Year: 1864

FREEDOM Fon SLAVES.


Mr. WILSON csli,j up his ti H. pr, mote ehs meat.
in the army aud for uher pup u p"1pusat To free
the wives aud chdlen 81 such nrgoes as eulist III the
| army
,rne pending question Was Mr. CARLiLEs motion
to refer the bill TO the Judiciary Committee
This motion rejected-yeas IA, nays % The yeas
were Messrs. Carle, Cowan Davis Harding, Harlan,
rowe, ,Nesmth, Powell, Riddle, Salisbury, Ten Eyck,
Van Wfnke, and Wilson. I


The motion to recommit to the Committee on Slavery
and Freedmen also rejected.
Mr. WILSON modified substitute proposition, pre-
viously offered by him. by inserting in the frat section
thereof, after the word wife," the words meaning
Thereby the he treats and recognised sucb
also by withdrawing the second section which pro
posed authorize the commissioners under the enrolment
act to award to each loyal owner just compensation for
the wives and children of slaves taken into the service


Mr.. DAVIS offered an amendment providing that the
United States District Courts shall appoint three commits
sones whose duty shall be to make just valuations and
awards to loyal for slaves set free under the bill


Mr. DAVIS said it plainly written provision Of the
Constitution of the United STATES and State constitutions
have similar provision, that person shall be deprived
OF le liberty property whOutdus process flaw This
bill proposed to take the wife and children of every slave


mustered into the service not only without any just
ponsatOn, but without any compensation ut all There
could be aagrant violation of the Constitution by
argisatve body He supposed that the average Of slave
would be wife and three children Their price would
sixteen hundred dollars with the husband twenty
four hundred dollars Yet it proposed to take this pro-
pery without any compensation whatever Suppose all
the oses Of the Northwest had been taken the negroes





Northwest have submitted to iti No, air; they would
have resisted 1t would have been considered injustice
and it would have been their right to resist until just
improvisation afforded for the property taken. Or
suppose the Of the taking the ships of
Maine great ship building Stite-and giving COM
pensatisn, would not the gentleman from Maine (Mr FEs
sENDEN) feel that his then gOred7 The Govern
ment entitled to this property until just compensa
ton had been made for it, .


Mr.. DOOLITrLE said that Congress had no interest
in the property taken. When did take private pro-
psrty for public must pay for it, provide the
legal means by which the party owning it may receive
payment 1t not ssary that the money should he
paid down. but that the party should have Of
his pay If the legislative power, in the of the
sovereign right of domain in behalf of the people whom
they represent choose to the to estimate
the value of property, they do He maintained
that there violation uf the Constitution in this
Congress assumed the power whsn it abolished slavery
the District Of Columbia to judge of the value of slaves
from all the circumstances and surroundings three
hundred dollars. Could agent do what cannot do
ourselves That would make the creature above the
creator.


Mr. DAVIS said that the Senator's argument was in his
opinion whipping the devil around th- stump.
that Congress may do in what It do by its
agents 1t assumes furthermore that Congress s not
party to this transaction of taking private property for
public He Mr. DAvIs) assumed that the power of
Congress this respect restricted by the Constitution
30 as not to conflict with the laws b the State
governments otherwise had Government Of unlimited
powers II Congress has power to establish these agencies
let them damages through them let the provost
marshas the value Of the property taken Under
the amendment which he had off red every proceeding


quasi judicial action before the courts capable Of being
carried up. Mr. DAVIS denied that Congress had any
power to the value of private property taken for
public use He thought that this bill violates all the
tied principles Of common law Magma Charta, and the
decisions Of the highest courts Assuming that the number
of slaves in Kentucky liable to be enlisted ton thou
sand allowing wife and three children each slave it
would take forty thousand slaves from Kentucky without
making any law of compensation whatever. Was strange
that from the State of Kentucky with
hundred and fifty thousand slaves, would make his
vehement protest against such legislation that pre-
posedf He would be false to his nature and instincts il
he did not do If the gentlemen on the other side would
practice the preceps of the golden rule and place them
selves in his position they would form the conclusions


Mr. DAVIS argued that If the press Of the country
left Free much Of the prevailing and onesded opin
ion would be overthro and free institutions be longer
perpeiuated He wanted also that our couts should
be relieved from the force Of provost marshas and militia
ry power Unless that done there no legal or
constitutional liberty in he land If they took the slaves
OF Kentucky without compensation, and allowed them to
appeal to the courts, he had fear that the State law
would be sustanrd-he had fear Of the result, in


ghtened courts of independent Judgment in the North
such as Judge Shsws and Judge rilpham's. You pass
acts Of indemnity to the President but what for
them When peace smiles over this land they will all BIO
swept away Such has been the ae Of such like acts in
England and other constitutional Governments. The men
who do these things will yet have to while
lviag, for the deeds done in the body


Mr. ID. concluded hs argument by again urging ths ne
cessty for the adoption of proper Legislative for
the valuation cf and prompt payment for the property,


Mr. WILKINSON said he favored the original bill be
cause he not only favor OF employing all the slaves
which be mustered into armies for the purpose OF
removing the burdens OF this from the shoulders of
the young o country, but he aso favored t be-
he believed would work the of slaves
every where He believed tbs people had settled down
upon the conviction that their Government only
to be Government but also to be free Govern
ment; that when this shall have ended slavery will
have ended also that then here will be saveholding
tyrants b. rule the political affairs OF this nation
Of that influence left to destroy the peace md happiness
Of this people lie would not stop TO inquire whether
this measure was constitutional or uncf Institutional; the
question with him and the only question does the
great law Of necesstythe law above the Constitution
require or justify it, lie believed it did He argued that
Congress, in enactng measures for carrying the
for thu maintenance Of the Government had the power
free slaves in The land He said that slave person
aud not property within he meaning Of the Consultations
aud, being person, he his FIRST allegiance TO the
Government and the Government had The right to call


for and accept his servcss without any compensation TO
the person who claimed that service by virtue Of the local
law Of particular State; and in the manner and
10 the extent, it takes the apprentice without
compensation to the person to whom be is bound He
regarded it hs first aud highest dnty by his voice and
by his vote while the lasted to strike directly a the
institution OF slavery especially since while striking
we not only weaken enemies, but raise to fill up
arms, He would free every slave in the land no
matter whether he claimed by n rebel a loyal per-
1t is not only right but our duty to knock of
the shackles from every limb and let tho bondage free
God and humanity demand IT.


Mr.. w then proceeded 10 defend the President from
the charges made by The Senator from Ohio. (Mr SIIER
MANI OF backwardness in meeting and dealing with the
question Of emancipation and the employment of slaves