Year: 1862




considerations, which, in his Judgment, demanded the
vote he expected TO give He should not consider the
former OF the Senator tho vote TO be given or
the opinion he may have expressed 1t was conceded on
all hands that the letter written to-day 1t would be
unqualified treason The question then s what was me
On the LIST of March actually did exist consprators
actually levied II had been said that the senator,
when he wrote the letter. did not believe there would DO
any war; The only he (Mr Doote) could see was,
what to him the monsrous suppostion that the 60
vernment would suffer itself to be destroyed without
striking single blow He could not but consider the
letter calculated to give aid and comfort TO the rebels
and he should be compelled to vote for his expulsion


Mr' WILEY, (union) OF Va. said but for tho ausion
70 the Senator from Indiana he should have said nothing
He appreciated the decacy of his position but he had
sucn nared Tor the rebellion, being refugee from MS
State with his estate conscsted price set his head
and the blood Of his neighbors friends yet dry
ms native hills He confessed to such an abhorrencs to
the accursed rebellion that he hardly dare his
judgment Yet he should meet the question without any
party prejudice He thought 1t not fair to the Sena
tor from Indiana to travel so far out of the record
had done


Mr. DAVIS Union) of KY. said he had referred to the
course or the Senator He said according the record
the Senator from Indiana had only attended three meet
ings Of the Committee on Finance


Mr.. WILEY said that was only another instance Of
travelling out Of the record.


Mr.. BRIGHT said he did not know that such record was
kept, but II there srch record 1t not correct


Mr. DAVIS said the clerk OF the committee kept re-
cord Of the persons present. and he Of the fact


Mr. PEARcE, OPP Of Nd, said he had been member
OF that committee for fifteen years. and he never knew
Of any such record


Mr.. WILEY said the discussion only showed that they
must not travel out Of tho record in regard to the let
ter, the Senator from Indiana might have believed there
would have been no on the LIST of March; but he
called the particular attention Of the Senator to the
PLANTATION he proposed make the principle declared
in the letter written in September There could be no
doubt then to the state Of the country The Senator
declared that he was always opposed to secession yet
no declared IN that letter. and he redeclares in tho Sc
nate here that he opposed to ali coercion He should
reserve his decision till he heard from the Senator that
point


Mr.. BRIGHT, (opp.j Of Ind said If the Senator would
permit him he would read two resolutions passed by
large political meeting in Indiana in January last which
embodied his sentiments


Of Indians tanshng all feeling Of passion and
no be- %
nor fSr the purpose Of the rights Of the South
sSs y@on with al sniy saus


these are aceompshed The Mar ought to We
win sustain with all our snerees the for the constu
fog the Of the negroes the sabjugaon


M said e fer ~ g that goes was his platform # he
lutions 60 again before the people who had long
end seofssa honored him.


Mr.: wutEy said he must ask the Senator still further
to dens what he did mean by the statement that he
entely opposed 70 coercion when the country was in
danger and tho rebels hoping to overthrow the govern
msnt. eA


Mr. SUMNER Qep.) Of Mass-Mr. President this de-
bate about closo but before the veto taken wish
one conclusion which can truly satisfy the Senate or the
country your just Judgment IN this case were not OF
incalculabe importance both for the Senate and the
country-helpng to elevate the and to inspire the
other-I should not venture again to claim your atten
ton. Such precedent fruitful in great Influences,
should be completely commended and vndicated, that
may remain forever unquesoned Of the pillars
OF that constitutional security which the object Of 60
vsrnment ITSELF Out Of al who have spoken we naturally
Indiana (Mr. Brightl His speech not long, but it.
afforded ample ground for regret not for
II showed Extensively the same spirit which is found in
the original letter did 1t suggest anything in apology
except that the bearer Of the letter his lifelong


friend and that when he wrote the letter he did not dream
Of war; in other words, an act Of unquestonabie dis
loyalty put under the double cloak Of life long
friendship and Of ignorance Of the real condition
OF things Because the bearer Of tho letter his life
long friend, and because the Senator did not
ahead, therefore he justified in sending forth this
life long friend errand OF disloyay, If not Of
ITSELF and Of making him the instrument of aid
comfort 10 organized rebellion. OF such
an argument shows weakness and strength and the
very weakness out Of which sprung naturally became
impassioned and unjust II any personal feeling could
disturb that perfect equanmity which with me, this
plain that vihdicvo tone which broke forth only
in personal mputatons but also in the menace that what


said the Of the Senator dared not say again
here elsewhere; but make no complaint 1t is sun
for that spoke in the conscious discharge ofmy
duty and that know of nothing In the vindicve tone
the Of the Senator which interfere with
such duty understand It. Therefore, l put
aside what he has said whether Of personal i'm
putation, or Of personal menace, or Of argument,
for they all leave him than If he had continued
silent put aside also the elaborate argument lasting
throughout whole day, Of the Senator from Kentucky





sutou and insisting that while life is sacrificed and
property is taken while great rights trodden down.
and ak human energies are enlisted In defence Of
country slavery alone too sacred to be touched Sir


put aside this argument, because II is utterly out OF
trust it will not be my habit in debate rambe from
that straight line which Is the shortest way to the do
sired point. There Is time to SOW and time to rcap
and there will be time to discuss tho constitutional
power Of Congress TO put end to this rebellion IT,
in doing, 1t is constraincd TO put an end to
slavery itself but aside, Also the suggestion Of the
Senator from New York r. Hafrs) to the effect that
the Senator from Indiana is now on trial. that pro-
ceedngs udicia and that the evidence before Is
insufficient to satisfy the requirements OF such
Surely this assumption proceeds on mistake The
Senator from Indiana is not trial in the ordinary
dicai nor the evidence insufficient for the
hand. Under the constitution each House, with
the concurrence Of may sxps member but
lection Of the body in the exercise Of an honest and
honorable self defence The Senate itself trial just
Senate will condemn itself IL It allow any person to
continue among It's members who has forfeited that
special confidence in his loyalty which Is essential to his
dence Is insufficient Technically and judciaily this
may bs the but according to oil legislative prece
dents and all the rules OF common life IL Is obviously
sulccnt for IL s beyond oil practical doubt Ny friend
from New York did not hesitate at this vote
for the expulsion Of Breckinrdge Of Polk and Of Johns
SON. without scrap Of evidence that he recog
Mise as Judge the bench. How can he require
evidence which h he aa Of not . sGs
yania (Mr Cowan) carefully and claboraely stated
TO the effect that the 1st Of March, when the dsoya
letter was written, there actually existing
between the rebel States and the United States. Even
this assumption correcteven the United States
were still hesitatlng what to adopt nothing il
clearer than this the rebel States in rebellion
ganized armed and oensve with the avowed purposco
overthrowng tho national government within their bor
dcrs and such rebellion beyond oil question levy
ing Of under the constitution Of the United States
that all adherence to IL, giving aid and comfort was
ITSELF But even you are not disposed TO admit
that there actual evyng Of war on the part Of
the rebels-though OF this there be no doubt
there was surely preparation and purpose to do so;
and any contribution TO such preparation and pur-
pose was dsoyalty, IL not treason. Clearly, Jefer-
son Davis, at that tipc was traitor What, then,
be thought Of Senaor who offered tho traitor?


put aside Also the suggestion Of the Senator from New
Jersey (r Ten Eyck) founded on the language OF the
President his inaugural address Of the 4h Of March,
Il Is true that President spoke Of the robcls In gene
rous, raerna words-such words as became the Chief
Magistrate OF great people, who had not yet renounced
the idea Of conguerng by kindness, and who had not
forgotten that Lcviathan was tanned by cord. But
whatever may have the language Of the President
IL tho less clear that the rebellion at this very
moment was completely organized, by succession OF
oveyt acts which fxad the Reasonable posi-.