Year: 1863




ton Of the President He thought the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr STEvENs) would concur with nm that


this bill in it's present naked form proposed to vest in the
President vaster power than given by Congress
snd placed in the hands of any He would not
the question Of giving to the President larger pow
ers now in times like these, than in ordinary periods
but the other hand it the duty of Congress to


hat the power thus conferred should be aey used and
Tot diverted from the ends for which it is conferred
The rolls show We have million of white men, including
deserersan army sufficiently large TO suppress the
belion, If it to be conquered BY physical means alone
But he pd another objection to the bill, namely the
pense which woul be incurred should the bill be passed.
La calling attention to the financial condto of the


try he said that according 10 the statement OF the chair
man O the COMMITTEE Of Ways and Means, the national
debt at the end OF the next fiscal year will be S. 000
100000 not considering the unliqidated debt which may
amount TO five hundred or lusand millions The
idea on which this prosecuted 10 the
authority of civil order and law, without which the Con-
sttution and the Union cannot be maintained.


Mr. STEVENS said the necessity of the bill was, that
within few months the terms of enlistment Of several
hundred thousands of volunteers will expire.


Mr.. THOMAS replied, this bill as originally introduced
aud as prepared at the War Department made such
provision If the war is prosecuted until the constitution
al authority is restored the term for the enlistment of
coored soldiers is too long if to suhugate
the South the term too short Not of these pages
snatched prematurey from his mothers cradle would live
to es the end of such The civilization of the age
would prevent it, In the Of his remarks 10 oppo
ston to ths b he said nothing be gained by pur
suing this party basis He wanted the aid of all
patriotic He stood by the Constitution and the old
hig In coccnsiOn, he said God bless the old Union All
he asked of gentlemen uphold the Constitution they
had all to support aud which oath ia registered in
Heaven. If this Union, coming generations will
bless u.s. If we lose it, they will lie believed
would come out of this contest purified as by fire.


Mr.. TRIMBLE said that the policy of employing ne
groes in they could be made useful by the Pesi
dent already endorsed by Congress- He thought
the of the that the House had egis-
lated too much upon the subject and still believed the
President had laid down policy at the beginning of the
contest and compelled adherence to it, 1t would have been
far better He would not intimate what the policy should
have been 1t unfortunate the President should have
imposed Cong the duties which belonged to himself
He had not such exalted idea of the bravery capacity
and Efficiency of the black compared with white men,
some gentlemen entertained. He did not believe that
10 any situation position the negro is equal to the
ABgio-Ssxon But if the negro far inferior to
what he supposed him to be- he would in this emergency
make the best Of him Re could The employment of
black did not rest capacity and Efficiency soldiers
but laborers Slaves he mintaned constitute the ee
nent of strength and power of the rebels Ii such persons
ha from the beginning been employed in digging entrench
ments etc. many valuable lives of gallant soldiers
would have been saved If he had been 10 command of


troops he would have sent out and gathered in ali the ne
groes he could for performing such labor In ausion
the remarks of Mr. WRIGHT delivered yesterday he said
the members here could comp omise their opin-
ions than could compromise with the rebels arms,
who would scorn and scout such proposition


Mr. WRIGHT wished to know what reason or obstacle
was in the way of al honorable compromise among
bersas to the conduct Of the war; if they all favor
of sustaining and perpetuating the Union Why not
make it?


Mr.. TRIBIBLE replied, fortunately or unfortunately
God has constituted that they will differ in opinion;
and he had idea that gentlemen the other side would
yield their opinions to the conduct of the He de-
clared for the Constitution h and expressed the hope
that The institution of slavery will be permitted to
extend its power beyond its present limits He replied to
MI Cox who Yesterday said negroes were to be employed


like uends of help to consumma'e what inaugurated
by the North in spirit of hate. This unjust i'm
putaon upon the North whose ret the prosecution
Of the for the preservation of the Government If he
"a his 6anA hall nj
not recall them until the last rebeous fratcide was
swept away but he believed people North abun-
dantly able TO protect the heritage bequeathed by their
fathers aud to continue this contest until the national flag
floats again over all psrts Of the country.


Mr. BlDIlLE sent up letter, which was read,
reply to part of Mr. TRIMBLEs remarks about empo oy
log contrabands on entrenchments. 1t from Gen
Mcclellan to Senator Harris the writer saying while our
army was on the peninsula all the contrabands rho
into our lines thus set to work. but the number u
them insufficient for such purposeg.


Mr.. PENDLETOS sad he should oppose tte bin and
al its amendment He further said that feeling was
gaining ground among the people of the North that
they tricked into this war; aud that appeal was
made to their patriotism the preence the
the Union when u fact, it for the abolition Of slave


y Unless the spread of such impression is arrested it
will b. come universal and when il does take hold upon
the public MUD will be beyond your power to get
other soldier or dollar TO carry the Pass this
BILL and reunIoa Will oe impossible He would not vote
for in any FORM believing it would produce revolution
every slayehodng Border State ard dsband the white
army. He could not vote for It, because had to
support the Constitution, which it proposed TO srike
down.


Mr.. DAVIS, in discussing this question said thing
was settled Whatever compromise may be patched
must subugate the South they will subjUgate With
this spirit he entered into the Ii they subdgate u.s.
let them ENJOY their victory, for they would deserve il
But have drawn the sword ani have said they shall
not If min subjugaed him, he Mr. DAyIs) deserved
to be his save Ii he submitted he should hope his chill
drea would draw the sword and fight the battle out He
hated every who the eaemy Of bis country. He
hated hiu aud expected to be ha ed in return He asked
for fair play black by his eaped owe. the
rampats and seized rebel flag sword before he did
he would justice accord 10 him the hoto II he tore
down the rebel flag the Capitol at Richmond and
raised the stars and stripes, he would honor him above
any General who had failed in the under takiog While
advocating the passage of the BILL Mr. DAVIS said he was
once hmsef uuder black officer, in ships crew and
the latter OF the brayes leading through of
danger where white turned pale ard s5runk This
lion-neared negro set audabe examps TO his COM
panons,


Mr. 0LIN said this bill did not come before the House
legitimate way 1t should have been referred to the
Committee on Military Affairs for examination and to
how far il in accordance with existing sta utes. 1t
brought here in the Of gentlemen coming into
the ball with pocket full of resolutions who desire to
their in print and get up contest as idle the
east wind He caused be ,ad several sections in
istinQ acts to show the President already has penary
power to employ persons Of African descent in the army
and navy and officer them. He asked gentlemen to re-
fleet how little occasion there for this debate the
exhibition OF feeling and the scenes which had recently
the House He maintained the bi did not pro-
pose to change existing laws for they ary carried
protection TO those received into service under them To
ssy the bill did change those laws idle and absurd
He protested against the fact of coored persons
being employ as cause Of remark; that it would pro-