by Congress during the
present session for recruiting the army consid.
cred by the President inefficient; and it is said that
the results of the law authorizing the employment
of slaves as soldiers will be less than anticipated in
consequence of the dilatory action of Congress IN
adopting the measure. That q law SO radical in Its
character so repugnant to the preudces of our peo
pie, and so intimately affecting the organism Of So
ciety, should encounter opposition, and receive
tardy sanction, ought not to excitelrprise; but if
the policy and necessity of the measure had been
seriously urged on Congress by an Executive mes
sage, legislative action might have been quckened.
The President in no official communication to Con-
gress, has recommended the passage Of law put.
ting slaves into the army as soldiers, and the mes
sage under consideration is the first official inor
nation that such law would meet his approval
The Executive message transmitted to Congress %
the 9TH Of November last suggests the proprety of
charging the sphere Of employment of the negro
as a aborer, and for this purpose recommends that
the absolute title to slaves be acquired by impress
ment and, as an Incentive to the faithful discharge
of duty, that the slaves thus acquired be liberated
with the permission of the States from which they
were drawn. In this connection, the following lam
guage is used:
eff this policy should recommend itself to the
Judgment of Congress- it is suggested that in ad
dtion to the duties heretofore performed by the
slave, he might be advantageousy employed as
pioneer and engineer laborers; and in that event,
that the number should be augmented to forty thou
sand Beyond this limit and these employments
1t does not TO desirable under existing cir
cumstanees, to co."
In the same message the President further re-
marks:
"The subject is to be viewed by us, therefore,
solely in the light of policy and our social economy.
When so regarded I must dissent from those aoho
adrise general Ieuy and ar5ing the slaues for tho
duty Of soldiers."
1t IS manifest that the President, in November
| last, did not consider that the contingency had
then arisen which would justify resort to the ex-
| traordnary policy of arming our slaves Indeed,
no other inference can be deduced from the language
used by him (; for be says:
| "These considerations however, are rather APP
pcable to the improbable contingency OF our need
of resorting to this element of resistance than to
present condition."
The Secretary of War, in his report under date
| o. November Sd, seemed to concur in the opinion
| of the President when he said:
"Whie it is encouraging to know this resource
for further and future efforts is at our command,
my oan judgment does not get either perceive tho
necessity approve the policy Of employing slaves
| in the higher duties OF soldiers"
| what Deriod of the session the President or
Secretary of War considered the improbable con-
| tiugency had arisen, which required resort to
! slaves element of resistance, does not appear
| by any official document within the knowledge Of
your committee. Congress might we'll have delay
! ed action this subject until the present moment
| as the President whose constitutional duty it is
"to give to the Congress information Of the state of
the Confederacy," has never asked, in any anthem
tic manner for the passage of law authorizing the
employment of slaves as soldiers. The Senate,
however, did not wait the tardy movements of the
President. On the 29.h December, 1864, the fol.
lowing resolution was adopted by the Senate in Sc
"Resolced That the President be requested to
inform tho Senate, in oaerat session, the ate
Of the finances in connection with the payment of
the troops; the means Of supplying the munitions
of war, nsbortation and subsistence the condi.
ton of the army, and the possibility of recruiting
the same the condition OF our foreign relations
and whether any aid or encouragement frcn abroad
is expected, or has been sought or is proposed, so
that the Senate may have clear and exact view of
the state of the country, and of its future pros
poets. and what measures of legislation are re.
quired"
In response to this resolution, the President
might we'll have communicated to the Senate his
views to the necessity and policy of arming the
slaves of the Confederacy means of public de.
fence. No answer whatever has been made to the
resolution. In addition to this joint committee
was raised by Congress, under concurrent reso-
cember. 1861 That committee, by the resolution
creating it, was instructed, "by conference with
the President, and by such other means as they
shall deem proper, to ascertain what are our rea-
BILE means Of pubyss defence, present and pros
pectlve"
written report was made by the committee on
January Goth, 1865; and, although it had con:
ference with the President, no alluson is made in
the report to any suggestion by him that the ne
cessities of the country required the employment
of slaves as soldiers. Under these circumstances,
Congress- influenced no doubt by the opinion of
Gen. Lee determined for itself the propriety, poll
cy and necessity of adopting the measure in ques-
ton.
The recommendation of the President to en-
ploy forty thousand slaves cooks Transfers, and
as engineer and pioneer laborers was assented to-
and law has been enacted at the present session
for the purpose, without limit. as to number.
All the measures recommended by the President
to promote the efficiency of the army have been
adopted except the entire repeal of class exemp.
tions; and Some measures not suggested by him
such as the creation of the Office of General.in-
Chiefwere originated and passed by Congress,
with view to the restoration of public confidence
and the energetic administration Of military af-
fairs.
On the subject Of exemptions the President in
his message of November 9TH, uses the following
language:
"No pursuit nor position should relieve any one
who is able to do active duty from enrome in
the army unless his functions or services are more
useful to the defence Of his country in another
sphere. But it is manifest that this cannot be the
case with entire classes. All telegraph operators
workmen in mines, professors, teachers, engineers,