288 



CONGKESS, U. S. 



of a rupture with one of the most powerful 

 nations of the earth, whose power is to be 

 united with that of the rebels in the fierce 

 struggle with us, I think it would be far better 

 for us to expend our time and our energies in 

 devising the means for the successful prosecu- 

 tion of the war, and the suppression of the 

 rebellion, than to waste it in what will have 

 the appearance, whether it is so in fact or not, 

 and make the impression over all the country 

 of an assault upon the Administration." 



Mr. Trumbull, of Illinois, replied to this ob- 

 jection, saying : " My colleague further says 

 that this is a bad time to offer such a resolu- 

 tion. Why, sir, it is the only time when there 

 would be any occasion for such an inquiry. It 

 is in just such times as these that this power is 

 exercised. It is only on such occasions as this, 

 I know, that he would attempt to justify it. 

 In a time of quiet and peace in the country he 

 would not agree that men should be arrested 

 without charge, without complaint, without 

 opportunity to answer. From necessity, if you 

 ever make the inquiry, you must do it now. 



" He says, moreover, we give aid and com- 

 fort to the enemy by this resolution. Sir, I 

 disagree with him totally. If you will have a 

 united people, if you will bring up the twenty 

 millions of loyal people in this country as one 

 man to crush out this wicked rebellion, you 

 must bring them up believing they are fighting 

 for constitutional liberty ; you must bring them 

 up believing they are fighting for law, and to 

 maintain the institutions which are established 

 by the Constitution; and you will weaken 

 your Government, you weaken its hands when 

 you do anything that creates the impression in 

 any portion of the country that we are not 

 fighting for this regulated liberty." 



The resolution was referred to the Commit- 

 tee on the Judiciary. 



YEAS. Messrs. Anthony, Browning, Chandler, 

 Clark, Collamer, Cowan, Dixon, Doolittle, Fessenden, 

 Foot, Foster, Harris, Howe, Johnson of Tennessee, 

 King, Lane of Indiana, Morrill, Pomeroy, Rice, Sher- 

 man, Simmons, Sumner, Ten Eyck, Wade, and Wil- 

 son 25. * 



NAYS. Messrs. Bayard, Bright, Carlile, Grimes, 

 Hale, Harlan, Kennedy, Latham, McDougall, Nesmith, 

 Pearce, Powell, Saulsbury, Thomson, Trumbull, Wil- 

 kinson, and Willey 17. 



On the 16th of December, a bill was brought 

 before the House to authorize the raising of a 

 volunteer force for the better protection of 

 Kentucky. The objections advanced against 

 this bill were that tbe measure was uncalled 

 for that there were more soldiers in the field 

 than were necessary, &c. These objections 

 were urged by members who asserted that sla- 

 very was the cause of the troubles of the coun- 

 try, and who feared that if this extra force in 

 Kentucky, composed of citizens of the State, 

 was authorized, it might serve as an additional 

 protection to the institution of slavery in Ken- 

 tucky. Mr. Lovejoy, of Illinois, opposed its 

 passage. He said : " I am willing to vote all 



the men and all the money that are needed in 

 defence of the country, and in defence of true 

 and loyal men anywhere within the limits of 

 the United States ; but I insist that we have 

 more soldiers now than can be used. If we 

 have sixty thousand soldiers in Kentucky and 

 thereabouts, advancing, and we need twenty 

 thousand more to protect them as they march, 

 or to 'keep the line of communication, twenty 

 thousand more can be ordered from the Po- 

 tomac, or from some other quarter, for I do 

 not know where all our soldiers are now." 



Mr. Richardson, of Illinois, replied : " I hope 

 this bill will pass, sir, and I will state to my 

 colleague why I think it ought to pass. They 

 propose to raise twenty thousand troops in 

 Kentucky who are familiar with all the country 

 there ; and the misfortune that has attended us 

 heretofore has been that we have not been fa- 

 miliar with the country where we have had to 

 fight. There are some limitations upon the 

 raising of this force. They are to serve in 

 Kentucky. They will make the most efficient 

 soldiers there. Our base of operations has got 

 to be at Louisville. Twenty thousand troops 

 are necessary in order to guard our base and 

 guard the line that you have got to advance as 

 you go into the rebel States, and these are the 

 best troops that you can get to guard that 

 base, and to guard that line." 



Mr. WicklifFe, of Kentucky, followed. He 

 said: "What is proposed by the bill under 

 consideration? It is, that when the main 

 army gets ready for its operation on Columbus, 

 and to open the navigation of the Mississippi 

 river, the rear of the army shall be protected, 

 and the people and homes of Kentucky de- 

 fended from inroads from Tennessee and Vir- 

 ginia, on these seven hundred odd miles of 

 border line. We think we will not want this 

 force longer than twelve months, and that we 

 can raise them suitable, ready, and prompt, 

 to perform that service. We do not say that 

 they shall not serve their country anywhere 

 else. If the commanding general deems it ne- 

 cessary that they shall be moved elsewhere, 

 they will fight wherever an enemy is to be 

 found ; and I will guarantee that they will do 

 it well, and will not stop to inquire whether 

 they must cross the line." 



Mr. Stevens, of Pennsylvania, objected to the 

 passage of the bill on the ground of economy : 

 " I think that if this House mean that the war 

 shall be carried on to a successful termination, 

 it must be done in such an economical manner 

 as that the people shall not become alarmed, 

 and that it shall not have to be abandoned be- 

 fore it is finished. The only way to guard 

 against that is to use economy, and to restrain 

 the expenditures of the Government within all 

 possible bounds, consistent with carrying it on 

 properly. 



" Now, sir, the House ought to know some- 

 thing about what it will be called upon to ap- 

 propriate, according to the estimates sent to 

 us, The Committee on Ways and Means will 



