CONGRESS, UNITED STATES (1861). 



taken place, 191 ; it is proposed that the Gov- 

 ernment should abdicate, 192 ; congressional 

 compromises not likely to save the Union, 192 ; 

 immediate duty of Congress, 192; Florida 

 Senators retire, 193 ; their remarks, 193-195 ; 

 Alabama Senators retire, 196 ; speeches, 196, 

 197; Mississippi Senators retire, 198 ; speeches 

 of Senator Davis, 198 ; Louisiana Senators re- 

 tire, 200 ; speeches, 200 ; in the House, Presi- 

 dent's message referred to a committee of one 

 from each State, 201 ; the committee, 202 ; 

 members decline to serve, 202 ; propositions 

 submitted to the House, 203, 204 ; not a repre- 

 sentative of the Democratic party on the com- 

 mittee, 203 ; what was the cause of this dis- 

 crimination ? 203 ; manoeuvres in the House to 

 obtain an expression for compromise, 204-206 ; 

 position of the Republican party, 206 ; slave 

 property, 206 ; state of opinion in the House, 

 207 ; debate, 207 ; importance of cotton, 207 ; 

 resolution relative to slavery unanimously 

 passed the House, 208. 



Proviso to exclude slavery from the Terri- 

 tories, 208 ; omitted in the bills introduced, 

 208 ; right of secession, 208, 209 ; love of the 

 Union, 209 ; importance of cotton, 209 ; object 

 of the forts, 210 ; the President should collect 

 the revenue, 210 ; the Government must be 

 maintained 210. 



Object of the South, 211; movement of 

 Major Anderson, 211 ; South Carolina is to- 

 day approachable with reason and words of 

 kindness, 211 ; the door of conciliation not 

 closed, 212 ; amendment offered to the appro- 

 priation bill, that no money shall be used by 

 the Government to make war, 212; is it the 

 purpose to wage war or not? 212; no war 

 contemplated by the Government but a defen- 

 sive one, 212 ; members from Georgia retire, 

 213. 



Reasons for opposing all compromise, 213 ; 

 the just laws of the country should be en- 

 forced, 214 ; the present is no time for com- 

 promise, 214; obey the Constitution, and ad- 

 minister the laws as they are, and all will be 

 well, 214; a general insurrection against the 

 authority of the United States, 214; the pres- 

 ent condition of things, 214; the Southern 

 Confederacy is not hostile, 215 ; one of two 

 things must be done, 215 ; it is a revolution- 

 no more and no less, 215 ; object and effect 

 of this bill is coercion, 215 ; to say that we 

 have not the constitutional power to protect 



ourselves is an absurdity, 215 ; censure of the 

 Secretary of the Navy, 216 ; votes on the re- 

 port of the Committee of Thirty- three, 216- 

 218; in the Senate, a bill to discontinue postal 

 service considered, 218 ; rather a peace measure 

 than otherwise, 218; an indirect attempt to 

 strike at States which have seceded, 219 ; what 

 the bill assumes, 219 ; what is the secret of 

 the opposition to this bill? 219; a deliberate 

 plot to break up this Union under pretence of 

 preserving it, 219 ; but one issue in this case, 

 219; communication from the President of 

 the Peace Conference, 220; report on, 220; 

 dissent of certain Senators, 220 ; their reasons, 

 220 ; resolution offered, 220 ; the Peace Con- 

 ference measure would increase the difficul- 

 ties, 220; compromise needed to save the 

 country, 220 ; to be deplored that the media- 

 tion of Virginia has not been effective, 221 ; 

 we stand in the presence of peace or war, 222 ; 

 the amendments of the Peace Conference are 

 a cheat, 222 ; the Senate convenes on Sunday 

 evening, 223 ; crowded hall, 223 ; disturbance, 

 223; questions of order, 223; readiness of 

 the South to compromise, 224; amendments 

 offered to the Peace Conference proposition, 

 224 ; all measures fail to pass, 225 ; Congress 

 adjourns, 225. 



Extra session, commencing July 4th, 225 ; 

 the members, 225; question of the right of 

 Senators from Western Virginia to seats, 226 ; 

 notice of a bill to confiscate property, 226 ; 

 resolution to approve the acts of the Presi- 

 dent, 227; amendment offered, 227; all the 

 propositions of this joint resolution cannot be 

 indorsed, 227 ; suspension of the habeas cor- 

 pus, 227 ; no necessity for it, 227 ; the acts of 

 the Administration were forced upon it by the 

 condition of the country, 228 ; an army of 

 forty thousand true men last January would 

 have prevented this state of affairs, 228 ; the 

 application of force is not the way to main- 

 tain the Union, 228 ; justification for the sus- 

 pension of the writ of habeas corpus, 228 ; 

 ratify whatever needs ratification, 228 ; the 

 determined aggregated power of the whole 

 people of this country will yet conquer, 229 ; 

 violation of the rights of the people, 229 ; 

 seizure of telegraphic despatches a violation 

 of the Constitution, 230 ; the President has no 

 right to regulate commerce between the States, 

 230 ; he has involved the country in a war in 

 violation of the Constitution, 230; other in- 



