The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-02-22
Recruiting in the Rebel States.

ruary 9th 1865, bill supplementary 10
the Conscription laws, being under con-
sderation, the following proceedings took
place -
Mr.. BUCKALEW. 1 offer an amend
ment to come in as a new section:
And be 1T further enacted, That the third
section of the act entitled "An act further
to regulate and provide for the enrolling
and calling out of the national forces, and
for other purposes approved July a,
1864, be,and the same is hereby repealed.
send 10 the desk to be read the section
which Ipropose to repeal.
The section was read, as follows
"SEo. 3 And be IL further enacted,
That it shall be lawful for the Executive
OF any of the States to send recruiting
agents into any of the States declared to
be in rebellion. except the States of Ar
kansas, Tennessee, and Louisiana, TO re-
cruit volunteers under any call under the
provisions of this act, who shall be credited
to the State, and to the respective subdi-
visions thereof, which may procure the
enlistment"
Mr.. BUCKALEW w and Mr.. CARLILE
called for the yeas aud nays on the amend
ment.
The yeas and nays were r,ered.
After some debate Mr.. Salisbury said :
''In support Of the remarks that nave
made | will read an extract from a paper
called the Commonwealth, published in
Boston, which Is understood to be the or
gan of a distinguished member Of this
body, and which [ supp ose always states
what is exactly correct in these matters.
The extract reads in this wise:
"PRoMPr AS UsUAL.-Immediatel on
the fall of Savauuah, Governor Andrew
dispatched agents to that city to recruit
black loyalists for the national Army, 10
be credited to the quota of the State. He
then asked permission from the Secretary
of War to do so, which was cheerfully ac-
corded. and the documents will arrive oat
about the time the first squad is on its way
10 Massachusetts.
l appeal to the American Senate, is that
right, is it fair ! When the young men of
my State, of PeDnsylsania, and of other
States, are compelled under your conscrip
tion law to leave their homes and go 10 the
field, is it right that the Governor
of Massachusetts, or the Governor OF any
other State-I make no assault upoa Mas
sachusetts-shall be allowed 10 send agents
into the southern States, waiting, perhaps,
until some city falls, that they may re-
cruit and enlist into their service the ignor-
ant, degraded slave, and to count him as
a man against the educated young man of
my State! No, sir. If this direful war is
to continue; if, as judging from the indi-
cations of the time | presume we are, we
are to have twenty or fifty years of bloody
fratricidal war in this country, | have a
right to second the demand of the honor
able Senator from Pennsylvania, and ask
that you send your sons and brothers to
the field, when we are compelled to send
there our sons and our brothers. Do not
send your agents into the southern States
to pick up the poor degraded African to
fill your quota, and keep your sons and
your brothers and the husbands of your
daughters in your own midst to enjoy all
the pleasures of life while ours are drawn
away from home.
Mr SUMNER. merely wish to make
one remark on this proposition am not
aware that any abuses of evil consequent
eeS from the existing law have been shown.
Mr.. GRIMES. Does the Senator rec
ollect the letter of the distinguished Gen
eral Sherman upon that subject.
Mr.. SUMNER. What was the date of
the letter. Does the Senator remember.
Mr.. GRIMES. Icaunot remember the
precise date, but I remrmber. distinctly it
was after the passage of the law, which is
now sought to be repealed, and after some
OF the States had sent their recruiting
agents down into General Shermans army
for the purpose of recruiting, thus coming
iD collision with the United States recruit
ing officers who were attempting to recruit
the same men to 90 into United States
regiments
Mr.. SUMNER. | am inclined to think
the letter was writted before the passage
OF this law
Mr.. NESMITH. The letter was writ
ten after the fall of Atlanta.
Mr.. SUMNER, Very well. 1t was
good letter. 1 remember very well that
it was well-written letter, rather pointed,
and seemed to be written rather with the
point of the sword than with the pen, l
thought, as read it at the time.
But, sir, l am not aware ,notwithstaDd
Jog the letter to which my friend from Iowa
calls the attention of the Senate, that any
abuse has been shown, nor any evil con-
sequences, nor any evil example. there
fore sumbit to the Senate that ibasmuch
as the laws exists, as it is already on our
statute book, it should not be hastily re-
moved, unless some reason can be shown
for the removal. The burden, therefore,
is on the Senator from Pennsylvania, who
makes this motion, to show that something