The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-09-27

Congress or In the front OF the battle.-
Shortly after his election to the Senate
he defined his position on the subject Of
war in the following words;
"That rebellion was against the laws |
OF the United Siai0s, and put the whole |
body of them ut defiance. Although it
asserted for itself u legal ground of jus |
tiilcation, IL Is most manifest that 1t
WAS lawles5 and unauthorized. Tho |
compact of tho Union being without |
Limitation Of time, must he held, rs in
tended by It's authors, to be perpetual;
and the provisions contained in IL for
its own amendment provides the only
lawful mode by which Its obligation
can bo limited or changed. Consider
| ing secession as breach of the public
| law, aud in view of tho immense inter
ests put in peril by il this state concur
red in measures of hostility against tho
South. But this was dono TO vindi.
cato the broken law, and TO secure the
object for which tho Government OF the
United States was originally founded,
and for no purpose of conquest or op
preston. Upon tho ground we must
Justify our conduct and submit ii with
out apprehension of censuro to the judg-
ment of luturo tines"
Aud again in u speech delivered in
the Senate at tho close of the war as
| follows:
"Returning from a foreign country
after tho commencement of the war,
when it was in full progress, and when
no human power could avert the storm
which fell upon us, | found myself, as
did most of the citiz ms Of our country,
absolutely controlled Ivy the circum-
stances which surruunled us and which
pressed us forward upon course Of con-
duct which we CUuld not avoid. L
thought then, and think now, that there
was but one thing to do. We were en-.
gagged in contest which was, as 1T has
often been described, contest of life
and death, and there was nothing To be
done except to fight it out, to fight on,
to promote or asst t the collision OF
forces which wrru lhr arrayed against
each other until sou" ultimate results
! should be reaChtu,
"As member Of The majority in this
chamber, gave my vote for those
measures of the majority which directly
pointed to the use of the force of this
Government to subjugate the insurrec.
tion which raised its head against US
was opposed to the political policy of
that majority, and have continued to
entertain and evince that opposition
, down to this time in Il respectful and
proper manner. But upon tho ques-
tion of prosecuting the war to Il conclu-
sion, l never had any difficulty; new
, er had any hesitation
], SUPPLIES.
In accordance with these views Mr..
Buckalew advocated and Uoted for the
following measures that were to furnish
the "sine,cS Of acar."
= cheney in the war department, $07, ,50I, ;.
1 | Oll aud fNr fhp naval GnrVipn ~ -pl .
500.
, April %, 1861, bill appropriating to
,, the support of the army, S529, 1928, ,S07 G5
! This bill was strongly opposed in the
House. aud it became necessary to or
, der a Committee Of Conference. The
Senate appointed II. o. Howe, l.. NJ
: Morrill, and Charles B. BuckaleW, and
the House Thaddeus Stevens and
Thomas T. Dayis.. The difficulty arose
mainly from the circumstance that the
House thought the Senate's provision
for the pay of co'ored troops gas too lib.
,, eral. The report of the Conference
Committee, signed by M. Bucka1eW,
was adopted. 1t may be found in the
Globe, page 2,Slj. Frequently thence
forward, when alluding to this matter,
Thaddeus Stevens was accustomed to
say some very strong things in praise
of the manline5s and magnanimity OF
Senator Buckalew for agreeing to pay
so literally tho colored soldiers whom
he had employed.
May 81, 1864, bill appropriating to
different branches of the naval service,
. Sl0G, l92, ,9S7 80.
February II, 1865, bill appropriiting
to the navy, Sl2l ,iS6,92S 9j.
February IS, 1865, bill making. ap.
preparations for the support Of the ar.
NV, 5l,j70, ,527 20.
These five money bills amounted to
Isl ,427 ,S22, ,SSl .30) one billion, four hum
dred and twcntyseven millions, eight
hundred and twenty-five thousand,
eight hundred and eighty-one dollars
and thirty cents. Mr.. B0ckaie,D ddro.
cated and uoted for the aohole .fue. See
report of Senate proceedings in the
Congressional Globe under the dates
specified in the bills.
Il BOUNTIES AND INCREASED PAY TO
SOLDIERS.
December ODD, 1868, bill appropria.
ting $4,000, 900 for the payment of boun-
ties to soldiers. This a0as advocated and
voted for By Mr.. BuckaleW. During the
discussion of the bill, an amendment
was offered by Republican Senator, re-
ducing the bounty from $500 to 800.
Mr.. Buckalew voted against the amend
ment. Pending further discussion on
the 22d of April, 1864, an amendment
was offered by Mr. Hendricks, of In
dinna, increasing the pay of soldiers, so
per cent. This did not pass, though Mr..
Buckalew voted for it. May 49,, 1864,
another amendment was offered and
adopted, which increased the pay of
soldiers from $l3 to SIC per month. Mr..
Buckdleg roted for this. May 18th, 1864,
still another amendment was offered to
pay the soldiers in gold and though it
was rejected, Mr.. BuckaLeW U0ted for il.
What more could have been done to
befriend the soldiers? First he votes for
$40 600 900 to pay bountia,: then against
reducing the bounty from $500 t. 800 !;
then 10 increase the pay OF p!di,rs 80
per c-nt; then to Increase tbr " Of
private soldiers from $l3 u sis per
month, ana to pay nNa c 'nImias,oned
officers S3l per month, AID hnal'y to
pay the soldiers in gold. The difference
between the taX-paying, self.sacriicing
patriot, and the army contractors, who
fattened upon their hard bargains with,
and stealings from the government, was
that he put money in the pockets of the
soldiers, and they put it in their own.
See Senate proceedings in the Con
greSsiOnat Globe, under the dates
of the introduction of the afore.
said bill, and its several amendments.
| PAY OF COLORED TROOPS.
Before Mr.. Buckalew's election to the
Senate an act passed that body, July II,
1862, fixing the pay of cOlored troops at
$40 per month, the pay of white soldiers
being at that time $l3 per month. That
law remained in force until 1861. On the
22d of April, 1861, Mr.. Wilson, of Mas.
sachusetts, offered an amendment to the
army bill relating to certain regiments
of COlOrcQ trOODs. against which Mr.
Buckalew voted for excellent reasons.
First, the amendment proposed to in
crease the pay Of white soldiers only
from tie date Of the passage Of the GW,
but TO authorize the increased pay TO
colored soldiers from the beginning of
the year, thus making what he regard
cd as an unjust Determinations
ondly,, it allowed compensation TO
New-England agents who went South